Mesopotamia,

Egypt, and Israel

Each civilization that you will study in this unit made
important contributions to history.
• The Mesopotamians developed the world’s first law codes.
• Egyptians built the pyramids and invented papyrus—the
world’s first paper.
• Israelite scripture influenced religions in Europe and Asia.

8000 B.C. 5000 B.C. 2000 B.C.

First c. 8000 B.C. c. 3200 B.C. c. 1790 B.C.
Civilizations Farming begins in Sumerians in Hammurabi intro-
southwest Asia Mesopotamia duces code of laws
Cha p ter 1
develop writing

Hammurabi stands
before a god

Ancient c. 5000 B.C. c. 2540 B.C. c. 1500 B.C.

Egypt & Kush Hunter-gatherers settle Egyptians complete Queen
Nile River valley building of Great Hatshepsut
C ha p ter 2
Pyramid becomes
pharaoh
Pyramids at
Giza, Egypt
c. 2540 B.C.

Ancient c. 1800 B.C.

Israelites Abraham
enters Canaan
Chap te r 3

Abraham leads
Israelites to Canaan

114
(tl)Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York/Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund/Bridgeman Art Library, (bl)Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY, (others)SuperStock

0° 0 1,000 mi. 30°E 60°E 90°E

Caspian Sea
0 1,000 km ASIA
Mercator projection
Black Sea
Chapter 1
Chapter 3

Ti
gri s
Eu us
ph nd R.

R.
at

I
r
es

R.
30°N

N
Persian
W E Chapter 2 Gulf
Nile R.

S
Red
Sea Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
AFRICA

EQUATOR

INDIAN
OCEAN

1000 B.C. 750 B.C. 500 B.C. 250 B.C. A.D. 1

c. 744 B.C. c. 612 B.C.
Assyria expands Chaldeans capture
into Babylon Assyrian capital

Hanging Gardens of
Babylon c. 600 B.C.

c. 1000 B.C. 728 B.C.

Kush breaks Kush
free of Egypt conquers
Egypt

Kushite king Taharqa

c. 680 B.C.

c. 1000 B.C. 586 B.C. 168 B.C. A.D. 70

King David rules Israel Chaldeans Maccabean revolt Romans
capture destroy temple
Jerusalem in Jerusalem

Solomon’s temple,
Ancient Jerusalem
built c. 950 B.C.

115
1 Ishtar Gate
Mediterranean Sea

5
See First Civilizations 3
Chapter 1

2
AFRICA
Sumerian figures

Red
See First Civilizations
Sea
Chapter 1

c. 3300 B.C .
Iceman found in Ruled c. 1792–1750 B.C . Ruled c. 1473–1458 B.C .
the Alps Babylonian king Egyptian pharaoh
Chapter 1, page 129 Chapter 1, page 138 Chapter 2, page 182

116
 ASIA 3 Egyptian sphinx

Caspian
Sea
See Ancient Egypt
and Kush Chapter 2

4 Kushite pyramids

1
2

See Ancient Egypt

and Kush Chapter 2

Persian
Gulf 5 Western Wall

See Ancient Israelites

Chapter 3

Ruled c. 1279–1213 B.C . c. 1100 B.C . Ruled c. 1000–970 B.C .

Egyptian ruler Israelite women King of Israel
Chapter 2, page 185 Chapter 3, page 219 Chapter 3, page 208

117
(t to b)Sylvain Grandadam/Getty Images, Timothy Kendall/Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Gary Cralle/Getty Images, (l to r)O. Louis Mazzatenta/National Geographic Society Image Collection, SuperStock,
Bettmann/CORBIS
 The First
Civilizations
Ruins of a ziggurat in Iraq

3000 B.C. 2000 B.C. 1000 B.C.

c. 3000 B.C. c. 1792 B.C. 612 B.C.
Bronze Age Hammurabi Nineveh captured;
begins rules Assyrian Empire
Mesopotamia crumbles
 Chapter Overview
Visit ca.hss.glencoe.com for
a preview of Chapter 1.

Early Humans
Studying the past helps to understand the present. Scientists who
study the past have learned that the earliest humans hunted
animals and gathered plants for food. When farming developed,
people settled in villages and towns.

Mesopotamian Civilization
Religion shapes how culture develops, just as culture shapes how
religion develops. In early Mesopotamian civilizations, religion and
government were closely linked. Kings created strict laws to
govern people.

New Empires
Conflict often brings about great change. New empires arose in
Mesopotamia around 900 B.C. These civilizations included the
Assyrians and the Chaldeans. They used powerful armies and iron
weapons to conquer the region.

View the Chapter 1 video in the Glencoe Video Program.

Compare and Contrast Make this foldable to help you compare and contrast
the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia.

Step 1 Fold a sheet of paper Reading and Writing

Step 2 Turn the paper and
in half from side to side. As you read the chapter,
fold it into thirds.
write notes under each
appropriate tab of your
Fold it so the left foldable. Keep in mind
edge lies about that you are trying to
1
2 inch from the compare these
right edge. civilizations.

Step 4 Label as shown.

The First Civilizations

Step 3 Unfold and cut
the top layer only along Early Mesopo- New
Humans tamia Empires
both folds. This will make
three tabs.

119
 Previewing

Before you read, take time to preview the chapter. This will give
you a head start on what you are about to learn. Follow the steps
below to help you quickly read, or skim, Section 1 on page 123.

2–The 1–Read
under each main Early Humans the main
headings
head tells you the
main point of Paleolithic people adapted to in large red
what you are their environment and invented many tools type. They
about to read. to help them survive. show the
Reading Connection What do you view as the main topics
greatest human achievement—sending people to covered in
3–The Reading the moon, perhaps, or inventing the computer? the section
Connection helps Read to learn about the accomplishments of or chapter.
you to link what people during the Paleolithic Age.
you might already
know to what you History is the story of humans . . .
are about to read.
Tools of Discovery

4–Under each main

head, read the sub-
look
yo u s k im, also nd
heads in blue type.
As , maps, a
c t u r e s Subheads break down
at pi each main topic into
char ts. smaller topics.
 Read to Write
Use each main head,
the main ideas, and the
subheads in Section 2
of this chapter to create
a study outline.

New Empires

Skim all of the main heads and main ideas in Section 3

starting on page 142. Then, in small groups, discuss
the answers to these questions.
• Which part of this section do you think will be most
interesting to you?
• What do you think will be covered in Section 3
that was not covered in Section 2?
• Are there any words in the Main Ideas
that you do not know how to pronounce?
• Choose one of the Reading
Connection questions to
discuss in your group.

Hanging Gardens
of Babylon
Skim Section 2 on your own. Write
one thing in your notebook that you
want to learn by reading this chapter.

