This document provides an overview of early civilizations in Mesopotamia and Egypt. It discusses key characteristics that were common to both civilizations, including their development along major river valleys, hierarchical social structures, the invention of writing, and polytheistic religious beliefs. Specific details are then given about the history, society, architecture, art, and literature of Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations. Early civilizations in these regions are considered the origin of complex societies in human history.

1. UNIT 2.- EARLY CIVILISATIONS

2. BEFORE STARTING WITH THE STUDY OF EARLY CIVILISATION…
• You have to do the cover of unit 2 using the ancient Egyptian system of
writing: hieroglyphs, based on elaborate drawings.

3. WELCOME TO A NEW CLASS OF HISTORY!!!
• We are going to start with the study of history.
• We don´t forget the previous period of time: prehistory
PREHISTORY HISTORY
Before the
invention of
writing
After the
invention of
writing

4. Remember the timeline with all the periods of
history
This term we are going to study
ANCIENT HISTORY

5. EARLY
CIVILISATIONS
URBAN OR
RIVER
CIVILISATION
Mesopotamia
Egypt
CLASIC
CIVILISATION
Ancient Greek
Ancient Rome
ANCIENT HISTORY
From the invention of writing (3.500 BC) to the fall of Roman
Empire (476)
Unit 2
Unit 4
Unit 3

6. EARLY CIVILISATION:
Mesopotamia and Egypt
In this unit we will focus on the civilisations in Egypt and Mesopotamia

7. What is a civilisation?
• Early civilisations were:
– Large states or group of cities;
– Had urban life and writing;
– Shared similar customs and beliefs;
– Led by great rulers: emperors, kings or pharaohs.
RAE: Conjunto de costumbres, saberes y artes propio de una sociedad humana.

8. MESOPOTAMIA AND EGYPT
Common characteristics
1. These early civilisations began along the banks of very long rivers, such as
the Nile (Egypt) and the Tigris and the Euphrates (Mesopotamia).
 People used their water to make the lands around them fertile for agriculture.
They developed irrigation systems, such as canals, to channel water to more distant areas.
2. There was a lot of craftwork and
trade. In fact, so much trade took place
that people began to use money.
Nectanebo II (361-350 AC)

9. 3. These civilisations were urban civilisations, because the main
economic activities were concentrated in cities.
4. Society was very hierarchical (population pyramid). A minority (made up of
kings and priests) controlled the majority of the wealth and governed
the people. Under their command were the army and civil servants,
who managed the kingdom. Traders were below these groups in the
social hierarchy. Then came artisans, peasants and finally slaves.
5. Slaves did not have rights and were considered to be the property
of their masters (amo).
6. The first codes, or sets of laws, were written during this period.
These codes regulated day-to-day life. For example, Code of Hamurabi
(king of Babilonia).
Memphis
Code of Hamurabi Population Pyramid

10. 7. People of these civilisations were polytheistic (relating to believe in many gods).
This means they worshipped various gods. For this reason, temples were
built in honour of the gods (for example, Amun-Ra-God of the Sun; Osiris-God of death;
Isis-Queen of the gods…).
8. One of the most important developments was the appearance of writing.
The earliest known example was cuneiform writing, dating from 3500 BC in
Mesopotamia. Writing first came into existence to keep a record of taxes,
trade, population or offerings made to temples. Therefore, the origin of
writing is associated with religion and economic activities.

11. ACTIVITIES
Check if you have learnt about the common characteristics of Egypt and
Mesopotamia doing the following activities:
– Page 28: activities 1, 2, 3.
– Page 29: activities 5, 6.
– DEFINE THE FOLLOWING TERMS:
• Hierarchical society:
• Polytheistic religions:
• Urban civilisation:
• Ancient History:
• Cuneiform writing:
 PLEASE, REMEMBER:
 You have to write the statement with red pen.
 You have to write the answers whit blue pen.
 It is forbidden the use of pencil.

