THE FIRST CIVILISATIONS
where were the first urban civilisations built near to?
large river valleys
what was the religion?
polytheistic
The ruler of Egypt was called...
a pharaoh
Permanent settlements with agriculture
Neolithic villages
What river is next to Egypt?
the Nile
What was writing used for?
keeping accounts or recording commercial transactions
Which rivers was Mesopotamia situated between?
between the Tigris and Euphrates
What was The Egyptian economy based on?
agriculture and trade
The government officials who specialised in writing
scribes
name the different types of megalithic monuments
dolmens, menhir, cromlech
What type of person belonged to the privileged minority of society?
It consisted of rich and powerful families who lived in big houses or palaces and did not need to work. The most powerful position was held by the king of Mesopotamia and the pharaoh in Egypt. The next most influential group was the priest, followed by the government officials and then the landowners.
What was the main sacred building called?
the ziggurat
Egypt has a long history, divided into four main periods: ?
the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom and the Late Period.
What is the name of the oldest surviving set of written laws ?
the Code of Hammurabi.
What climate is generally hotter and more humid:
tropical or temperate?
tropical
What was the role of women in early civilisations?
They made an important contribution by working the land, doing domestic tasks, and looking for children. However, they did not have as many rights as men
What important things did the Mesopotamians invent?
The wheel, Mathematics, Time, Writing, (sexagesimal system, lunar calander)
What are some characteristics of Egyptian monumental architecture?
stone, massive constructions, and the use of flat roofs.
a king-high priest that a city was governed by..
the ensi or patesi.
The oldest wonder of the world
pyramids of giza
Outline the development of the different writing systems
In Mesopotamia objects were first represented through pictures (pictograms). Later these became more abstract.
2. Later, they wrote on clay tablets. This type of writing is called cuneiform, because the signs were wedge-shaped (en forma de cuña).
3. They used a series of pictograms to express their ideas (ideograms). This is called ideographic writing. 4. The Egyptians used an system called hieroglyphics, which gave the words a magical quality. They wrote on stones, wooden tablets, and papyrus. Hieroglyphics were deciphered in the 19th century thanks to the discovery of the Rossetta Stone.
Who ruled the territory of Mesopotamia?
first ruled by the Sumerians, followed by the Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians and the Babylonians once more
What is the most important characteristic of Egyptian paintings?
the canon of profile: the limbs and face are drawn in profile, but the torso and one eye are depicted from the front view.
a stone coffin, typically adorned with a sculpture or inscription and associated with the ancient civilizations of Egypt
sarcophagus
If you dig a hole through the centre of the earth starting from wellington New Zealand which European country would you end up in?
Spain