121
 Early Humans
Looking Back, Looking Ahead Content Vocabulary
Today people live in towns and anthropologist
History cities of various sizes. Early humans (AN • thruh • PAH • luh • jihst)
Social Science lived by moving from place to place, archaeologist
Standards forming settlements, and exploring (AHR • kee • AH • luh • jihst)
WH6.1 Students different ways to provide for artifact (AHR • tih • FAKT)
describe what is known themselves and their families.
through archaeological fossil (FAH • suhl)
studies of the early nomad (NOH • MAD)
physical and cultural Focusing on the technology (tehk • NAH • luh • jee)
development of
• Paleolithic people adapted to their
humankind from the domesticate (duh • MEHS • tih • KAYT)
Paleolithic era to the environment and invented many tools
agricultural revolution. to help them survive. specialization
(page 123) (SPEH • shuh • luh • ZAY • shuhn)
• In the Neolithic Age, people started Academic Vocabulary
farming, building communities, task
producing goods, and trading. revolution (REH • vuh • LOO • shuhn)
(page 127)

Reading Strategy
Locating Places Determine Cause and Effect Draw
Jericho (JEHR • ih • KOH) a diagram like the one below. Use it
Çatal Hüyük to explain how early humans adapted
(chah • TAHL hoo • YOOK) to their environment.
Cause: Effect:

Cause: Effect:

8000 B.C. 6000 B.C. 4000 B.C. 2000 B.C.

¸Catal
H¨uy¨uk c. 8000 B.C. c. 6700 B.C. c. 3000 B.C.
Jericho Çatal Hüyük Bronze Age
founded settled begins
Jericho

122 CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations

 WH6.1 Students describe what is known through archaeological studies of the early physical and cultural development of humankind
from the Paleolithic era to the agricultural revolution. WH6.1.1 Describe the hunter-gatherer societies, including the development of
tools and the use of fire. WH6.1.2 Identify the locations of human communities that populated the major regions of the world and
describe how humans adapted to a variety of environments. WH6.2.9 Trace the evolution of language and its written forms.

Early Humans
Paleolithic people adapted to their
environment and invented many tools to help them
survive.
Reading Connection What do you view as the great-
est human achievement—sending people to the moon,
perhaps, or inventing the computer? Read to learn
about the accomplishments of people during the
Paleolithic Age.

History is the story of humans in the

past. It tells what people did and what hap-
pened to them. Historians are people who
study and write about the human past.
They define history as the period of time Dr. Donald Johanson is shown here in
1982 with the skeletal remains of Lucy,
that began after people learned to write, a 3-million-year-old hominid
about 5,500 years ago. But the story of peo-
ple really begins in prehistory—the time
before people developed writing. In the 1930s, Louis and Mary Leakey
began digging for fossils in the Olduvai
Tools of Discovery What we know about Gorge in Tanzania. Archaeologists know
the earliest people comes from the things that in certain areas of the world, layers of
they left behind. Scientists have worked dirt and rock have been piled up slowly
to uncover clues about early human life. over time by the action of wind and water.
Anthropologists (AN • thruh • PAH • luh • jihsts) If you dig in those places, the deeper you
focus on human society. They study how find things, the older they are, because they
humans developed and how they related were buried further back in time. The
to one another. Archaeologists (AHR • kee • Olduvai Gorge is very deep, and along its
AH • luh • jihsts) hunt for evidence buried in walls are layers of dirt from as far back as 2
the ground where settlements might once million years ago. This made it a very good
have been. They dig up and study artifacts location to look for fossils.
(AHR • tih • FAKTS)—weapons, tools, and other In the 1940s and 1950s, Louis and Mary
things made by humans. They also look for found many fossils of hominids. Hominids
fossils (FAH • suhls)—traces of plants or ani- are creatures that walk on two legs. Human
mals that have been preserved in rock. beings are the only type of hominid still
British archaeologists Louis and Mary alive today. All the others are extinct.
Leakey and their son Richard are probably Anthropologists think that human beings
the most-famous fossil hunters. Their find- developed from earlier types of hominids.
ings convinced many scientists and anthro- In 1959 Mary Leakey discovered the
pologists that the ancestors of human skull of a creature nearly 2 million years
beings first appeared somewhere in East old. This showed that hominids lived at
Africa millions of years ago. least that long ago. In 1974 Donald

CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations 123

Johanson, an American anthropologist from hominids had begun walking on two legs
Chicago, made an even more amazing dis- while living in Africa’s rain forests, before
covery. He unearthed nearly an entire skele- they moved out onto Africa’s plains.
ton of a female hominid in Ethiopia. The Based on the work of these and other
hominid was nicknamed Lucy and was anthropologists, many scientists today think
nearly 3 million years old. that the first human beings developed in
Before Lucy was found, anthropologists East Africa. Slowly, over thousands of years,
thought hominids lived in the open on human beings spread out of Africa, probably
Africa’s plains and used tools to hunt other in search of food and new places to live as
animals. They thought hominids had begun their population increased. Gradually, they
walking on two legs so they could carry settled throughout the world.
their tools while they hunted. Lucy’s
remains showed that hominids began walk- Who Were the Hunter-Gatherers?
ing on two legs long before they used tools. Historians call the prehistoric period of
Scientists’ ideas about hominids were human history the Stone Age. The name
changed again in 1992. That year Tim comes from the fact that people during this
White, an anthropologist from California, time used stone to make tools and weapons.
uncovered a hominid that was 4.4 million The earliest part of the period is the
years old. Its teeth and bones showed that Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. Paleolithic

Archaeological Dig
Archaeologists use special techniques and tools when carrying
out a dig. Artifacts are photographed or sketched, and their
locations are mapped and noted. Soil is passed through a mesh
screen to collect small fragments of tools or bone. What types
of artifacts do archaeologists look for?

PRESERVING
Archaeologists may use plaster LOOKING FOR FRAGMENTS
to make a form or an imprint of This scientist uses a wire mesh
something they have found. screen to sift the soil to
BELOW THE SURFACE discover small fragments
Layers of soil are of artifacts.
deposited one on
top of another. In gen-
eral, the further the
layer is below the sur-
face, the older its soil
and artifacts are.

