1
What is History?
the story of the earth and all of the life that has existed on it in the past
Describe the key points of the neolithic period
-developed a sedimentary/permanent lifestyle because they could grow their own food
-Advanced stone tools
-specialization of labor in textile, pottery, and metal worker
-Rise of the first civilizations in the world
Why were the earliest civilizations located on rivers?
the earliest civilizations were located on rivers because the rivers provided water, fertile soil, animal life, trade, and travel
What is a ziggerat
steplike pyramids
list the contributions of the sumerians
- first system of writing (Cuneifrom)
- invented geometry and the system if 60
- lunar calendar
-invented the wheel
-legal code/ur nammu
-Queen kubaba - first recorded women leader
-the epic of gilgamesh - first known literature in history
Name the two periods of History and explain them
which one was the longest?
Prehistory - events that occurred before the invention of writing
History - the written record of life on earth
Prehistory is the longest of the two lasting about 2.5 million years
the crescent shaped fertile land that stretched from the Persian gulf to the mediterranian sea and to northeastern egypt
Where was sumerian civilization located?
List and explain the festivals of the sumerians
- Esh Esh - weekly festival associated with the moon, there were four moon cycles each lasting seven days and on the seventh days nobody worked
- Zanou - celebrated twice a year at planting and harvesting time
- Akita festival - religious festival lasting 12 days, it was later used for coronation and this festival included a three day mourning period for the moon
what were the roles of the temple officials in sumerian civilization
in charge of sacrifices and helped oversee agriculture
What are the three periods of prehistory?
Paleolithic - (oldest and longest) ended around 10,000 B.C.
Mesolithic - ended around 8,000 B.C.
Neolithic - ended around 3,000 B.C.
What is mesopotamia?
it mean land between the rivers and is the southern part of the fertile crescent lying between the tigris and euphrates river
Know this
Sumerian civilization consisted of a group of city states
What is a city state?
A city state is a small political body made up of people sharing the same ideas about government and life
What did the sumerians believe happened after death
they believed in an after life but not rewards or punishment
list the important city states of sumer
- Ur - Abraham lived till God called him to move
- Uruk - Birthplace of writing
- Eridu - oldest known city in the world
- Lagash - major military city of sumer
- Kish - home of Queen Kubaba
Describe the key points that occurred in the paleolithic period
- man got introduced to fire
- communicated with grunts and sign language
- extinction of large animals
- the end of this period marked the end of the ice age
What are the main civilization of the fertile crescent?
Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Ancient Hebrews or Israelites, Phonecians, Hittites, Egyptians
they had lugals
lugals were divine rights rulers and small kings of specific city states
their roles included military commanders, mananged disputes, and tried to enlarge their territory
What crops did the sumerians raise
the sumerians raised wheat, barley, and beans
everything you need to know on the Akkadians
- the Akkadians founded the first empire under their ruler sargon
- Sargons daughter was the first author in history
-the Akkadians had the first peramanent army in history
-Akkadian soldiers wore helmets with horns to signify that the gods were with them
-Had the first postal service with clay tablets
- built the tower of babel under nimrod descendant of ham son of noah
Describe the key points of the mesolithic period
-new smaller animals came into play
-the climate warmed up
- man learned different uses for fire (cook, warmth, and light)
- developed trade and leadership emerged
-domestication of plants and animals
What are the four earliest known civilizations and what River was each one established on?
- Sumerians - Tigris/Euphrates rivers
- Ancient Egyptians - Nile river
- Indus Valley - Indus river
- Ancient Chinese - Yellow river
What kind of religion were the sumerians
Polythiestic which means many gods
what jobs did the sumerians have
the sumerians had potters, metal workers, and textile workers
What happened to the Akkadian empire and why do we only know a fragmented history
the Akkadian empire fell because of a change in climate such as drought and we only know a fragmented history that was retrieved on prices of Cuneiform tablets