Just wanted to provide a link to another one of the British Museum sites on ancient civilizations - this time on Ancient Greece! Take a look at the so-called birthplace of Western Civilization, if you dare:
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The First Weeks - The River Civilizations
Moving forward from the River Civilizations exam on March 2, I just wanted to make sure everyone had a chance to remember what we learned when looking back months from now. What did we know?:
Ancient Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia means “land between two rivers”-the Tigris River and Euphrates River.
Sumer had the first complex society by 3300 B.C.E. (before common era)
They were polytheistic (worshipped many gods) and that they worshipped in ziggurats, which were pyramid-like structures except with steps on the outside.
They were mainly a farming society, although they did trade with countries as far away as India and Egypt.
Hammurabi's Code was the first written set of laws which stated, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”.
They had a system of writing know as cuneiform, which they wrote on clay tablets.
Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent are in the area that is now known as Iraq.
Mesopotamia may have been the first area to widely use wheels.
They were good blacksmiths and that they were the first to widely use iron instead of copper and bronze for weapons and tools, thus beginning the Iron Age.
They wrote heroic tales, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, a hero who searches for the fountain of youth.
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt centered on the Nile River which flows in a northern direction.
Government controlled the economy.
They had a positive outlook regarding an afterlife, and that only important people were mummified – all the organs except the heart were pulled out.
They were polytheistic, and mainly a farming society.
They used geometry to build monuments such as the pyramids.
They were led by a pharaoh – who was also viewed as a god.
Egyptians sometimes married their siblings or other close relatives.
They used a system of writing called Hieroglyphics– which was often written on papyrus (made from long river grasses).
They established a complex bureaucracy (departmentalizing authority for different tasks) and that pharaohs relied on their viziers, or chief ministers.
Women had some opportunities to exercise freedom/power.
Ancient India
Civilization on the Indian subcontinent began near the Indus River.
They were one of the first to have plumbing and to attempt surgery.
They were polytheistic and that they believed in reincarnation and karma.
They had a language called Sanskrit which they used to write the Vedas - hymns to the Gods.
They had a caste system which consisted of Priests, Warriors, Farmers/Merchants, and Laborers (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Sudras). Untouchables were people considered to be outside of society.
Indian life was defined by the monsoons, a seasonal wind which brings long periods of rain.
The greatest empire of ancient India was the Mauryan Empire, whose most famous emperor was Ashoka.
During the Mauryan Empire, Buddhism became a major religion to rival Hinduism.
Buddhism was started by Siddhartha, who spread the idea of the Four Noble Truth, which stated amongst other things that all life is suffering and that suffering is caused by desire.
Buddhists built dome shaped shrines called stupas.
Ancient China
Ancient Chinese civilization was centered around the Yellow River.
The Shang and especially the Zhou dynasties were marked with 1500 years of wars and rivalries. They called it the period of the Warring States.
We know that the ancient Chinese believed in ancestor worship and the idea of heaven called t'ian, but only had vague ideas regarding gods.
Shi Huangdi was the first emperor, from the Qin dynasty, to unify China in 220 B.C.
One of the major philosophers of ancient China was Confucius, who stressed a return to order after the Age of the Warring States, and also the importance of following rituals. He also stressed filial piety, or respect for parents.
Five Confucian Relationships of: Ruler to Subject, Husband to Wife, Father to Son, Elder Brother to Younger Brother, and Friend to Friend. Confucius said that if everyone played their proper position and showed proper respect, society would run smoothly.
There were other philosophies, such as Daoism which stressed a return to harmony with nature and to be like water. Dao means “the way”. There was also Legalism, which stressed that mankind, by nature, was evil and that strictness was required by rulers.
The Chinese were experts in silk production and bronze metallurgy.
The Chinese were excellent shipbuilders, and also created explosives.
Eventually, Buddhism spread to China and became a main religion.
Ancient Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia means “land between two rivers”-the Tigris River and Euphrates River.
Sumer had the first complex society by 3300 B.C.E. (before common era)
They were polytheistic (worshipped many gods) and that they worshipped in ziggurats, which were pyramid-like structures except with steps on the outside.
They were mainly a farming society, although they did trade with countries as far away as India and Egypt.
Hammurabi's Code was the first written set of laws which stated, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”.
They had a system of writing know as cuneiform, which they wrote on clay tablets.
Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent are in the area that is now known as Iraq.
Mesopotamia may have been the first area to widely use wheels.
They were good blacksmiths and that they were the first to widely use iron instead of copper and bronze for weapons and tools, thus beginning the Iron Age.
They wrote heroic tales, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, a hero who searches for the fountain of youth.
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt centered on the Nile River which flows in a northern direction.
Government controlled the economy.
They had a positive outlook regarding an afterlife, and that only important people were mummified – all the organs except the heart were pulled out.
They were polytheistic, and mainly a farming society.
They used geometry to build monuments such as the pyramids.
They were led by a pharaoh – who was also viewed as a god.
Egyptians sometimes married their siblings or other close relatives.
They used a system of writing called Hieroglyphics– which was often written on papyrus (made from long river grasses).
They established a complex bureaucracy (departmentalizing authority for different tasks) and that pharaohs relied on their viziers, or chief ministers.
Women had some opportunities to exercise freedom/power.
Ancient India
Civilization on the Indian subcontinent began near the Indus River.
They were one of the first to have plumbing and to attempt surgery.
They were polytheistic and that they believed in reincarnation and karma.
They had a language called Sanskrit which they used to write the Vedas - hymns to the Gods.
They had a caste system which consisted of Priests, Warriors, Farmers/Merchants, and Laborers (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Sudras). Untouchables were people considered to be outside of society.
Indian life was defined by the monsoons, a seasonal wind which brings long periods of rain.
The greatest empire of ancient India was the Mauryan Empire, whose most famous emperor was Ashoka.
During the Mauryan Empire, Buddhism became a major religion to rival Hinduism.
Buddhism was started by Siddhartha, who spread the idea of the Four Noble Truth, which stated amongst other things that all life is suffering and that suffering is caused by desire.
Buddhists built dome shaped shrines called stupas.
Ancient China
Ancient Chinese civilization was centered around the Yellow River.
The Shang and especially the Zhou dynasties were marked with 1500 years of wars and rivalries. They called it the period of the Warring States.
We know that the ancient Chinese believed in ancestor worship and the idea of heaven called t'ian, but only had vague ideas regarding gods.
Shi Huangdi was the first emperor, from the Qin dynasty, to unify China in 220 B.C.
One of the major philosophers of ancient China was Confucius, who stressed a return to order after the Age of the Warring States, and also the importance of following rituals. He also stressed filial piety, or respect for parents.
Five Confucian Relationships of: Ruler to Subject, Husband to Wife, Father to Son, Elder Brother to Younger Brother, and Friend to Friend. Confucius said that if everyone played their proper position and showed proper respect, society would run smoothly.
There were other philosophies, such as Daoism which stressed a return to harmony with nature and to be like water. Dao means “the way”. There was also Legalism, which stressed that mankind, by nature, was evil and that strictness was required by rulers.
The Chinese were experts in silk production and bronze metallurgy.
The Chinese were excellent shipbuilders, and also created explosives.
Eventually, Buddhism spread to China and became a main religion.
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