GRIDS CLEANING
Grids like these help archaeologists Artifacts must be handled and
record and map any artifacts found. cleaned carefully, often with soft
Michael Holford brushes or other instruments.
 means “old stone” in the Greek language.
American Museum of Natural History

Paleolithic times began roughly 2.5 million

years ago and lasted until around 8000 B.C. Paleolithic
Try to imagine the world during the
Stone Age, long before any roadways, farms,
Cave Paintings
or villages existed. Early humans spent most The oldest examples of Paleolithic art are
cave paintings found in Spain and France.
of their time searching for food. They hunted
Most of the paintings are of animals.
animals, caught fish, ate insects, and gath- The paintings show that Paleolithic artists
ered nuts, berries, fruits, grains, and plants. often used several colors and techniques.
Because they hunted and gathered food, They sometimes used the uneven surface of
Paleolithic people were always on the the rock to create a three-dimensional effect.
move. They were nomads (NOH • MADS), or
people who regularly move from place to
place without fixed homes. They traveled in
bands or groups of 30 or so members
because it was safer and made the search
for food easier.
Men and women did different tasks
within the group. Women stayed close to the
campsite, which was typically near a stream
or other water source. They cared for the
children and searched nearby woods and
Painting of bison in Spanish cave
meadows for berries, nuts, and grains.
Men hunted animals—an activity that
sometimes took them far from camp. They
had to learn the habits of animals and make Why do you think Paleolithic artists
tools for hunting. At first, they used clubs painted what they did?
or drove the animals off cliffs. Over time,
Paleolithic people invented spears, traps,
and bows and arrows. animals. Food cooked over the fire tasted
better and was easier to digest. In addition,
Adapting to the Environment The way cooked meat could be kept longer.
that Paleolithic people lived depended on Archaeologists believe that early humans
where they lived. Those in warm climates started fires by rubbing two pieces of wood
needed little clothing or shelter. People in together. Paleolithic people later made drill-
cold climates sought protection from the like wooden tools to start fires.
weather in caves. Over time, Paleolithic
people created new kinds of shelter. The What Were the Ice Ages? Paleolithic peo-
most common was probably made of ani- ple needed fire in order to survive the Ice
mal hides held up by wooden poles. Ages. These were long periods of extreme
Paleolithic people made a life-changing cold. The last Ice Age began about 100,000
discovery when they learned to tame fire. B.C. From then until about 8000 B.C., thick
Fire gave warmth to those gathered around ice sheets covered parts of Europe, Asia,
it. It lit the darkness and scared away wild and North America.

CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations 125

 The Ice Age was a threat to human life. verse. Early people also might have
People risked death from the cold and also thought that painting an animal would
from hunger. Early humans had to adapt bring good luck in the hunt.
by changing their diet, building sturdier
shelters, and using animal furs to make
The Invention of Tools Paleolithic people
were the first to use technology (tehk • NAH •
warm clothing. The mastery of fire helped
luh • jee)—tools and methods that help
people live in this environment.
humans perform tasks. People often used a
Language, Art, and Religion Another stone called flint to make tools. By hitting
advance during Paleolithic times was the flint with a hard stone, they could make it
development of spoken language. Language flake into pieces with very sharp edges. To
made it far easier for people to work make hand axes or hunting spears, they
together and to pass on knowledge. tied wooden poles to pieces of flint that
Early people expressed themselves not were the right shape for the tool.
only in words but in art. They crushed yel- Over time, early people grew more
low, black, and red rocks to make powders skilled at making tools. They crafted smaller
for paint. Then they dabbed this on cave and sharper tools, such as fishhooks and
walls, creating scenes of lions, oxen, pan- needles made from animal bones. They
thers, and other animals. Historians are not used needles to make nets and baskets and
sure why cave paintings were created. They to sew animal hides together for clothing.
may have had religious meaning or been Contrast What is the dif-
used to explain people’s role in the uni- ference between a fossil and an artifact?

learned that grinding, breaking, and

shaping stones to create sharp edges
made them more useful.
As technology advanced, people began
making specific tools such as food
choppers, meat scrapers, and spear points.
In time, people learned that hitting a stone
in a particular way would produce a flake—
Tools One of the most important
a long, sharp chip. Flakes were similar to
advances of prehistoric people was
knives in the way they were used.
the creation of stone tools. Tools
made hunting, gathering, building
shelter, and making clothing much Connecting to the Past
easier. 1. Why do you think early people chose stones to
make their first tools?
The first tools were made of
2. How were flakes created?
stones. Early humans quickly
 WH6.1.2 Identify the locations of human communities that populated the major regions of the world and describe how humans
adapted to a variety of environments.
WH6.1.3 Discuss the climatic changes and human modifications of the physical environment that gave rise to the domestication
of plants and animals and new sources of clothing and shelter.

The Agricultural Revolution their herds. They also continued to gather

seeds, fruits, and vegetables to eat.
In the Neolithic Age, people started The Mesolithic Age came to an end
farming, building communities, producing goods, when people made another important dis-
and trading. covery. They realized that they could plant
Reading Connection Did you know that, today, more seeds and grow their own food. They may
than a third of the world’s people work in agriculture? have learned this from the seeds they had
Read to learn how farming began and how it changed stored in dirt pits. Some of the seeds might
the world. have sprouted and shown people that if
they put seeds in dirt and waited long
After the last Ice Age ended, people enough, they could grow plants.
entered the Mesolithic Age. Mesolithic With this new knowledge, people could
means “middle stone” in Greek. At this stay in one place and grow grains and veg-
time, people changed from hunting to herd- etables. Gradually, farming began to
ing animals. They began to domesticate (duh replace hunting and gathering for many
• MEHS • tih • KAYT), or tame animals for human people. They began to build villages and
use. Animals provided meat, milk, and claim land for their farms. This changed the
wool. They also carried goods and people way people lived and marked the begin-
and pulled carts. Even so, most Mesolithic ning of the Neolithic Age, or New Stone
people remained nomadic. They moved Age, which began about 8000 B.C. and
from place to place in search of grass to feed lasted until about 4000 B.C.

Why Was Farming Important?

Historians call the changes in the
Neolithic Age the agricultural rev-
olution. The word revolution
Stone refers to changes that greatly affect
tools many areas of life. Some his-
torians consider the farming revo-
lution the most important event in
human history.
Farming did not begin in one
region and spread. People in differ-
ent parts of the world discovered
how to grow crops at about the
same time. In Asia, people grew
wheat, barley, rice, soybeans, and a
grain called millet. In Mexico,
farmers grew corn, squash, and
potatoes. In Africa, they grew mil-
let and a grain called sorghum.
Flaking tools from Farming greatly increased the
a larger stone number of calories that could be

127
 produced from an area of land. This made it garbage near their farms. This too helped
possible to feed more people and led to an the spread of disease.
increase in the world’s population. Farming People had to work harder and for much
regions also had a higher population den- longer hours when farming. People had to
sity. People lived closer together and did till the soil in order to plant seeds. They had
not have to spread out as much as they used to weed the fields by hand. Then they had to
to when they hunted and gathered food. gather the crops by hand when they were
Farming also changed the kind of food peo- ready. There were no machines to make the
ple ate. Instead of a diet rich in meat and veg- work quick and easy. People had to walk
etables, people now ate a lot of grain—usually through their fields, often bent over at the
in the form of bread. Anthropologists think that waist, gathering the crops they had grown.
people in the early days of farming were not as Despite the problems of diet and disease
healthy as hunter-gatherers because they did and the hard work people had to do, the
not have enough variety in their diet. farming revolution greatly improved the
Farming required people to stay in one lives of most people. Fewer people starved
place for a long time. This made it easier for to death, and more children lived to adult-
diseases to spread and infect many people. hood. Settling in one place to farm also led
Because people stayed in one place, they to a much more organized society and
also tended to pollute their environment. made possible the world’s first towns and
Their water became dirty, and they left cities.

