7th Grade Early World History

Transcription

1 7th Grade Early World History Unit 3, Part 1: Early Civilizations and the Emergence of Pastoral Peoples Lessons, readings, and activities from Michigan Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum by Oakland County Schools Adapted by St. Johns Middle School

2 7th Grade Early World History Check Grading + Ways I can earn a CHECK PLUS: (worth 4 points = 100%) I have answered every question. I have explained my thinking thoroughly in complete sentences. I have used capitals and punctuation. I have written with my neatest possible handwriting. Ways I can earn a CHECK: (worth 3 points = 75%) I have answered all but 1 2 questions. I have explained my thinking in mostly complete sentences. I have used capitals and punctuation most of the time. I have written with readable but not my neatest handwriting. Ways I can earn a CHECK MINUS: (worth 2 points = 50%) I have answered some of the questions. I have not explained my thinking and/or I used incomplete sentences. I have capitals and punctuation rarely. I have written with handwriting that is difficult to read. - Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 1

3 Quick Write #6 - Catal Hoyuk and Ur What differences do you see between these places? How would life be different in each one? Which one lines up more with your idea of civilization and why? Brainstorm: Civilization What comes to mind when you hear the word civilization? Where do these ideas come from? Foraging Societies Civilizations Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 2

4 Quick Write #7 - Ancient Civilizations What do you notice about where these are located? Why do you think that is the case? Brainstorm: Geographic Luck What do you think geographic luck might refer to? Describe what you think a geographically lucky place would be like. Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 3

5 Jared Diamond and the Theory of Geographic Luck Jared Diamond s journey of discovery began on the island of Papua New Guinea. There, in 1974, a local named Yali asked Diamond a deceptively simple question: Why is it that you white people developed so much cargo, but we black people had little cargo of our own? Diamond realized that Yali s question penetrated the heart of a great mystery of human history the roots of global inequality. Why were Europeans the ones with all the cargo? Why had they taken over so much of the world, instead of the native people of New Guinea? How did Europeans end up with what Diamond terms the agents of conquest: guns, germs and steel? It was these agents of conquest that allowed 168 Spanish conquistadors to defeat an Imperial Inca army of 80,000 in 1532, and set a pattern of European conquest which would continue right up to the present day. Diamond knew that the answer had little to do with ingenuity or individual skill. From his own experience in the jungles of New Guinea, he had observed that native hunter gatherers were just as intelligent as people of European descent and far more resourceful. Their lives were tough, and it seemed a terrible paradox of history that these extraordinary people should be the conquered, and not the conquerors. To examine the reasons for European success, Jared realized he had to peel back the layers of history and begin his search at a time of equality a time when all the peoples of the world lived in exactly the same way. Time of Equality A t the end of the last Ice Age, around thirteen thousand years ago, people on all continents followed a so called Stone Age way of life they survived by hunting and gathering the available wild animals and plants. When resources were plentiful, this was a productive way of life. But in times of scarcity, hunting and gathering was a precarious mode of survival. Populations remained relatively small, and the simple task of finding food occupied every waking moment. Around eleven and a half thousand years ago, the world's climate suddenly changed. In an aftershock of the Ice Age, temperatures plummeted and global rainfall reduced. The impact of this catastrophe was felt most keenly in an area known as the Fertile Crescent, in the modern Middle East. Here, hunter gathers had thrived on some of the most useful and plentiful flora and fauna in the world. They had even developed semi permanent settlements to exploit the resources around them. Now, with their food options disappearing from the menu on a daily basis, these people did something remarkable. They began to cultivate the hardiest species of surviving plants and animals, even bringing seeds back to their villages and planting new stock. They were becoming farmers. An Agricultural Revolution Diamond learns that the act of transplanting a wild plant and placing it under human control totally transforms that plant's DNA. Characteristics which aid survival in the wild, disappear in favor of qualities which suit human consumption. The plant becomes domesticated and wholly dependent on human control for survival. Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 4