12. MESOPOTAMIA

13. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
• Mesopotamia civilization developed some 5500
years ago (3500 BC) in the region between the
Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers.
• The name Mesopotamia comes from the Greek:
means ‘between two rivers’.
Today, the territory of
Mesopotamia corresponds
to the countries Iraq, Kuwait
and north-eastern Syria

14. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: MESOPOTAMIA
• This civilisation began along the Tigris
and Euphrates rivers.
• They were polytheistic because they
believed in many Gods.
– Shamash, the God of the sun, was also the
god of justice.
– Sin, the God of the Moon.
– Ishtar, the goddess of love and war.
• Hierarchical society (different social
classes):
– kings, priest, army and civil servants.
– artisans, traders, peasants.
– finally, slaves.
• Urban civilisation. Important cities-
states developed during this period of
time. The main economic activities took
place in cities, governed by the kings.
Shamash

15. THE HISTORY OF MESOPOTAMIA
• Mesopotamia was home to four important civilisations:
Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians and Assyrians.

16. 1. SUMER
• They invented cuneiform
writing and the wheel.
• They developed the first known
civilisation.
• They lived in city-states
(independent cities with their
own governments) like Ur
(picture), Uruk and Lagash.
• They loved music and drink
beer (Alulu).
• Cities were governed by kings.
Interesting video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi5wTojwTvI

17. 2. AKKADIAN EMPIRE
• King Sargon conquered
the Sumerian city-states
of Ur, Uruk…
• The conquest of Sumerian
territory allowed Sargon,
king of Akkad, to create
the first empire in
History: Akkadian Emprie.
• Important kings: Rimush (Sargon´s
son), Manishtusu (Sargon´s son),
Naram-Sin (grand-son of Sargon)
Sargon
Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

18. 3. Babylonian Empire
• In the city of Babylon,
there was a great royal
dynasty. One of the most
powerful kings of this
dynasty was Hammurabi.
• He held great power over
Mesopotamia and
introduced an important
set of laws, the Code of
Hammurabi, which was
written in 1756 BC. This
code of laws was used
throughout his empire.
• One of the most important
cities: Babylon
Code of Hammurabi

19. 4. Assyrian Empire
• Most important cities
were Assur and Nineveh
where the remains of a
great library, the Royal
Library of Ashurbanipal,
have been found.
• Important palaces such
as the palace of King
Ashurbanipal.
Relief of Ashurbanipal palace

21. MESOPOTAMIAN ARCHITECTURE
• Materials used for building.
– The terrain of Mesopotamia is not very rocky.
– The main materials used was bricks made of mud (barro) or mudbricks
(barro cocido) or bricks made of adobe (mixture of sand, mud, clay) sun-dried.
– Because of this, very little architecture has survived the test of time, as
mudbricks are less resistant than stone.
ZIGGURATS
• One of the most important buildings in Mesopotamia.
• Are temples built to honour their gods.
• They were immense structures in the form of stepped towers (torres
empinadas) usually located in the city-centre.
• Ziggurats were a ladder (escalera) that allowed them to communicate with
the world of the gods.
• Priests performed religious ceremonies in them.

22. ZIGGURAT OF UR: RECREATION
ZIGGURAT OF UR: REMAINS

23. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zxwlHotjhg

24. MESOPOTAMIAN SCULPTURE
STATUES
• Sumerian kings were
intermediaries between the
people and the gods.
• This is why Sumerian
sculpture usually depicts
them praying.
• Characteristics:
– Sumerian sculpture depicted
people disproportionately,
giving them large heads and
small bodies.
– The figures are usually seated
and have large eyes, in the
shape of almond (ojos con forma
de almendra-almendrados), and
inexpressive faces.
Statue of Gudea, ruler of the city-state of
Lagash, from the Sumerian period.

25. Winged lions and bulls
(Leones y toros alados)

26. MESOPOTAMIAN SCULPTURE
Relief sculpture (I)
• Relief sculptures from
Mesopotamian civilisations
were sculpted on
stone plaques, or on
upright slabs (losas verticales) of
stone, called steles.
• Steles were placed in cities or
temples to commemorate
important events, such as a
military victory.
• They depicted the gods and
kings, often hunting or in
battle.
Wounded lioness (Assurbanipal palace)
Victory Stele of Naram-Sin
Stele of the Hammurabi Code

27. MESOPOTAMIAN SCULPTURE
Relief sculpture (II):
Assyrians
• The walls of their palaces
were decorated with
large friezes (frisos) of battle
and hunting scenes in relief.
• In Assyrian reliefs, figures
were
sometimes superimposed to
give the scenes depth.
• Details, such as animal fur and
horse harnesses (arneses),
were sculpted very accurately:
realism
Assurbanipal palace