The Rise of Farming Communities 7000–2000 B.C.

90°W 30°W 30°E 90°E 150°E
TS E
OA RY
60°N

NORTH
AMERICA EUROPE ASIA
PACIFIC ATLANTIC PACIFIC
OCEAN OCEAN OCEAN
30°N
TROPIC OF CANCER
AFRICA
EQUATOR SOUTH N
EQUATOR
0°
AMERICA
W E
TROPIC OF CAPRICORN
S AUSTRALIA 30°S
0 2,000 mi.
INDIAN OCEAN
0 2,000 km
Mercator projection

KEY
60°S
Barley Maize Potatoes Sweet potatoes
1. Human/Environment Interaction According to Beans Millet Rice Tea
the map, what crops were grown in North Cocoa OA
TS Oats RY
E
Rye Tomatoes
America? Coffee Olives Soybeans Vanilla
2. Region What are the major regions of the Cotton Onions Squash Wheat
world where farming communities appeared?
Emmer Peanuts Sugarcane Yams
Find NGS online map resources @
www.nationalgeographic.com/maps Flax Peppers Sunflowers

128 CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations

(tr)Giansanti Gianni/CORBIS Sygma, (bl)Kenneth Garrett
 6.4.6. Compare and contrast life in Athens
WH6.1.2 Identify the locations of human
and Sparta, with emphasis on their rules in
communities that populated the major regions of
the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars.
the world and describe how humans adapted to a
variety of environments.
WH6.1.3 Discuss the climatic changes and
human modifications of the physical environment
that gave rise to the domestication of plants and
animals and new sources of clothing and shelter.

ÖTZI THE ICEMAN

c. 3300 B.C.
How do archaeologists and historians know so
much about how people lived in the Stone Age? In
addition to studying fossils, they have had the chance
to study an actual person from the Neolithic Age and
his tools. In A.D. 1991 two hikers discovered the frozen
body of a man near the border between Austria and Italy.
The man was called “Ötzi” after the Ötztal Alps, the
mountains where he was found. Scientists studied
Ötzi’s body, his clothes, and the items found with him
and learned that he lived 5,300 years ago, during the
Neolithic Age.
Ötzi was dressed warmly because of the cold
climate. He was wearing a fur hat and a long grass
cloak. Under the cloak was a leather jacket that was
Scientists created this
well-made but had been repaired several times. To keep reproduction to show what
his feet warm, he had stuffed grass in the bottom of his Ötzi may have looked like.
leather shoes. Ötzi was carrying a bow and arrows, a
copper ax, and a backpack. Experts believe Ötzi was a
shepherd who traveled with his herd. He probably
returned to his village only twice a year.
From recent tests, scientists have learned more about the last hours of Ötzi’s life.
Shortly before he died, Ötzi ate a type of flat bread that is similar to a cracker, an herb or
other green plant, and meat. Pollen found in Ötzi’s stomach showed that he ate his last
meal in the valley, south of where he was found. When Ötzi finished eating, he headed up
into the mountains. Eight hours later, he died. Scientists believe that Ötzi’s last hours
were violent ones. When found, he had a knife clutched in his right hand. Wounds on his
right hand suggest that he tried to fight off an attacker. His left shoulder had been deeply
pierced by an arrow. Some scientists think Ötzi may have wandered into another tribe’s
territory. Ötzi is now displayed at the
South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology
in Bolzano, Italy.
If scientists 5,300 years from now discovered
the remains of someone from our time, what
might they conclude about our society?

129
 Comparing the Neolithic and Paleolithic Ages
Paleolithic Age Neolithic Age

Description Paleolithic people painted cave Neolithic people made pottery and
of Art and walls. They usually painted carved objects out of wood. They
Crafts animals. also built shelters and tombs.
How Humans People hunted animals and People began to farm in permanent
Obtained Food gathered nuts, berries, and grains. villages. They continued to raise
and herd animals.

How Humans People learned to make fire, People built mud-brick houses and
Adapted created a language, and places of worship. They specialized
made simple tools and in certain jobs and used copper and
shelters. bronze to create more useful tools.
Work of Women Women gathered food and cared Women cared for children and
and Men for children. Men hunted. performed household tasks.
Men herded, farmed, and protected
the village.

Humans made great advances from the

Paleolithic Age to the Neolithic Age.
1. How did the work of men change from the
Paleolithic Age to the Neolithic Age? Mexico. Some of the earliest known commu-
2. Describe What advances were made in nities have been found in the Middle East.
toolmaking between the Paleolithic and One of the oldest is Jericho (JEHR • ih • KOH) in
Neolithic Ages? the West Bank between what are now Israel
and Jordan. It dates back to about 8000 B.C.
Another well-known Neolithic commu-
The Growth of Villages People who nity is Çatal Hüyük (chah • TAHL hoo •
farmed could settle in one place. Herders YOOK) in present-day Turkey. Little of the
remained nomadic and drove their animals community remains, but it was home to
wherever they could find grazing land. some 6,000 people between about 6700 B.C.
Farmers, however, had to stay close to their and 5700 B.C. These people lived in simple
fields to water the plants, keep hungry ani- mud-brick houses that were packed tightly
mals away, and harvest their crops. They together and decorated inside with wall
began to live in villages, where they built paintings. They used other buildings as
permanent homes. places of worship. Along with farming, the
During the Neolithic Age, villages were people hunted, raised sheep and goats, and
started in Europe, India, Egypt, China, and ate fish and bird eggs from nearby marshes.