6 Only a handful of places in the world played host to this agricultural revolution. In most cases, plant domestication was a precursor to the development of advanced civilizations. Along with the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East, independent domestication of wild plants is believed to have occurred in Ancient China, in Central and Southern America, in sub Tropical Africa, and in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. So, Diamond asks, why did each of these parts of the world go on to develop advanced civilizations, while the farmers of New Guinea were apparently left behind? The luck of the draw Diamond discovers that the answer lies in a geographical luck of the draw what mattered were the raw materials themselves. Of all the plant species in the world, only a limited number are possible, or useful, to domesticate. To Diamond's astonishment, most of these species are native to Europe and Asia species like wheat, barley and rice, which grew wild in abundance in only these parts of the world. Two more species are native to Tropical Africa (sorghum and yams) while only one is native to the Americas (corn), and to Papua New Guinea (taro). Not a single domesticable plant grows wild in Australia. And that's not all. Diamond discovers a similar dramatic inequality in the distribution of domesticable animals. Animals dramatically increase the productivity of farming, through their meat, milk, leather, dung, and as beasts of burden. Without them, farmers are trapped in a cycle of subsistence and manual labor. Of all the animal species in the world, only 14 have ever been domesticated. 12 of these are native to Eurasia. One, the llama, is native to South America and the farmers of New Guinea managed to domesticate the pig. But pigs can't pull plows, and until the arrival of Europeans in the 20th century, all New Guinean farming was still done by hand. From tools to cities Diamond realized that the development of successful and productive farming, starting nearly 12,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, was the critical turning point in the origins of global inequality. From this point on, one group of people the natives of Eurasia would have a head start on the path to civilization. Successful farming provides a food surplus, and allows some people to leave the farm behind and develop specialized skills such as metal working, writing, trade, politics, and war making. Plus, the simple geography of the continent of Eurasia one coherent landmass spread on an east west axis, with universal latitudes and climates allowed these technologies and ideas to spread beyond the Middle East with ease. Without the environment, or the time, to develop similar skills, the farmers of New Guinea became trapped in their highland isolation. Diamond concludes that from the end of the Ice Age, geography ensured that different societies around the world would develop at different speeds. If Yali's people had had all the geographic advantages of Europeans, perhaps they could have conquered the world. Epilogue Diamond believes the blueprint for global inequality lies within the land itself, its crops and animals. Source: Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 5

7 Continent and Region Geographic Luck Analysis Sheet Latitude Climate Zone # of Large-seeded grasses Large mammals for domestication by 1000 BCE Nile River Valley Civilization Tigris and Euphrates Civilization Indus and Ganges Civilization Yellow River Civilization In comparison.... Mississippi River North America, runs north to south Approxim ately degrees North Temperate 4 0 Amazon River South America, runs west to east Approxim ately 5 North to 20 degrees South Tropical 2 0 Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 6

8 Important Factors for the Development of Early Civilizations Why were each of these sets of factors important for the development of civilizations? Take notes below as your teacher explains. Write down the most important ideas for each factor (do NOT write down everything on the slide). Latitude and Climate Large Seeded Grasses Large Mammals and Domestication Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 7

9 Writing Checkpoint: The Theory of Geographic Luck What can we add to our original Geographic Luck list now? What evidence is there that supports Jared Diamond s theory that early civilizations were geographically lucky? What is it about rivers? Why did the four first large civilizations emerge around large rivers? What factors besides rivers seemed important in the development of civilizations? Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 8

10 Remember: in the areas where civilizations eventually developed, people were living there long before the civilization began. They were smaller settlements that fell into the pattern in the picture to the left. This was thousands of years into agriculture. Quick Write #8 - Rivers Why did the earliest civilizations grow around rivers? Why these rivers in particular? Quick Write #9 - Why not somewhere else? Why do you think that civilizations didn t arise in other places on the map? Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 9

11 Characteristics of a Civilization Intensification: Neolithic villages became larger and denser as populations grew, architecture expanded, and a food surplus was available. After 4000 BC/BCE, great changes occurred in cultural institutions. These changes occurred very quickly considering humans had lived at foragers and in small farming villages for over 200,000 years before this. This process of change and growth in Era 2 is called intensification. A society did not have to have every characteristic to be a civilization, but below represent some general trends. Characteristic Description Cities Specialization Hierarchy The State Networks of Trade Cities supported large populations of over 30,000 people Some people living in cities took full-time specialized jobs (artisan, merchant, soldier, priest) because they were supported by farmers from the surrounding community. A class system emerged where certain men (and sometimes women) held all the power. They were called elites. Men began to dominate in politics and women became more responsible for the life at home. This system is called patriarchy. One city usually ruled over all others in a civilization. A king or pharaoh with a small group of officials controlled the rest of society. Many civilizations traded within and outside of their borders. Technology, food, and language spread from Mesopotamia outward to Egypt, India, and China. Technology Technology changed much more rapidly than in Era I. People developed metals like bronze and use those build things like wheeled carriages. Monuments Spiritual Beliefs and Laws Large buildings were constructed like city walls, temples, palaces, and tombs for powerful rulers. Spiritual beliefs and laws became richer and more complex. Creativity Individuals worked with the ruling class to study astronomy, mathematics, sciences, and engineering. Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 10