28. MESOPOTAMIAN SCULPTURE
Relief sculpture (III)
• The city of Babylon was
famous for decorating the
bricks used in its structures,
such as the Ishtar Gate
(Nabuconodosor, 575 BC).
• It has more than 12 metres
tall and was decorated with
bricks reliefs representing
young bulls, lions and
dragons.
Ishtar Gate: the main entrance of the city of
Babylonia

30. RECREATION BABYLONIA CITY

31. MESOPOTAMIAN LITERATURE
• As you know, writing developed in Mesopotamia as a way of
recording payments, offerings and taxes brought to temples.
• But did you know that the first great work of literature was
written by the Sumerians?
• The Epic of Gilgamesh was an epic POEM about
Gilgamesh, the king of the Mesopotamian city-state
Uruk. The poem is written on 12 tablets. We know
about the poem today as some tablets have survived.
– “Ea habló al valiente Enlil, diciendo: «Tú, el más sabio de los
dioses, tú, héroe, ¿cómo pudiste, sin respeto alguno, causar el
diluvio? ¡Castiga al pecador por sus pecados, castiga al ofensor
por su ofensa! ¡(Sin embargo), sé benévolo para que [la
humanidad] no sea cercenada!”.
More information about Gilgamesh epic poem:
http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra-visor/poema-de-gilgamesh-fragmento/html/2bc8f2e3-ee85-4361-bcb8-85c82e50dc77_2.html
http://www.nationalgeographic.com.es/historia/grandes-reportajes/la-epopeya-de-gilgamesh_6746

32. ENHEDUANA: AKKADIAN PRINCESS
(daughter of Sargon I)
• The earliest author and poet that we know by name.
IMPORTANT
• If you have time and you want to improve YOUR
FINAL MARK, write a short biography about
Enheduana and one of her poems.
• Date of delivery: 02/05/2019

33. EGYPT

34. EGYPT: PERIODS
Its history is divided into different periods,
or kingdoms, and two intermediate periods.
• FIRST EMPIRE: King Narmer join together the
Lower and the Upper Egypt (3100 BC).
• OLD EMPIRE: its capital in Memphis. During
this period, the Pyramids of Giza were made.
• Intermediate period (economic crisis, drought
and famine: Political and social disorder)
• MIDDLE EMPIRE: its capital in Thebes. During
this period, Deir el-Bahari Tomb was made.
• Intermediate period (invasions of Hyksos from
Asia)
• NEW EMPIRE: its capital in Thebes. One of the
most important pharaohs, Ramses II. Tombs in
the Valley of the Kings were made.
• LATE PERIOD: its capital in Alexandria. In 30
BC, after the death of Cleopatra, Egypt is a
territory or province of the Roman Empire.

35. SOCIETY
 Hierarchical society: pharaohs, priests, army and civil servants (scribes),
traders, artisans, peasants and, finally, slaves.
• The PHARAOH was the most powerful person in Ancient Egypt. He was
the political and religious leader of the Egyptians and was considered to
be the incarnation of the god Horus (instead of the God of the heavens, the god of
the Earth).
– As political leader, he also owned all the land, made laws, collected taxes and
was the head of the military.
– As religious leader, he performed rituals and built temples to honour the gods.
• The pharaoh had a court of priests and scribes:
– Priest supervised the worshipping of the gods at the temples (centers that
collected offerings and taxes from the common people)
– Scribes, who were civil servants with a knowledge of hieroglyphic writing.
• Traders, artisans or peasants, who paid taxes on the land they farmed and
were required to work on the great royal and religious structures.
• Slaves: they were people that did not have rights and were considered to
be the property of their masters.

36. Religion • The Egyptians were very
interested in death. They
believed that the souls (alma) of
the dead travelled to the
afterlife to be judged by Osiris,
the god of death and
resurrection.
• Their bodies had to be kept in
good condition. This led to the
development
of mummification:
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdVMjouWe
4A
• They also buried the dead
person with The Book of the
Dead, which contained prayers
that would allow them to pass
the judgment of Osiris:
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znH8KbPSKfs
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng6H76Xa1l
M
Egyptians were polytheistic, as they
believed in many Gods.