130 CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations

(l)Michael Holford, (r)Ron Sheridan/Ancient Art & Architecture Collection
The Benefits of a Settled Life Neolithic use wool and other fabrics for clothes as well.
people found greater security by living in These craftspeople, like farmers, also took
settled communities. Steady food supplies part in trade. They exchanged the things they
led to healthy, growing populations. Soon made for goods they did not have.
villagers produced a food surplus. That is, In late Neolithic times, people contin-
they grew more food than they needed. ued to make advances. Toolmakers created
They were able to trade their extra food for better farming tools, such as the sickle for
other goods made by people in their com- cutting grain. In some places, people began
munity or who lived nearby. to work with metals. At first they used cop-
The food surplus made it possible for per. They heated rocks to melt the copper
people to practice specialization (SPEH • shuh • inside and then poured the melted copper
luh • ZAY • shuhn), or the development of differ- into molds for tools and weapons.
ent kinds of jobs. Because not everyone was After 4000 B.C., craftspeople in western
needed for farming, some people had the Asia mixed copper and tin to form a metal
time to develop other types of skills. They called bronze. Bronze was harder and
made pottery from clay to store their grain longer lasting than copper. It became
and other foods. Others used plant fibers to widely used between 3000 B.C. and 1200
make mats and to weave cloth. This led to a B.C., the period known as the Bronze Age.

new type of clothing. Early humans had Compare How did the
worn only animal skins. Now people could Paleolithic and Neolithic Ages differ?

Study Central Need help understanding

the lives of early humans? Visit ca.hss.glencoe.com
and click on Study Central.

What Did You Learn?

Reading Summary 1. Who are archaeologists, and
what do they study?
5. Compare Compare the tech-
nology of the Paleolithic Age
Review the
2. How did domesticating animals with that of the Neolithic Age.
• Early humans were nomads who help the Neolithic people? CA CS1.
moved around to hunt animals 6. Analyze Why was the ability
and gather food. They built
Critical Thinking
to make a fire so important?
shelters and used fire to survive. 3. Determine Cause and CA HI2.
In time, they developed language Effect Draw a diagram like the
and art. one below. List some of the 7. Previewing
effects that farming had on Create a three-column chart.
• During the farming revolution, people’s lives. CA HI2. In the first column, write what
people began to grow crops Effect: you knew about early humans
and domesticate animals, Cause: before you read this section.
which allowed them to settle Farming Effect: In the second column, write
in villages. begins what you learned after reading.
Effect:
In the third, write what you
4. How do changes still would like to know.
in the Neolithic Age still affect CA 6RC2.4
people today? CA HI2.

CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations 131

 Mesopotamian
Civilization
Looking Back, Looking Ahead Meeting People
In Section 1, you learned how Sargon (SAHR • GAHN)
History farming allowed people to settle in Hammurabi (HA • muh • RAH • bee)
Social Science one place. Some people settled in an
Standards area called Mesopotamia. Content Vocabulary
WH6.2 Students civilization
analyze the geographic, Focusing on the (SIH • vuh • luh • ZAY • shuhn)
political, economic,
religious, and social • Civilization in Mesopotamia began irrigation (IHR • uh • GAY • shuhn)
structures of the early in the valleys of the Tigris and city-state
civilizations of Meso- Euphrates Rivers. (page 133) artisan (AHR • tuh • zuhn)
potamia, Egypt, and
Kush. • Sumerians invented writing and cuneiform (kyoo • NEE • uh • FAWRM)
made other important contributions scribe (SKRYB)
to later peoples. (page 136) empire (EHM • PYR)
• Sumerian city-states lost power Academic Vocabulary
when they were conquered by complex (kahm • PLEHKS)
outsiders. (page 139) consist (kuhn • SIHST)
Locating Places code (KOHD)
Tigris River (TY • gruhs)
Reading Strategy
Euphrates River (yu • FRAY • teez) Sequencing Information Use a
Mesopotamia diagram to show how the first empire
(MEH • suh • puh • TAY • mee • uh) in Mesopotamia came about.
Sumer (SOO • muhr)
Babylon (BA • buh • luhn)
city-states
formed

3000 B.C. 2250 B.C. 1500 B.C.

3000 B.C. c. 2340 B.C. c. 1792 B.C.
City-states Sargon conquers Hammurabi rules
arise in Sumer Mesopotamia Mesopotamia
Babylon
Uruk

132 CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations

 WH6.2.1 Locate and describe the major river systems and discuss the physical settings that supported permanent settlement and
early civilizations. WH6.2.2 Trace the development of agricultural techniques that permitted the production of economic surplus and
the emergence of cities as centers of culture and power. WH6.2.3 Understand the relationship between religion and the social and
political order in Mesopotamia and Egypt.

easy to feed large numbers of people. The

Mesopotamia’s Civilization rivers also provided fish and freshwater to
Civilization in Mesopotamia began in drink, and made it easy to get from one place
the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. to another and to trade. Trade enabled
Reading Connection Do you live in a region that goods and ideas to move from place to
receives plenty of rain or in a region that is dry? Think place. It was no accident, then, that cities
about how that affects you as you read how the grew up in these valleys and became the
Sumerians’ environment affected them. centers of civilizations.
As cities took shape, so did the need for
Over thousands of years, some of the organization. Someone had to make plans
early farming villages developed into civi- and decisions about matters of common
lizations. Civilizations (SIH • vuh • luh • ZAY • concern. People formed governments to do
shuhns) are complex societies. They have just that. Their leaders took charge of food
cities, organized governments, art, religion, supplies and building projects. They made
class divisions, and a writing system. laws to keep order and assembled armies to
defend themselves from enemies.
Why Were River Valleys Important? The With fewer worries about meeting their
first civilizations arose in river valleys basic needs, people in the river valleys had
because good farming conditions made it more time to think about other things. They

Ancient Mesopotamia
30°E 40°E 50°E

C asp
KEY
Fertile Crescent 40°N
A S IA M I NO R
ian
Se a
M
Me ES
dit Eu
O Nineveh
err ph
PO e s R

r
ane
at

Tigr i

an S Byblos
TA

ea A S I A
MI

.
Sidon
sR

NILE
A

Tyre
.

SYRIAN
DELTA DESERT
Jerusalem Jordan R. Babylon Susa
30°N
EGYPT Dead Uruk
Giza Sea Ur Persian
Eridu Gulf
N

W
Ancient
E Shoreline
Ni
le

S
R.

Red

1. Location Into what body of water ARABIAN

do the Tigris and the Euphrates DESERT
Sea

Rivers flow? 0 500 mi.

