Early Mesopotamia
The Phoenicians gained wealth and power through __________
Sea trade throughout the Mediterranian
A powerful female pharaoh that expanded Egyptian trade and had a peaceful rule
Hatshepsut
What were the Assyrians known for?
Strong military power, and particularly cruel in their treatment of conquered foes. Very violent people
What was a Persian innovation that helped communication or travel around the empire?
Roads and the postal service
Mesopotamia means "land between the rivers;" what two rivers does this refer to?
The Tigris and the Euphrates
What civilization created the first library?
Sumerians
What is the feather of Maat?
The feather that a person's heart is weighed against after death to see if they would have a peaceful afterlife.
What was the Babylonian Captivity?
When King Nebuchadenzzar detroyed Jerusalem and the temple and expelled the Jewish people (beginning of the diaspora)
What is the god of the Zoroastrians
Ahura Mazda
What is a primary source?
A source created in the time period you are studying
What is cuneiform and how was it made? (what tools)
It was the first writing system made by the Sumerians. They used reeds to press the symbols/letters into wet clay tablets
Why do historians call the Middle Kingdom the "Age of the People?"
Because the first intermediate period saw the people rebel, so the middle kingdom focused on infrastructure and construction that would help the people, like irrigation for farming etc.
This Assyrian king took the ten tribes of Israel captive
Sargon II
What important innovation did the Persians adopt from the Lydians?
Coinage--the use of money instead of the barter system
Who allowed the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple?
Cyrus the Great
How did Hammurabi communicate his laws to the Amorites?
He had them engraved on stone pillars and placed all around his empire.
When were the great pyramids built? (Give the Kingdom and years)
The Old Kingdom (2700 BC-2200 BC)
The Babylonians (Chaldeans) took over the Assyrians and captured their capital in what year? (also give the capital name)
Ninevah 612 BC
What was the government structure of the Persian Empire and how did Cyrus maintain control?
Divided into Satrapies (provinces) with a satrap (governor). He kept a watch on the provicnes through his secret police
Describe the Phoenician city of Tyre
It was a walled island off the coast of Lebanon. This protected it from invaders until Alexander the Great figured out how to cross the water with his army.
What year was Abraham born in the Sumerian city of Ur?
2166 BC
What three major events led to the weakening/split of Egypt in 1070 BC?
1. The south seceded breifly under rebel king Amennesse
2. Ramses III was murdered by his wives
3. There was a civil war between the north and the south
What was the Babylonians (Chaldeans) greatest contribution to ancient civilizations?
atronomy; charted the planets, named constellations, and predicted eclipses
How did Cyrus defeat King Croesus of the Lydians?
He came to the capital (Sardis) after Croesus had disbanded his army. Instead of a siege, he charged his men with figuring out how to climb the wall. When a soldier sees a Lydian climb up and down to retrieve his helmet, he led the Persians into the city that way and defeated Croesus
What is the difference between historical synthesis and historical interpretation?
Synthesis is when the historian gathers all the sources available to him abd evaluates them to then form a narrative. Interpretation is ascribing meaning to that narrative, giving it significance and saying why it matters.