12 Early Cities Adapted from Big History by Cynthia Stokes Brown (2007) Were these four societies civilizations? As you read, identify evidence that will help you answer this question and determine if they meet the criteria for civilization. The first cities developed in about 3500 BCE in four river valleys across Afroeurasia. The earliest cities appeared in the Tigris and Euphrates valleys in what is now southern Iraq. Cities also appeared in the Nile valley in Egypt, the Indus valley in Pakistan/India, and in the Yellow River valley in China. All of these cities were supported by farming in the river valley areas, although the specific crops varied by place. They all also had domesticated animals which provided food as well. Mesopotamia-Sumer The name Mesopotamia actually means land between rivers in ancient Greek. This society, also known as Sumer, is an ancient civilization of cities that developed on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers over five thousand years ago. The first of eight Sumerian cities to develop was Uruk. Uruk had two major temples. One was to An, the sky god and another to Inanna, the goddess of love and protection. Each major city in Sumer was devoted to one or more gods. The Sumerians believed that the gods resided in the temples they built for them. Sumerians believed in seven major gods and goddesses, who formed a council that decided what would happen to people. The four gods were An (sky), Enlil (air), Enki (water and wisdom), and Utu (sun). The three goddesses were Ki (Earth), Nannar (moon), and Inanna (love and protection). People in Sumer ranked gods just like they were ranked when hierarchies appeared. The major gods lived in temples that formed large towers called ziggurats. Over time, the cities of Sumer were united. King Sargon of the city Akkad conquered the other cities, demolished their walls, and appointed his sons as governors. Sumer was now ruled by one city and its ruler controlled others, supported by scribes and priests. Sargon s grandson, Naram Suen, declared himself a god. Indus River Civilization People began living in the Indus Valley in about 7000 BCE and on the Indus River by 3000 BCE. Archeologists have excavated two Indus Valley cities, Mohenjo Daro and Harappa. Scholars have not been able to decipher Indus script, so not much is known about their culture. Scholars do know that the people of Mohenjo Daro and Harappa were able to separate drinking water from waste-water in the first known sewage system. Some carvings on artifacts found in these cities may depict some early forms of Hindu gods. By 1500 BCE life on the Indus River had disappeared. Scholars think there may have been an earthquake or a flood Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 11

13 that made life difficult. Another possibility is that farming became difficult because of salinization. Salinization occurs when land gets too much salt caused by the evaporation of water. Since even fresh water has small amounts of salt in it, the same problem could have caused the decline of ancient Sumer as well. Egypt Fortunately, scholars have been able to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics, a form of writing that Egyptians developed around 3300 BCE. Scribes, or record keepers who could read and write well, kept information on an early form of paper called papyrus. Documents reveal that Egyptian settlements were united in about 3100 BCE and ruled from a city called Memphis on the Nile River Delta. The Nile River, the longest river in the world at 4,160 miles, gave Egyptians many advantages. It provided transportation by boat that allowed their ruler, called a pharaoh, to control the distribution of resources through the kingdom. Since the river flooded annually, Egyptians farmers were able to trap water in deposits of soil to water their crops. Salinization occurs when water evaporates leaving too much salt. Because there was less evaporation here, agriculture lasted much longer than in the Indus Valley or in Sumer. In 1687 BCE, Egypt was invaded by a people called the Hyksos who rode horse drawn chariots. This drew Egypt into warfare and Egypt ruled the Nile far to the south and as far as the Euphrates River in the north. Yellow River In China, in the far eastern part of Eurasia, a fourth civilization developed. Early Chinese cities developed on the agricultural surplus produced near the Yellow River. Urban areas evolved from villages on terraced land near the Yellow River. By 3000 BCE there were walled villages in northern China with richly appointed tombs containing pottery with mark that appeared to be ancient Chinese script. By 1523 BCE, the Shang family had established military and political power by importing weapons from the Middle East. The Shangs ruled for 500 years. Their capital was in Anyang, now in the Henan province of modern China. During the Shang dynasty, elites, or people at the top of the social hierarchy used bronze to make cooking pots and other artifacts. Bronze was also used for wheeled vehicles. They made books out of bamboo and used brushes for writing. There is also evidence they practiced human sacrifice. Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 12

14 River Valley Civilizations Graphic Organizer Mesopotamia- Sumer Indus Egypt Yellow River Dense Population (more people in smaller space) Agricultural Economy (farming as main activity) Cities Complex Social Hierarchy (levels of power) Occupational Specialization (special jobs needing certain skills) Centralized State (a main authority making decisions) Architecture (monument building) Writing System Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 13