38. The Nile River and ancient Egypt
• The Ancient Egyptians considered
the Nile River to be the father of
their kingdom.
• The river overflowed every year
and the fields along its banks
flooded, leaving behind mud (limo)
that was very good fertiliser for
crops.
• Harvests were plentiful
and agriculture was the basis of
the economy. This agricultural
wealth allowed cities, craft and
trade to develop, as Egypt needed
to obtain wood and metals in
exchange for its crops.
To know more: http://www.nationalgeographic.com.es/historia/grandes-reportajes/la-crecida-del-nilo_8421/6

39. They developed knowledge in certain areas, such as
astronomy, Geometry and arithmetic, Engineering or medicine
Papyrus of Smith.
Is an ancient Egyptian medical text.
Papyrus of Rhind.
Is one of the best examples of Egyptian mathematics
 Papiro egipcio escrito por el
escriba Ahmes a mediados del
siglo XVI a. C., durante el
reinado de Apofis I.
 Está redactado
en escritura hierática (tipo de
escritura que permitía a los
escribas del Antiguo Egipto
escribir de forma rápida
simplificando los jeroglíficos) y
mide unos seis metros de
longitud por 32 cm de anchura
https://matematicascercanas.com/2015/03/12/%CF%80-y-el-papiro-de-ahmes/

40. EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE AND ART
TOMBS
• The tombs built by Ancient Egyptians reflected how
important death was to them.
• The tombs in which pharaohs were buried were complex
structures, intended to preserve the body and surround it
with wealth for its journey to the afterlife.
• There were burial chambers inside the tombs, which
were decorated with paintings and inscriptions.
• There were various types of tombs, such as mastabas,
pyramids and hypogea.
• Video about Pyramids:
– https://youtu.be/TZIHCiAhR5E

41. Hypogea were underground tombs carved into the rock,
with various chambers (Image: Deir el-Bahari or funeral
temple of Hatshepsut)
Pyramids were made up of one or many surface-
level chambers (Image: Giza Pyramids – Keops ,
Kefren and Micerinos)/ Sphinx
Mastabas were a single underground
chamber covered by a truncated pyramid

42. The oldest of the ancient wonders relatively intact.

43. TOMBS OF THE VALLEY OF THE KINGS

44. Temples
• Egyptian temples were very large
structures, built to honour the
gods.
• Only priests, scribes and servants
worked in temples, as these
buildings were not intended for
public use.
• Ceremonies were performed
outside the temple, so
their exterior was spectacular,
with obelisks and long avenues
of sphinxes.
• Two of the most important
temples are in Luxor and Karnak.
Luxor
Karnak

45. TEMPLE OF LUXOR

46. TEMPLE OF ABU SIMBEL:
RAMSES II

47. AN INCREDIBLE HISTORY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4CMdep2m_E

48. TEMPLO OF DEBOD IN MADRID
The temple was a gift from Egypt to Spain for helping to rescue temples under the
waters of the Nile

49. Sculpture
• Its purpose was to
represent the gods and
pharaohs, and to
communicate distance and
solemnity.
• Characteristics:
– 1. Inexpressive faces. They
do not show any emotions.
– 2. Symmetrical figures and
facing forward.
– 3. Very little movement.
They give and impression of
rigidity and solemnity.
– 4. The subjects can usually
be identified by their
symbols
Triad of Mykerinos

50. NefertitiThe seated scribe

51. Painting
• Paintings were used to
decorate temples or tombs.
• Egyptian painting depicted a
wide variety of subjects:
religious and royal subjects,
scenes of daily life (people
dancing, farming and bread-
making).
• Characteristics:
– Human figures were
represented according to a
certain rules: the head and
extremities were seen in profile
and the torso was shown face
on.

52. INVESTIGATION ACTIVITY
• After watching the following video and
looking for information on internet, answer
the questions:
– https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/history-beginnings/ancient/v/rosetta-
stone-196-b-c-e
– What is the Rosetta Stone?
– Who discovered this important Stone?
– Why is so important this Stone?

55. OTHER EARLY CIVILISATIONS
• The Phoenicians (map on page 38).
– They established important colonies along the Mediterranean Sea,
such as Carthage, and in the Iberian Peninsula, such as Gadir and
Malaka.
• The Hebrews (map on page 38).
– They were nomads an dominated by others cultures, such as the
Egyptians. However, they created the kingdom of Israel (1010 - 932
BC). The Main rulers, Saul, David and Solomon. After a brief period,
they were subjugated by the Assyrians and Babylonians.
• The Persian Empire (map on page 39).
– They created and empire and built important cities, such as Persepolis
Remains of PersepolisGadir