2. Place Why do you think the region 0 500 km
of Mesopotamia was so well Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection
suited for the growth of
civilization? Sculpture of chariot
from Mesopotamia

CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations 133

Hirmer Verlag
placed emphasis, or special importance, on extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the
religions and the arts. They also invented Persian Gulf.
ways of writing and created calendars to Mesopotamia had a hot, dry climate.
tell time. In the spring, the rivers often flooded,
Early civilizations shared another fea- leaving behind rich soil for farming. The
ture—they had a class structure. That is, problem was that the flooding was very
people held different ranks in society unpredictable. It might flood one year, but
depending on what work they did and how not the next. Every year, farmers worried
much wealth or power they had. about their crops.
Over time, the farmers learned to build
The Rise of Sumer The earliest-known civ- dams and channels to control the seasonal
ilization arose in what is now southern Iraq, floods. They also built walls, waterways,
on a flat plain bounded by the Tigris River and ditches to bring water to their fields. This
(TY • gruhs) and the Euphrates River (yu•FRAY• way of watering crops is called irrigation
teez). Later, the Greeks called this area (IHR • uh • GAY • shuhn). Irrigation allowed the
Mesopotamia (MEH • suh • puh • TAY • mee • uh), farmers to grow plenty of food and support
which means “the land between the rivers.” a large population. By 3000 B.C., many cities
Mesopotamia lay in the eastern part of the had formed in southern Mesopotamia in a
Fertile Crescent, a curving strip of land that region known as Sumer (SOO • muhr).

Sumerian Ziggurat
The top of the ziggurat was considered to be a holy place, and the area around
the ziggurat contained palaces and royal storehouses. The surrounding walls
had only one entrance because the ziggurat also served as the city’s treasury.
How did people reach the upper levels of the ziggurat?

Statues of Sumerians

134
Scala/Art Resource, NY
What Were City-States? Geography waterproof bricks were used for walls, as
helped to isolate Sumerian cities from each well as homes, temples, and other buildings.
other. Beyond the areas of settlement lay Gods and Rulers The Sumerians believed
mudflats and patches of scorching desert. in many gods. Each was thought to have
This terrain made travel and communica- power over a natural force or a human activ-
tion difficult. Each Sumerian city and the ity—flooding, for example, or basket weav-
land around it became a separate city-state. ing. The Sumerians tried hard to please their
Each city-state had its own government and gods. Each city-state built a grand temple
was not part of any larger unit. called a ziggurat (ZIH • guh • RAT) to its chief
Sumerian city-states often went to war god. The word ziggurat means “mountain of
with one another. They fought to gain glory god” or “hill of heaven.”
and to control more territory. For protec- With tiers like a giant square wedding
tion, each city-state surrounded itself with a cake, the ziggurat dominated the city. At
wall. Because stone and wood were in short the top was a shrine, or special place of
supply, the Sumerians used river mud as worship that only priests and priestesses
their main building material. They mixed could enter. The priests and priestesses
the mud with crushed reeds, formed bricks, were powerful and controlled much of the
and left them in the sun to dry. The hard land. They may even have ruled at one time.

A portion of the Royal

Standard of Ur, a deco-
rated box that shows
scenes of Sumerian life

These ruins are from the

Sumerian city-state of Uruk.
What was a city-state?

CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations 135

(l)Nik Wheeler/CORBIS, (r)Michael Holford
 WH6.2.2 Trace the development of agricultural techniques that permitted the production of economic surplus and the emergence
of cities as centers of culture and power. WH6.2.3 Understand the relationship between religion and the social and political order in
Mesopotamia and Egypt. WH6.2.9 Trace the evolution of language and its written forms.

Later, kings ran the government. They led

armies and organized building projects. The
A Skilled People
first kings were probably war heroes. Their Sumerians invented writing and made
position became hereditary, which meant other important contributions to later peoples.
that after a king died, his son took over. Reading Connection Do you like to read? If so, you
owe a debt to the Sumerians, because they were the first
What Was Life Like in Sumer? While
to invent writing. Read about this achievement and others.
Sumerian kings lived in large palaces,
ordinary people lived in small mud-brick The Sumerians left a lasting mark on
houses. Most people in Sumer farmed. Some, world history. Their ideas and inventions
however, were artisans (AHR • tuh • zuhns), or were copied and improved upon by other
skilled workers who made metal products, peoples. As a result, Mesopotamia has been
cloth, or pottery. Other people in Sumer called the “cradle of civilization.”
worked as merchants or traders. They trav-
eled to other cities and towns and traded Why Was Writing Important? The people
tools, wheat, and barley for copper, tin, and of Sumer created many things that still affect
timber—things that Sumer did not have. our lives today. Probably their greatest
People in Sumer were divided into three invention was writing. Writing is important
social classes. Generally, a person had to stay because it helps people keep records and
in the social class into which he or she was pass on their ideas to others.
born. Only rarely could someone move up. People in Sumer developed writing to
The upper class included kings, priests, war- keep track of business deals and other
riors, and government officials. In the middle events. Their writing was called cuneiform
class were artisans, merchants, farmers, and (kyoo • NEE • uh • FAWRM). It consisted of hun-
fishers. These people made up the largest dreds of wedge-shaped marks cut into damp
group. The lower class were enslaved people clay tablets with a sharp-ended reed.
who worked on farms or in the temples. Archaeologists have found thousands of
Enslaved people were forced to serve these cuneiform tablets, telling us much
others. Slaveholders thought of them as about Mesopotamian life.
property. Some slaves were prisoners of Only a few people—mostly boys from
war. Others were criminals. Still others wealthy families—learned how to write.
were enslaved because they had to pay off After years of training, they became scribes
their debts. Debts are money or goods (SKRYBS), or record keepers. Scribes held
owed to others. honored positions in society, often going on
In Sumer, women and men had separate to become judges and political leaders.
roles. Men headed the households. They also Sumerian Literature The Sumerians also
could decide whom their children would produced works of literature. The world’s
marry. Only males could go to school. oldest known story comes from Sumer. It is
Women, however, did have some rights. called the Epic of Gilgamesh (GIHL • guh •
They could buy and sell property and run MEHSH). An epic is a long poem that tells the
businesses. story of a hero. The hero Gilgamesh is a
Explain How did Mesopo- king who travels around the world with a
tamian control of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers friend and performs great deeds. When his
benefit their society? friend dies, Gilgamesh searches for a way to

136 CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations

Scala/Art Resource, NY
live forever. He learns that this is possible Sumerians developed many mathemati-
only for the gods. This epic poem is still cal ideas. They used geometry to measure
studied today. fields and put up buildings. They also
created a number system based on 60. We
Advances in Science and Math The have them to thank for our 60-minute hour,
Mesopotamians’ creativity also extended to 60-second minute, and 360-degree circle.
technology. You read earlier about Sumerian In addition, Sumerian people watched
irrigation systems. Sumerians also invented the skies to learn the best times to plant
the wagon wheel to help carry people and crops and to hold religious festivals. They
goods from place to place. Another break- recorded the positions of the planets and
through was the plow, which made farming stars and developed a 12-month calendar
easier. Still another invention was the sail- based on the cycles of the moon.
boat, which replaced muscle power with Identify How did the use
wind power. of mathematics benefit the Sumerians?