15 Belief System (religion or other cultural system of shared beliefs) Small Group Discussion Questions Talk about these questions in your group, going back to your charts and the text for help with your thinking. Have a note taker for each question, taking turns at this job during your conversation, but be sure that everyone in your group writes down the answers to each question by the end of the activity. 1. What evidence is listed in the reading for complex societies in these four examples? 2. Which civilizations do we seem to know more about? Why do you think that is? 3. Why did civilization last longer in Egypt and China? Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 14

16 The Story of Egypt What do you know about Egypt? The Story of Mesopotamia What do you know about Mesopotamia? Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 15

17 Mesopotamia Mesopotamia, or the area in the floodplain between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, was home to many small Neolithic farming villages that grew steadily between 4000 and 3500 BC/BCE. By 3000 BC/BCE the villages became cities and grew in population and began building walls and monuments. Sumer was a particular civilization that developed in the region of Mesopotamia. Cities were home to a privileged class of elites who headed households supported by nearby irrigated land. The households were made up of staff, slaves, and workers. Outside the walls of the city, merchants traded products like wool and food for timber and metals from as far away as Egypt or the Indus River. Evidence of Sumerian seals has been found in both places. Each city had a large monument that was believed to be home to a god. The monument was surrounded by a temple managed by priests. The temples were the wealthiest of households, each supported by agriculture, artisans who crafted metals and stones into goods, and large storehouses of surplus grain. Sumerian religion was polytheistic meaning there was more than one god. The religion revolved around monuments and the houses the gods. People believed that if the gods were not pleased by the splendor of the temple, floods or attacks might occur. It is believed there were two types of deities (gods) in Sumer; each Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 16

18 city - state had local gods they worshipped, and there were also several gods that were worshipped across the larger region. The cities of Sumer grew larger and larger as the wealth of the temples expanded. They controlled large areas of the fertile land near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. When cities grow to be this large and wealthy and traded with each other, historians called them city - states. Each city - state had its own specialization of workers that promoted trade within Sumer and across Afroeurasia. Eventually, in about 2200 BC/BCE, the rule of the Sumerian city Akkad, Sargon, conquered all of the other Sumerian city - states. His descendants who ruled after him declared themselves to be living gods. The resident gods at the cities temples became less powerful, and the entire society became subject to one ruler. Sometimes new rulers, or kings, would come from different cities and the center of power would change. About 1000 years after Sargon, Hammurabi became king of Babylon and ruled all of Mesopotamia. Men and women lived on equal terms during Paleolithic and even Neolithic times, but in the era of agrarian civilizations these roles changed. Women became more responsible for maintaining a household, while men were responsible for work outside of the household (farming, trading, becoming a Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 17

19 soldier). Though some early leaders in Sumer may have been women, after the city - states were conquered they rarely joined in politics. Sumerians developed the first known form of writing called cuneiform. The Sumerian writing system had 3,000 characters. With so many letters to learn, being a scribe, or a person who could write Sumerian script, was a full time job. Archeologists have uncovered about 6,000 tablets with cuneiform from ancient Sumer. Sumerians also developed the first known form of mathematics. Our math system is base-ten while Sumerians was base-twelve. This is the basis of our 60 second minute, 60 minute hour, and 24 hour day (each number is divisible by 12). Sumer lasted until around 1200 BC/BCE when nomadic raiders attacked and destroyed many of the city - states. Before this, problems like natural disasters, disease, shortages of food, and ineffective rulers weakened the large civilization. Reading Check in - What were some of the different groups of people living in Sumer at this time and how would their lives have differed? The above information was compiled and adapted from Cynthia Stokes Brown s Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 18

20 Big History (2007), David Christian s Maps of Time (2004), and J.R. and William H. McNeill s The Human Web (2003). Egypt Neolithic villages began growing as populations increased along the Nile River in much the same way as it did along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. In fact, Egyptians along the Nile were trading with the people of Sumer. Much of the early architecture along the Nile looks similar to early Sumerian architecture. Egyptians probably adapted cuneiform into their own form of writing called hieroglyphics. Egypt was unified by the first pharaoh around 3100 BC/BCE. Since all the cities were along one river that allowed easy transportation, the pharaoh was able to easily collect tribute, or taxes, and labor to support building his monument. This made unification of the cities into one empire possible. Pharaohs built large monuments called pyramids, where they would be buried when they died. Egypt s rulers claimed to be living gods who turned all of Egypt into one extremely large temple community. Religion in Egypt was also polytheistic, with several gods. Many of these gods were tied to the local environment, such as Hapi, the god of the Nile River. The Nile River itself represented a passageway from life to death to the afterlife. This community was supported by a hierarchy of workers and craftsmen. Egyptians had an abundance of stone that they used to build many of their monuments. Small homes were made out of mud-bricks just like in Mesopotamia. In the ancient Egyptian world, life was controlled by the pharaoh. Farmers and laborers were at the bottom of the social ladder. Above them were the craftsmen and artisans who build the pharaoh s monuments. The upper class was made up of scribes, priests, and officials who helped the pharaoh collect taxes and resources from the surrounding area. Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 19

