Peoples in the Eastern Mediterranean WORLD HISTORY
Early Nomadic Peoples Early nomadic peoples relied on hunting and gathering, herding, and sometimes farming for survival. Pastoral nomads carried goods and new technologies between civilizations. They would occasionally attack or overrun settled communities and establish their own empires. Indo-Europeans migrated from southwestern Asia to India, western Asia, and Europe in about 2000 B.C. One group of Indo-Europeans, along with native peoples, established the Hittite Empire in Anatolia in about 1600 B.C. They were the first Indo-Europeans to use iron. Invading Sea Peoples destroyed the Hittite Empire in about 1200 B.C.
Indo-European The term refers to a particular group of people who spoke a language derived from a single parent tongue. Indo-European languages include Greek Latin Persian Sanskrit Germanic Languages including English and German
The Phoenicians Development of trade routes: After the fall of the Hittites, the Phoenicians took advantage of their geographical position on the Mediterranean and their shipbuilding prowess to establish trade routes reaching as far as Britain and the west coast of Africa. Commodities that they produced for trade included dye, glass, and lumber.
Phoenicians How did the location of the Phoenicians influence the growth of their civilization? Their natural resources and proximity to the sea benefited trade. Through trade, they grew prosperous, spread their culture, and assimilated ideas from other societies. In what way did the Phoenician alphabet differ from Egyptian writing? The Phoenician symbols represented sounds rather than ideas or objects. Why do you think a trading empire like that of the Phoenicians would want colonies? Colonies in other parts of the Mediterranean would give the Phoenicians access to goods they otherwise did not have in their homeland. It would also provide new markets where goods could be traded or sold.
Importance of the Phoenician Alphabet Trade The Phoenicians took advantage of their geographical position and shipbuilding prowess to establish far-reaching trade routes reaching as far as Britain and Africa s west coast. Alphabet The Phoenicians used 22 different symbols to represent the sounds of their speech. The Arabic alphabet, the Greek and Roman alphabets, and most of the other alphabets used today can be traced to the Phoenician alphabet.
Importance of the Phoenician Alphabet
Israelites Israelite traditions: The Semitic-speaking people known as Israelites were a minor factor in politics, but their religion of Judaism flourished and would later influence Christianity and Islam
Key Features of Judaism The Israelites According to their traditions, the Israelites originally migrated from Mesopotamia to Canaan, then moved to Egypt, and then were led back to Canaan by Moses. Between 1200 and 970 B.C., the Israelites took control of Canaan, forming a kingdom with Jerusalem as its capital. Under King Solomon, ancient Israel reached the height of its power. After Solomon s death, Israel s people divided into two kingdoms: the Kingdom of Israel in the north and the Kingdom of Judah in the south. Assyria conquered the Kingdom of Israel and scattered its people. After a period of exile in Babylonia, the people of Judah were allowed by the Persians to return to their homeland.
Key Features of Judaism Jews are monotheistic and believe in one God who created the world and everything in it. Jews believe that all peoples are God's servants, and that God is just and good and punishes those who are not. God made a covenant, or contract, to protect Jews if they followed his Torah, or precepts. The Ten Commandments are one important part of the Torah. Jewish prophets called for social justice and concern for all humanity. Their belief in one God rather than many and in all people's (not just priests' or rulers') access to God's will contributed to their to social separation from other peoples.
The Minoans A Cretan civilization: The Minoan civilization flourished on the island of Crete in the eastern Mediterranean from 2700 to 1450 B.C. The Minoans traded pottery and gold and silver jewelry with both the Egyptians and areas in southern Greece. Knossos: The ruins of an enormous royal palace complex at Knossos reveal a rich culture controlling a sea empire based on trade. Rooms in the palace included private living quarters and workshops for making decorated vases, ivory sculptures, and jewelry. Sudden collapse: The Minoan civilization on Crete collapsed around 1450 B.C. Some scholars attribute the collapse to a catastrophic event, but most think the cause was an invasion by Mycenaeans from mainland Greece.