CH

AR

AC

TER

ISTI

CS

OF

CIV

ILIZ

ATIO

N

•

1. R

ise o

f Dev

elop

ed C

ities

–C

ities

serv

ed a

s pol

itica

l and

eco

nom

icce

nter

s for

surr

ound

ing

area

s–

Maj

or c

ities

em

erge

d in

riv

er v

alle

ys

•

2. O

rgan

ized

Gov

ernm

ent

–D

iffer

ent t

ypes

of g

over

nmen

t =th

eocr

acy

and

mon

arch

y•

Theo

crac

y =

a go

v’t r

uled

by

relig

ious

lead

ers w

ho c

laim

God

’s a

utho

rity

•M

onar

chy

= go

v’t b

y a

king

or q

ueen

•

3. R

ole

of F

orm

aliz

ed R

elig

ion

–

Form

al r

elig

ious

inst

itutio

ns th

atin

clud

ed c

erem

onie

s, ri

tual

s, an

d ot

her

form

s of w

orsh

ip–

Wan

ted

to g

ain

the

favo

r of

the

gods

–M

any

lead

ers c

laim

ed to

rul

e by

the

will

of th

e go

ds

•

4. S

peci

aliz

atio

n of

Lab

or–

Div

ision

of l

abor

incr

ease

d an

d m

any

new

jobs

bec

ame

avai

labl

e

•

5. S

ocia

l Str

uctu

re–

Base

d on

peo

ple’

s occ

upat

ions

, wea

lth,

and

influ

ence

1.

Rul

ers,

prie

sts,

and

nobl

es

2

. M

erch

ants

and

art

isans

3.

Farm

ers a

nd u

nski

lled

labo

rers

4.

Slav

es- S

ince

the

soci

al st

ruct

ure

is ar

rang

ed in

orde

r of

ran

k, th

en th

at m

akes

ithi

erar

chic

al

•

6. U

se o

f Wri

ting

–D

evel

oped

abo

ut 5

,000

yea

rs a

go–

Firs

t wri

tings

use

d an

d w

ere

base

d on

pict

ogra

phs

–D

evel

oped

cal

enda

rs w

hich

wer

eim

port

ant t

o fa

rmin

g

•7.

Art

–Pa

intin

gs a

nd st

atue

s of g

ods,

rule

rs,

and

hero

es–

Refl

ecte

d a

civi

lizat

ion’

s pow

er a

nd a

rule

r’s p

rest

ige

8.

Tec

hnol

ogy

–So

met

hing

that

mad

e pe

ople

’s li

ves e

asie

r, fo

rth

e ho

min

ids t

his w

as a

rock

use

d as

a to

ol9.