21 Family life in ancient Egypt found men as the heads of the household. Most men took only one wife except for the pharaoh who may have taken multiple wives. Wealthier families had servants and slaves to take care of children while poorer families did not. The elite families in Egypt were usually headed by priests of officials, however people learned to write by becoming scribes or became soldiers moved up in the social hierarchy in ancient Egypt. The civilization of Ancient Egypt eventually fell into decline at around 1000 BC/BCE, but the land around the Nile remained fertile thousands of years unlike in Mesopotamia. Because of this, agrarian civilization has endured around the Nile, though power eventually shifted away toward Persia in era of Empires beginning in about 500 BC/BCE. Reading Check in - What were some of the different groups of people living in Egypt at this time and how would their lives have differed? How was this similar to or different from Sumer? Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 20

22 The above information was compiled and adapted from Cynthia Stokes Brown s Big History (2007), David Christian s Maps of Time (2004), and J.R. and William H. McNeill s The Human Web (2003). Mesopotamia and Egypt Graphic Organizer Directions: Fill in evidence from the reading for different social institutions in Mesopotamia and Egypt. Social Institution and its purpose Mesopotamia Egypt Politics To establish order in large communities Economics Ruled by a King after unified Ruled by a Pharaoh after unified. Supported by scribes and priests. Family Religion Education Written Language Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 21

23 Think-Pair-Share: Once you have completed the chart, work with a partner to predict the purpose for each social institution. Write your best guess in the first column. Primary Documents from Mesopotamia [1] and Egypt Document A (Mesopotamia): The Sumerian Goddess Inanna Looks After the City Agade (About 2000 BCE) So that the warehouses would be provisioned that dwellings would be founded in the city, that its people would eat splendid food that acquaintances would dine together, that foreigners would cruise about like unusual birds in the sky At that time, she filled Agade with gold, Delivered copper, tin, and blocks of lapis lazuli to its storehouses Its harbor, where ships docked, was full of excitement Its king, the shepherd Naram Sin, rose like the sun on the holy throne of Agade.. Its city wall touched heaven, like a mountain. Ships brought the goods of Sumer itself upstream [to Agade], The highland Amorites, people ignorant of agriculture, Came before her there with spirited bulls and spirited bucks, Meluhhans [from the Indus valley, and] people of the black mountains, Brought exotic wares down to her All the governors, temple administrators, and land registrars of the Gude ena Regularly supplied monthly and New Year offerings there. Document A (Egypt): Praise for Pharaoh s New City (About 1300 BCE) His majesty life, prosperity, health! has built himself a city, named Great of Victories. All men have left their towns and are settled in its territory. Temples of the gods Amon and Set, and the goddesses Astarte and Uto, mark its four quarters. Pharaoh is in it as a god. The Residence is full of supplies, its ponds with fish, its lakes with birds. Its granaries are so full of grain they come near to the sky. Onions and leeks are available for food, and lettuce, pomegranates, apples, olives. Its ships go out and come back to mooring, so it has supplies and food every day. One rejoices to live there. The small in it are like the great. The young men are dressed up every day, with sweet oil on their heads and newly dressed hair. The singers of Great of Victories are sweet, being taught at Memphis[the old capital of Egypt]. So live there content, Pharaoh thou god! Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 22

24 [1] From Source: Gwendolyn Leick, Mesopotamia: Invention of the City (London: Penguin Books, 2001), 70 71, ,163. Some of the language has been simplified by Anne Chapman. In < (p ) Accessed 6/4/10. Document B (Mesopotamia): A Sumerian Father Gives Advice To His Son (About 2300 BCE) My son, let me give you instructions. Pay attention to them! Do not beat a farmer s son, or he will break your irrigation canal. Do not break into a house Do not speak with a girl when you are married, the [likelihood of] slander is strong Do not allow your sheep to graze in untested grazing grounds Submit to strength. Bow down to the mighty man. Document B (Egypt): Instructions Of The Vizier Ptah hotep To His Son (About 2450 BCE) If you sit at the table of one greater than you, speak only when spoken to. Laugh after him. When carrying a message from one great man to another, be accurate. Beware of making words worse through vulgar speech [slang], and so making for hostility between them. If you have a son who listens to you and takes care of your property as he should, do not cut your heart off from him. But if he does not carry out your instructions, if his manners in your household are wretched, if he rebels against all you say, cast him off. He is not your son at all. If you want to make friendship last in a home to which you have access as a master, a brother or a friend, beware of approaching the women. Do not do it. Do not be greedy, or envious of your own kindred. Love your wife at home as is fitting. Fill her belly, clothe her back. Make her heart glad as long as you live. Do not contend with her at law, but keep her from gaining control. Bow your back to your superior, then your reward will be as it should be. Opposition to a superior is a painful thing. Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 23