Education
Students today
In ancient Mesopotamia, only boys from
wealthy and high-ranking families went to the
edubba, which means “tablet house.” At the
edubba—the world’s first school—boys
studied reading, writing, and mathematics
and trained to be scribes. For hours every
day, they copied the signs of the
cuneiform script, trying to master
hundreds of words
and phrases.

Today, both boys and

girls go to school. They study reading,
writing, mathematics, and many other
subjects. As students advance in their
education, they have a great number of
career choices and are able to choose the
career that fits their talents. In what way is
education different today than it was in
Mesopotamian cuneiform tablet Mesopotamia?

CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations 137

(l)Mesopotamian Iraq Museum, Baghdad, Iraq/Giraudon/Bridgeman Art Library, (r)Will Hart/PhotoEdit
 WH6.2.2 Trace the development of
agricultural techniques that permitted the
production of economic surplus and the
emergence of cities as centers of culture and
power.
WH6.2.4 Know the significance of
Hammurabi's Code.

HAMMURABI
Reigned c. 1792–1750 B.C.
Hammurabi was a young man when he succeeded
his father, Sinmuballit, as king of Babylon. When
Hammurabi became king, Babylon was already a strong
kingdom in Mesopotamia. During his reign, however,
Hammurabi transformed Babylon from a small city-
state into a large, powerful state. He also united the
other city-states of Mesopotamia under one rule.
Hammurabi was directly involved in the ruling of
his kingdom. He personally directed projects, such as
building city walls, restoring temples, and digging and
cleaning irrigation canals. A great deal of planning
went into his projects. City streets, for example, were
arranged in straight lines and intersected at right
angles, much like the way our cities are planned today.
One of Hammurabi’s goals was to control the
Euphrates River because it provided water for
Babylon’s farms and trade routes for cargo ships.
He also needed to control the river’s annual flooding Hammurabi
so that villages and crops would not be washed away.
Hammurabi did this by issuing laws controlling the use
of irrigation ditches. His laws protected the area and
helped bring water to the fields. That was one reason he
developed a strict law code, or collection of laws:
damaged irrigation channels could cause many people
to be injured or even killed.
Hammurabi fought for many years against his
enemies to control the river. He even used water to
defeat them. Sometimes he would dam the river to
withhold water needed for drinking and for
crops, and then release a sudden damaging
flood. Because of Hammurabi’s efforts, the
Find a copy of the Code of Hammurabi, either on-
center of power in Mesopotamia shifted
line or in a reference book. Notice the kinds of
from Sumer in the south to Babylon in
situations and the punishments that are described.
the north where it remained for the next
How do these compare with current laws and
1,000 years.
punishments that exist in the United States?

138
 WH6.2 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of Mesopotamia,
Egypt, and Kush.
WH6.2.4 Know the significance of Hammurabi's Code.

In the 1800s B.C., a new group of people

Sargon and Hammurabi became powerful in Mesopotamia. They
Sumerian city-states lost power when built the city of Babylon (BA • buh • luhn) by
they were conquered by outsiders. the Euphrates River. It quickly became a
Reading Connection Have you heard of the Roman center of trade. Beginning in 1792 B.C., the
Empire, the Aztec Empire, or the British Empire? The Babylonian king, Hammurabi (HA • muh • RAH •
rise and fall of empires is an important part of history. bee), began conquering cities to the north and
Read on to learn about the first empires in the world. south and created the Babylonian Empire.
Hammurabi is best known for his law
Over time, conflicts weakened Sumer’s code, or collection of laws. (See pages 140
city-states. They became vulnerable to attacks and 141.) The code covered crimes, farming
by outside groups such as the Akkadians (uh• and business activities, and marriage and the
KAY • dee • uhnz) of northern Mesopotamia. family—almost every area of life. Before the
The king of the Akkadians was named law code, rulers could treat others nearly any
Sargon (SAHR • GAHN). In about 2340 B.C., way they wanted. The code forced all people
Sargon conquered all of Mesopotamia creat- to follow the law in how they treated others.
ing the world’s first empire. An empire (EHM • Hammurabi’s code influenced later law
PYR) is a group of many different lands under codes, including those of Greece and Rome.
one ruler. Sargon’s empire lasted for more Explain Why was Sargon’s
than 200 years before falling to invaders. empire important?

Study Central Need help understanding the

Sumerian civilization? Visit ca.hss.glencoe.com
and click on Study Central.

What Did You Learn?

Reading Summary 1. What is a civilization? 4. Geography Skills How did
2. What was the Code of the geography of Mesopotamia
Review the
Hammurabi? shape the growth of
• In time, farming villages devel- population and creation of
oped into civilizations with Critical Thinking a civilization? CA CS3.
governments, art, religion, writ-
ing, and social class divisions. 3. Summarize Information 5. How did the
The first city-states developed Draw a chart like the one below. Sumerian religion affect
in Mesopotamia. Use it to list the achievements Sumerian society? CA HI2.
of Mesopotamians that helped 6. Persuasive Writing Imagine
• Many important ideas and inven- improve their civilization’s you are living in a city-state
tions, including writing, the wheel, economy. CA HI6. in ancient Sumer. Write a letter
the plow, and a number system
Achievements of to a friend describing which
based on 60, were developed in Mesopotamian Civilization Mesopotamian idea or invention
the region of Mesopotamia.
you believe will be the most
• Several empires, including the important to humanity.
Babylonian Empire, took control CA 6WS1.2
of Mesopotamia.

CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations 139

 WH6.2.4 Know the
significance of Hammurabi's
Code.

Réunion des Musées Nationaux/Art Resource, NY

Hammurabi’s Laws:
Fair or Cruel?
reflect that
Fair 1 7 5 0 B . C ., K ing Hammura
bi S o
fairness.
m e of the laws
error
Around v er n th e people of : If a ju dge makes an
s to g o • L a w 5 ying
wrote 282 law a n d sc h o la rs agree g h h is ow n fault when tr
torians throu be
Babylon. His la w s w er e the first to se , h e m u st pay a fine,
cien t a ca ch,
that these an a sp ec ts o f society. v ed fr o m the judge’s ben
all remo se.
cover almost s a n d sc holars do not n ev er ju dge another ca
to ri a n a nd
However, his m m u rabi’s laws w
ere
so m eone gives so
me-
h er H a a w 1 2 2 : If
agree whet • L
meone else fo
r safe-
r cr u el . a n d th ing to so uld
fair o th e laws as just e transaction sho
w h o se e k ee p in g , th
Those ns. They ntract
g iv e th e fo llowing reaso be w it n essed and a co ies.
fair
w s a d e b et w ee n the two part
say the la ed to m
ate d w h a t a ll people need w 2 33: If a contra
ctor
• st f th ei r • L a
e rules o for
know about th builds a house
the
society
e to so ci ety someone and
and ju stic ll,
• brought order s, w alls start to fa
ctivit ie er
ny different a then the build
• regulated ma contracts to crime.
from busines
s must use his
in tr o -
rabi wrote an own money
King Hammu th a t
is list of la w s. In and labor to
duction to h th e la w s
make the
he says that
introduction, is in ten tio n
walls secure.
to be fair. H
were written e ru le o f
ng about th
was “to bri e land to des
, troy
u sn es s in th
righteo , so that
e w ic ke d a nd evil-doers e
th
n g sh o u ld not harm th
the st ro
weak. . . .”