Tra

de–

Man

y ci

viliz

atio

ns tr

aded

with

one

ano

ther

toga

in g

oods

and

reso

urce

s tha

t the

ir te

rrito

ryla

cked

–O

ften

led

the

spre

ad o

f new

idea

s and

tech

nolo

gyC

ultu

ral D

iffus

ion

= th

e sp

read

of c

ultu

ral

belie

fs, t

raits

, and

idea

s fro

m o

ne a

rea

toan

othe

r

MES

OPO

TAM

IA A

ND

SUM

ER

MES

OPO

TAM

IA•

Mes

opot

amia

is th

e va

lley

betw

een

the

Tigr

is an

d Eu

phra

tes r

iver

s–

Also

kno

wn

as th

e Fe

rtile

Cre

scen

t due

to a

n ab

unda

nce

of c

rops

•Th

ere

are

thre

e m

ain

area

s:–

Ass

yria

, A

kkad

, and

Sum

er–

The

city

-sta

te o

f Bab

ylon

is a

lso fo

und

in M

esop

otam

ia

SUM

ER•

By 3

000

BC in

depe

nden

t city

-sta

tes h

ad b

een

esta

blish

ed–

City

-sta

te =

a c

ity th

at h

as p

oliti

cal a

ndec

onom

ic c

ontr

ol o

ver

the

surr

ound

ing

coun

trys

ide

•Th

e m

ost p

rom

inen

t bui

ldin

g w

as th

e zi

ggur

at(a

pyr

amid

-sha

ped

stru

ctur

e) w

hich

was

the

tem

ple

dedi

cate

d to

the

chie

f god

or

godd

ess o

fth

e ci

ty

•

Sum

er R

elig

ion

–Be

lieve

d th

at g

ods a

nd g

odde

sses

ow

ned

the

citie

s–

The

Sum

er r

elig

ion

was

pol

ythe

istic

•M

onot

heist

ic =

bel

ief i

n on

e G

od•

Poly

thei

stic

= b

elie

f in

man

y go

ds–

Wor

ked

hard

to p

leas

e th

e go

ds–

Kin

gshi

p w

as se

en a

s div

ine

–K

ings

bel

ieve

d to

get

thei

r po

wer

to r

ule

from

the

gods

and

serv

ed a

s the

god

s’ ch

ief

repr

esen

tativ

e

•

Sum

er S

ocie

ty–

Soci

ety

was

pat

riar

chal

= d

omin

ated

by

men

–Sc

ribe

s also

hel

d ve

ry im

port

ant p

ositi

ons b

ecau

seth

ey c

ould

rea

d an

d w

rite

•Fe

w p

eopl

e co

uld

read

and

wri

te, t

ook

year

s of

scho

olin

g•

Sum

er A

chie

vem

ents

–C

reat

ed th

e fir

st sy

stem

of w

ritin

g w

hich

was

cal

led

cune

iform

•M

ade

wed

ge-s

hape

d im

pres

sions

on

clay

tabl

ets

and

then

bak

ed th

em in

the

sun

–D

evel

oped

a m

ath

syst

em b

ased

on

the

num

ber

6•

Hou

r di

vide

d in

to 6

0 m

in.,

circ

le in

to 3

60 d

egre

es–

Inve

nted

the

whe

el a

nd p

low

EMPI

RES

OF

MES

OPO

TAM

IAA

ND

SO

UTH

WES

T A

SIA

Akk

adia

ns

•C

onqu

ered

the

Sum

eria

n ci

ty-s

tate

s and

nort

hern

Mes

opot

amia

•M

ain

king

was

Sar

gon

I and

his

achi

evem

ent

was

that

he

form

ed th

e w

orld

’s fi

rst e

mpi

re•

Ado

pted

cun

eifo

rm a

nd sp

read

Sum

eria

ncu

lture

Baby

loni

an E

mpi

re•

Mai

n ki

ng w

as H

amm

urab

i–

Hon

ored

Sum

eria

n go

ds a

nd u

nite

d al

l of

Mes

opot

amia

•H

amm

urab

i also

inst

itute

d a

lega

l sys

tem

know

n as

the

Cod

e of

Ham

mur

abi

–It

con

siste

d of

282

law

s bas

ed o

n ey

e fo

r an

eye

–Th

e C

ode

of H

amm

urab

i was

impo

rtan

tbe

caus

e it

unifi

ed a

ll th

e pe

ople

with

in th

eem

pire

und

er o

ne se

t of l

aws,

depe

ndin

g on

soci

al st

atus

Hitt

ites

•Lo

cate

d in

Asia

Min

or (m

oder

n da

y Tu

rkey

)•

They

wer

e th

e fir

st to

mak

e ir

on–

This

bene

fited

them

bec

ause

it m

ade

stro

nger

wea

pons

and

tool

s

Ass

yria

ns•

Due

to fr

eque

nt w

arfa

re th

e A

ssyr

ians

cre

ated

afie

rce

war

rior

soci

ety

•A

ssyr

ian

war

fare

rel

ied

on te

rror

•H

ow d

id th

ey tr

eat t

he p

eopl

e th

ey c

aptu

red:

tort

ured

or

kille

d th

em–

Rut

hles

sly p

unish

ed th

ose

who

opp

osed

them

Phoe

nici

ans

•G

reat

est a

chie

vem

ent w

as th

e Ph

oeni

cian

alp

habe

t–

Dev

elop

ed o

ne o

f the

wor

ld’s

firs

t alp

habe

ts a

nd it

cons

isted

of 2

2 le

tters

–ad

opte

d by

man

y th

roug

h tr

ade,

it w

as im

port

ant a

s the

foun

datio

n fo

r m

oder

n En

glish

alp

habe

t•

Also

kno

wn

for

trad

e th

roug

hout

the

Med

iterr

anea

n w

hich

brou

ght t

hem

muc

h w

ealth

–Th

e Ph

oeni

cian

s also

est

ablis

hed

colo

nies

thro

ugho

utth

e M

edite

rran

ean

–Th

is br

ough

t val

uabl

e ra

w m

ater

ials

to th

e Ph

oeni

cian

citie

s and

gav

e th

em a

cces

s to

mor

e m

arke

ts–

It a

lso le

d to

the

exch

ange

of i

deas

•Th

e Ph

oeni

cian

s wer

e ca

lled

the

“car

rier

s of c

ivili

zatio

n”fo

r sp

read

ing

idea

s and

cul

ture

thro

ugh

thei

r tr

ade

Heb

rew

s/Isr

aelit

es•

Loca

ted

in m

oder

n da

y Is

rael

•H

ebre

ws a

re a

nces

tors

of p

eopl

e ca

lled

Jew

s•

Foun

ded

the

relig

ion

of J

udai

sm

JUD

AIS

M•

It w

as th

e fir

st m

onot

heist

ic re

ligio

n•

The

Tora

h is

the

mos

t sac

red

text

•Th

e H

ebre

w B

ible

is c

alle

d th

e O

ld T

esta

men

tin

the

Chr

istia

n Bi

ble

•M

ost i

mpo

rtan

t law

s Ten

Com

man

dmen

ts•

All

Heb

rew

s can

be

trac

ed b

ack

to w

hat

ance

stor

, Abr

aham

–H

ebre

ws b

ecam

e kn

own

as th

e C

hild

ren

ofIs

rael

or I

srae

lites

Pers

ians

•Lo

cate

d in

mod

ern-

day

Iran

•Es

tabl

ished

one

of t

he la

rges

t em

pire

s of t

hean

cien

t wor

ld•

Built

num

erou

s roa

ds, t

he lo

nges

t one

was

nam

ed th

e R

oyal

Roa

d–

Wor

ld’s

firs

t lon

g hi

ghw

ay, 1

,500

mile

s