25 Document C (Mesopotamia): A Sumerian Father Wants His Teen Ager To Be A Scribe (About 2000 BCE) Why do you idle about? Go to school, recite your assignment, open your schoolbag, write your tablet, let your big brother write your new tablet for you. Be humble and show fear before your apprentice teacher. When you show terror, he will like you. Never in my life did I make you carry reeds to the canebrake. I never said to you Follow my caravans. I never sent you to work as a laborer. Go, work and support me, I never in my life said that to you. Others like you support their parents by working Compared to them you are not a man at all. Night and day you waste in pleasures. Among all craftsmen that live in the land, no work is more difficult than that of a scribe. [But] it is in accordance with the fate decreed by [the god] Enlil that a man should follow his father s work. Document C (Egypt): An Egyptian Father Wants His Son To Be A Scribe, About 2000 BCE On his way to put him into the Writing School among the children of officials, he said to his son: I have seen how the laboring man is burdened. You should set your heart on pursuing writing instead. The scribe s place is in the Residence City, and he shall not be poor in it. Men greet him respectfully, and he is not clothed in the workman s apron. If you leave the school after midday is announced, and go rollicking in the street, it is not for you. If three loaves should satisfy you, but there is still no limit to your belly, fight against it. I have set you on the way of god. The scribe reaches the halls of the magistrates. No scribe lacks food, being fed from the property of the King s House life, prosperity, health! Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 24

26 Apprentice Historian Graphic Organizer SUMER A B C Author : What type of person do you think wrote it? Why do you think that? Reason : Why was the source produced and how might this affect the reliability of it? Main Idea : What point is the author trying to convey? Social Institutions : What social institutions are described in this document? How do you know? Inferences : What can you reasonably determine about the civilization based on this document? Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 25

27 Apprentice Historian Graphic Organizer EGYPT A B C Author : What type of person do you think wrote it? Why do you think that?? Reason : Why was the source produced and how might this affect the reliability of it? Main Idea : What point is the author trying to convey? Social Institutions : What social institutions are described in this document? How do you know? Inferences : What can you reasonably determine about the civilization Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 26

28 based on this document? Discuss in your group: What were some similarities and differences between Sumer and Egypt that you noticed? *Be prepared to share with the class.* Comparing Primary Documents from Mesopotamia and Egypt Document B: A Sumerian Father Gives Advice To His Son (About 2300 BCE) Document B: Instructions Of The Vizier Ptah hotep To His Son (About 2450 BCE) My son, let me give you instructions. Pay attention to them! Do not beat a farmer s son, or he will break your irrigation canal. Do not break into a house Do not speak with a girl when you are married, the [likelihood of] slander is strong Do not allow your sheep to graze in untested grazing grounds Submit to strength. Bow down to the mighty man. If you sit at the table of one greater than you, speak only when spoken to. Laugh after him. When carrying a message from one great man to another, be accurate. Beware of making words worse through vulgar speech [slang], and so making for hostility between them. If you have a son who listens to you and takes care of your property as he should, do not cut your heart off from him. But if he does not carry out your instructions, if his manners in your household are wretched, if he rebels against all you say, cast him off. He is not your son at all. If you want to make friendship last in a home to which you have access as a master, a brother or a friend, beware of approaching the women. Do not do it. Do not be greedy, or envious of your own kindred. Love your wife at home as is fitting. Fill her belly, clothe her back. Make her heart glad as long as you live. Do not contend with her at law, but keep her from gaining control. Bow your back to your superior, then your Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 27

29 reward will be as it should be. Opposition to a superior is a painful thing. Directions: Compare the advice to sons in the two B documents. Discuss as a group and share your ideas. Each group member is responsible for writing the answers to the questions that follow on their own sheet! 1. What can you infer (make your best guess based on the evidence) from the Mesopotamian document about the likely occupation and social position of the father? 2. What differences exist between the Mesopotamian and the Egyptian fathers advice that could be explained by their different occupations and positions? 3. What can you infer about: a. The relationships between fathers and sons? b. Between women and men? c. Between the upper and lower classes? d. What evidence did you use to make these conclusions? Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 28

