Chapter 2 The Fertile Crescent Chapter 2-Guiding Questions: How did physical geography affect the growth of ancient civilizations? What legacies have been left by cultures of the past?
Section 2 Babylonia and Assyria Section 2-Questions to Explore 1. Why did civilizations rise and fall in Mesopotamia? 2. What characteristics describe the Babylonian and Assyrian empires?
Chapter 2, Section 2--Before Reading Lesson Objectives 1. Explore how empires formed in Mesopotamia 2. Compare and contrast the Assyrian and Babylonian cultures 3. Describe the effects of trade and conquest on ancient cultures Warm Up Activity Consider how the daily routines of people living in peacetime might be different from the daily routines of people living through a war. Focus on how much time people might spend defending themselves and obtaining food and other basic necessities. Also consider how the absence or lessening of these activities during peacetime might leave time for culture and learning.
Key Terms Key People Chapter 2, Section 2--Before Reading Reach Into Your Background Why do you think one country might decide to invade another country? List two or three reasons. Questions to Explore 1. Why did civilizations rise and fall in Mesopotamia? 2. What characteristics describe the Babylonian and Assyrian empires? empire caravan bazaar Babylonia Assyria New Babylonian empire Nebuchadnezzar II
Chapter 2, Section 2--Guided Reading A. As you Read 1750 BC 600 BC 612 BC 539 BC 1. The Babylonian empire reaches its height 2. Assyrian empire extends from the Persian Gulf through Egypt 3. Medes and Chaldeans destroy Assyrian empire 4. New Babylonian empire falls, but the city of Babylon is spared
Chapter 2, Section 2--Guided Reading A. As you Read 5. Empire many territories and people that are controlled by one government 6. Caravan a group of traders who travel from city to city 7. Bazaar a market where one can buy such things as cotton cloth and spices
1. Identify A. Babyonia B. Assyria Chapter 2, Section 2--After Reading an ancient region around southeastern Mesopotamia and between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; now present day Iraq a historical kingdom of northern Mesopotamia around present day Iraq and Turkey C. New Babylonia Empire a revival of the old Babylonian empire stretching from the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea D. Nebuchadnezzar II a king of the New Babylonian empire from about 605 to 561 BC
Chapter 2, Section 2--After Reading 2. Why did civilizations rise and fall in Mesoptamia? Because of conflict, conquest and the reorganization of power and wealth 3. How did Babylon become rich? Through trade with and conquests of other cities 4. What accomplishments is Assyria known for The city of Nineveh became a center of learning; its library held many clay tablets that provided historians with information about Sumer and Babylon. Assyrians were also known for their skill at war 5. How did Babylon's location affect what happened to it? Babylon was a convenient center of trade. People from many places traveled to Babylon. The influence of trade and ideas from other places helped Babylon become a wealthy center for learning and science
Chapter 2, Section 2--Pictures/Maps Page-36 Babylonia and Assyrian Empires MAP STUDY--During different periods of history, the Babylonians and Assyrians controlled vast empires. PLACE--Rulers of empires wanted to gain control of the sea, so they could increase their trade and wealth. What bodies of water did the Assyrians reach that the Babylonians did not? The Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea Page-36 Links to Math Babylonian Mathematics The Babylonians developed a useful system of mathematics for solving everyday problems. For example they learned to calculate areas of geometric shapes. Such calculations were important for making building plans. Their number system was based on numbers from 1 to 60. We still divide minutes and hours into units of 60
Chapter 2, Section 2--Pictures/Maps Page-37 Royal Palace Complex at Mari Hammurabi completely destroyed Mari's 300 room royal palace. The design of the palace included several courtyards. In the courtyard near the audience hall, the palace held public gatherings. The rich decorated throne room had a private courtyard. CRITICAL THINKING--Why do you think the Royal Chapel was smaller than the throne room? The Mari probably looked to their ruler as the highest authority.
Chapter 2, Section 2--Pictures/Maps Page 38 Links to Literature--Epic of Gilgamesh Several clay tablets discovered in the great library of Nineveh contained a long narrative poem, or epic. This epic told of the Sumerian hero-king Gilgamesh. It described his adventures and his search for eternal life. It is the oldest epic ever discovered. Page 38 The Assyrian War Machine Historians have learned a great deal about Assyrian weapons and war tactics by studying Assyrian carvings. Here, a battering ram demolishes a wall while archers take aim. CRITICAL THINKING--What other weapons and equipment did the Assyrians use? armor, helmets, stones, chariots
Chapter 2, Section 2--Background Info (not in book) TRADE ALONG the EUPHRATES--The ancient name of Euphrates was Uruttu, which means "copper". The Euphrates ancient name reflects not its color but its function as the means of transportation for copper ore mined in the northern hills of Asia Minor. Because the Euphrates was less prone to flooding and more navigable than the Tigris, it was used for many kinds of trade. Boats loaded with copper, food, building materials, wool, leather, and other good traveled up and down the Euphrates, to the Persian Gulf and beyond. For the grueling upriver trip men or oxen towed the boats agains the current with ropes. HIDDEN TREASURES--The Assyrians created numerous sculptures and carvings that depicted images of warfare. In 1993, a carving of an Assyrian armed with a mace and a bow and arrows was rediscovered in a very unlikely place--a boy's school in England! A reconstruction of the carving's travels through history reveals the following: In the mid-1800s, a British archaeologist gave the carving to his benefactor. In the 1950's the benefactor;s home was converted into a school and his "Assyrian Building" which had housed the carvings, became the school's candy shop. At some point, the flat carving was whitewashed and a dartboard was placed next to it. For years the carving went unrecognized--even when it became the unfortunate target of stray darts. Shortly after experts had identified the carving as genuine Assyrian art for the 800s BC, it sold at an auction for the record price of $11.9 million.
Chapter 2, Section 2--OVERVIEW Babylonia Assyria Created by Hammurabi by uniting cities of Sumer and conquering lands all the way to Asia Minor Crossroads of trade Destroyed & conquered by about 1600 BC Rose again about 1,000 years later as center of learning and science Empires made rich by conquest and trade. Vicious warriors in search of riches Built grand cities where culture and learning were highly valued Societies were eventually conquered by others Vulnerable to invaders, Assyrians decided to attack: empire reached reached across the Fertile Crescent and Nile River to the Persian Gulf City of Nineveh became famous for its library with writing from Sumer and Babylon Invented battering ram Destroyed by Medes and Chaldeans in 612 BC