30 4. What would your reaction be to this kind of advice? Is it still applicable today? Why? Brainstorm: What Would Happen? Imagine this: You come to school like any normal day. After your four morning classes, you go to the Auditeria for lunch. Today, though, you notice there is food ready (like normal), but no cafeteria staff, no teachers, no adults anywhere. What would happen? Problems in early civilizations Solutions Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 29

31 Quick Write #9 - Mesopotamia What happened in Mesopotamia between 3200 BCE and 2300 BCE? What does the map on the board show? What do you think the world campaign means on this map? Brainstorm - Controlling a large area What other changes might have changed in this time period? What other changes might have happened that would have made controlling a large area easier? Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 30

32 The Origins of Writing in Mesopotamia Directions for summarization exercise : Important information in this passage is underlined. Read the passage once as a whole section. Then, with a partner, take turns reading the underlined sentences out loud. Next, talk about how you could summarize these ideas in your own words. Working with your partner, create a summary with no more than three sentences that capture the most important ideas. Ancient Mesopotamia: The Invention of Writing Writing emerged in many different cultures and in numerous locations throughout the ancient world. It was not the creation of any one people. However, the Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia are credited with inventing the earliest form of writing, which appeared ca B.C.E. The clay tablets shown above date from around 3200 B.C.E. The writings on these tablets are simple pictures, or pictograms, which represent an object or an idea. Because clay is a difficult material on which to draw lines and curves, the Mesopotamians eventually reduced pictograms into a series of wedge-shaped signs that they pressed into clay with a reed stylus. This wedge-shaped writing is called cuneiform. The invention of writing was the dawn of the information revolution. This great technological advance allowed news and ideas to be carried to distant places without having to rely on a messenger's memory. Like all inventions, writing emerged because there was a need for it. In Mesopotamia, it was developed as a record-keeping vehicle for commercial transactions or administrative procedures. There are also texts that Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 31

33 served as "copy books" for the education of future scribes. Eventually, cuneiform script was used to produce some of the greatest literary works in recorded history. Adapted from Ancient Mesopotamia: The Invention of Writing. Teacher Resource Center. The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. 18 April 2012 < >. The Change in Mesopotamian Script Choose one of the words from the chart to analyze. What word did you choose? Please describe how it changes. How did it start? How did it end up? Which example shows when it became cuneiform? (describe the change) Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 32

34 Writing Writing in Egypt The ancient Egyptians believed that it was important to record and communicate information about religion and government. Thus, they invented written scripts that could be used to record this information. The most famous of all ancient Egyptian scripts is hieroglyphic. However, throughout three thousand years of ancient Egyptian civilization, at least three other scripts were used for different purposes. Using these scripts, scribes were able to preserve the beliefs, history and ideas of ancient Egypt in temple and tomb walls and on papyrus scrolls. Hieroglyphs and Scribes An important group of people in Egypt were the scribes. However, it was not easy to become a scribe. Education was not free in ancient Egypt and a scribe's training took up to twelve years to complete. People envied the scribes because they did not have to labor in the fields or fight the pharaoh's enemies. They were held in high regard by society. Scribes worked in temple writing rooms, markets, army barracks, the homes of nobles, government offices or anywhere their skills were needed. These highly trained men could read and write the Egyptian script called hieroglyphics, or holy writing. To us this writing looks like tiny pictures or symbols. Each picture represented a different idea or letter or sound, as it was a very complicated system. Scribes wrote on papyrus, a type of paper made from the papyrus plant growing by the Nile. Fine brushes made of plant fiber were used as we would use a pen. The black ink was made from soot and water. For headings and borders, a red ink was made from a stone called ochre, which was found in the desert. Everyday messages were written on broken pieces of pottery; very important information was carved into stone so that it lasted forever. Scribes kept records of supplies and taxes, wrote letters and messages, designed the inscriptions carved into tombs and worked as teachers and librarians. (adapted from and ) Stop and Jot : Compare and contrast the development of writing in Mesopotamia and Egypt. How was it similar and different? Think about the technology of writing - tools, writing surfaces, etc. Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 33

35 Why would someone want to become a scribe? Where did scribes seem to fit in the social hierarchy? Egyptian Hieroglyphs Looking Closer at Hieroglyphics The Egyptian hieroglyphic writing system consists of several hundred picture signs. The signs can be divided into two classes, phonograms and ideograms. Phonograms are signs used to write the sounds of the Egyptian language. The particular sound value of a sign was usually obtained from the Egyptian name for the object represented. Since the Egyptians did not normally write the vowels, only the consonantal "skeleton" of the word is given. Ideograms, or idea-signs, in which each picture stands for the object represented or for some idea closely connected with the object. A particular word could be written using only sound-signs, or only an idea-sign, but most words were written using a combination of both. It was a particularly common practice to use one or more idea-signs at the end of a word to give the general meaning of the word. (source: ) Quick Write #10 - Looking closer at hieroglyphics Is the English alphabet phonographic or ideographic? Why do you think this? What about emojis or emoticons? Why do you think this? If you had to choose a writing system, would you rather use cuneiform or hieroglyphics? Why? Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 34

36 Excerpts from King Hammurabi s Code [1] Hammurabi ruled Babylon, an important kingdom in Mesopotamia from BC/BCE, towards the end of Era 2. The region had been in conflict for a long time before he came to power. He used his army to get control of areas in southern and north-central Mesopotamia. He established almost complete control over these areas, and one way he did this was through his development of a written code of laws. As far as we know, this was not the first written code of law in human history, but it is the earliest legal code which archaeologists have found and deciphered in its entirety. Excerpts from Hammurabi s Code from Babylon (About 1700 BCE) 1. If a man accuses another of murder but cannot prove it, the accuser shall be put to death. 8. If a man steals, he shall repay thirty fold. If he hasn t the money, he shall be put to death. 15. If a man helps a slave to escape from the city, he shall be put to death. 22. If a man practices robbery and is captured, that man shall be put to death. 55. If a man opens a canal for irrigation and neglects it and the water floods a nearby field, he shall pay grain to the owner of the adjacent field If a man sells his wife or child to settle a debt, they shall work in the house of the buyer for three years, and regain their freedom in the fourth If a man strikes his father, they shall cut off his hand If a man strikes the cheek of his superior, he shall receive sixty strokes with an oxtail whip If a common man strikes a common man on the cheek, he shall pay ten shekels of silver If a man s slave strikes the son of a gentleman on the cheek, they shall cut off his ear If a man strikes another in a quarrel and wounds him, but swears: I did not strike him intentionally, he shall only be responsible for paying the physician. Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 35

37 209. If a man strikes the daughter of another and causes a miscarriage, he shall pay ten shekels. If the woman dies, they shall put his daughter to death. [1] Source: Cohn Haft, Louis. Source Readings in Ancient History, Vol. 1 (New York: T.Y. Crowell, 1965), 66 68; 79 81; 89 91; Some of the language has been simplified by Anne Chapman. In < Accessed 6/5/10. Graphic Organizer for Hammurabi s Code Action or offense Consequence or punishment My reaction (what I think about this) / 204 Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 36

38 209 Confession by the Deceased From The Book of the Dead (about 1500 BCE). In ancient Egypt, many laws were common knowledge. The following document could be seen as evidence of law. As you read, jot down an example of the law that is hinted at with each line. This is an example of what a deceased person would confess to the God of the Dead who would judge the quality of his/her afterlife. Hail to you, O great god, judge of the dead! I know your name, and that of the forty two gods with you who punish evildoers on the day of reckoning. Lord of Justice is your name. I have come to you; I have brought you justice; I have expelled deceit for you. I have not committed evil against men. I have not mistreated cattle. I have not blasphemed a god. I have not defamed a slave to his superior. I have not made anyone weep. I have not killed. I have given no order to a killer. I have not added to the weight of the balance. I have not built a dam against running water. I am pure! I am pure! I am pure! I have not stolen. I have not been greedy or envious. I have not told lies. Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 37

39 I have not practiced usury. I have not gossiped. I have not committed adultery. I have not been quarrelsome. I have not been abusive. Cross-Text Analysis of Laws Hammurabi Confession of the Deceased Livestock/farming Trade / business Marriage / relationships Treatment of slaves Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 38

40 Private Property / personal wealth Cross-Text Analysis Group Discussion Questions: 1. What values were common in both societies? What important differences can you identify? 2. In what ways do these laws deal with some of the problems we listed on the board at the beginning of this lesson? 3. How do portions of the documents contribute to upholding social order? 4. What can you infer about the main concerns or problems of each society? 5. How did the surrounding environment, combined with their way of life, influence the types of laws they developed? 6. How do the ideas of justice, values, and morality from the ancient civilizations compare with American ideas about these same topics? You will be assigned one question. Record your answer below: We think that... Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 39

41 Our evidence from the text includes: Writing, Laws, and Centralized Government 1. What is being compared in this timeline? How do you know? 2. Why do you think we don t see the appearance of writing anywhere in the world until AFTER the development of cities? 3. What purposes do you think writing served during this time period? 4. Describe the political trend in Mesopotamia between 3500 BCE and 1200 BCE. Why do you think this happened? Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 40

42 Adapted by St. Johns Middle School from Oakland Public Schools 41