Stone monument showing

Hammurabi (standing)
and his code
140 140
Louvre, Paris/Bridgeman Art Library

Cuneiform tablet with the text of the

introduction to the Code of Hammurabi

Cruel and scholars thin

k
ne is caught in the
• Law 22: If someo he shall be put
en
Some historians d act of robbery, th
m ur ab i’s la w s were cruel an to death.
Ham ,
unjust. They say
the laws
w 195: If a son strikes his father
ten • La
olen t punishments, of all be cut off.
• ca lled for vi the son’s hands sh
lent crimes ne strikes a man
death, for nonvio for • Law 202: If someo he shall be
fferent punishments en
• re qu ired di of higher rank, th
of different social in public.
accused persons whipped 60 times
classes
ation from an
• allowed no explan
accused person. .
m e of the la w s reflect this cruelty
So
falsely accuses Document-Based Questions
• Law 3: If someone ain crimes, then 1. Why do some people think
cert
someone else of Hammurabi’s laws were fair?
to death.
he shall be put CA HR5.

2. Why do others think the laws

were cruel? CA HR5.
3. Were the laws fair or cruel? Take
the role of a historian. Write a
brief essay that explains how
you view Hammurabi’s laws.
Be sure to use facts to support
your position. You can compare
Hammurabi’s laws to our 141
modern laws to support your
argument. CA HR5. CA 6RC2.7
 New Empires
Looking Back, Looking Ahead Meeting People
In Section 2, you learned about the Nebuchadnezzar
History empires of Sargon and Hammurabi. (NEH • byuh • kuhd • NEH • zuhr)
Social Science Later empires—those of the Assyrians
Standards and the Chaldeans—used their Content Vocabulary
WH6.2 Students military power in new ways. province (PRAH • vuhns)
analyze the geographic,
political, economic,
caravan (KAR • uh • VAN)
religious, and social Focusing on the astronomer
structures of the early • Assyria’s military power and well- (uh • STRAH • nuh • muhr)
civilizations of Mesopo-
tamia, Egypt, and Kush.
organized government helped it
build a vast empire in Mesopotamia Academic Vocabulary
by 650 B.C. (page 143) core (KOHR)
• The Chaldean Empire built important interval (IHN • tuhr • vuhl)
landmarks in Babylon and developed route (ROWT)
the first calendar with a seven-day
week. (page 145) Reading Strategy
Compare and Contrast Complete
Locating Places a Venn diagram like the one below
Assyria (uh • SIHR • ee • uh) listing the similarities and differences
Persian Gulf (PUHR • zhuhn) between the Assyrian Empire and the
Chaldean Empire.
Nineveh (NIH • nuh • vuh)
Hanging Gardens

Assyrians Chaldeans

900 B.C. 700 B.C. 500 B.C.

Nineveh c. 900 B.C. 612 B.C. 539 B.C.
Assyrians control Nineveh captured; Persians conquer
Babylon Mesopotamia Assyrian Empire Chaldeans
crumbles

142 CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations

 WH6.2 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of Mesopotamia,
Egypt, and Kush.

The Assyrians Why Were the Assyrians So Strong? The

Assyrian military was well organized. At its
Assyria’s military power and well- core were groups of foot soldiers armed
organized government helped it build a vast empire with spears and daggers. Other soldiers
in Mesopotamia by 650 B.C. were experts at using bows and arrows. The
Reading Connection Today, many countries have army also had chariot riders and soldiers
armed forces to protect their interests. Read to dis- who fought on horseback.
cover how the Assyrians built an army strong enough to This fearsome and mighty force was the
conquer all of Mesopotamia. first large army to use iron weapons. For
centuries, iron had been used for tools, but
About 1,000 years after Hammurabi, a it was too soft to serve as a material for
new empire arose in Mesopotamia. It was weapons. Then a people called the Hittites
founded by a people called the Assyrians (HIH • TYTZ), who lived northwest of Assyria,
(uh • SIHR • ee • uhns), who lived in the north developed a way of making iron stronger.
near the Tigris River. Assyria (uh • SIHR • ee • They heated iron ore, hammered it, and
uh) had fertile valleys that attracted outside rapidly cooled it. The Assyrians learned
invaders. To defend their land, the Assyrians this technique from the Hittites. They pro-
built a large army. Around 900 B.C., they duced iron weapons that were stronger
began taking over the rest of Mesopotamia. than those made of copper or tin.

The Assyrians at War

When attacking a walled city, the Assyrians used massive war machines.
The wheeled battering ram was powered by soldiers. It was covered to
protect the soldiers inside, but it had slits so they could shoot arrows out.
What other methods did Assyrian soldiers use to attack cities?
 Assyrian Empire
0 300 mi.
40°N
40°E Assyrian
0 300 km winged bull
Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection
ASIA statues stood
MINOR M as guardians at
E Nineveh
city gates.
SO Eup
PO
TA
Mediterranean Ti g
MI
Sea hr
Tyre at ri s
A

s R
e

Jerusalem . R.
Babylon
EGYPT
N
Nile

ARABIAN
W DESERT KEY
R.

E
Thebes Red Assyrian Empire
S Sea

Assyrian kings divided the empire into

provinces (PRAH • vuhn • suhs), or political
1. Location What major rivers were
part of the Assyrian Empire?
districts. They chose officials to govern each
2. Human/Environment Interaction province. The job of these officials was to
What geographical features may collect taxes and enforce the king’s laws.
have kept the Assyrians from Assyrian kings built roads to join all
expanding their empire to the
north and south?
parts of their empire. Government soldiers
were posted at stations along the way to
protect traders from bandits. Messengers on
The Assyrians were ferocious warriors. government business used the stations to
To attack cities, they tunneled under walls rest and change horses.
or climbed over them on ladders. They Life in Assyria The Assyrians lived much
loaded tree trunks onto movable platforms like other Mesopotamians. Their writing was
and used them as battering rams to knock based on Babylonian writing, and they wor-
down city gates. Once a city was captured, shiped many of the same gods. Their laws
the Assyrians set fire to its buildings. They were similar, but lawbreakers often faced
also carried away its people and goods. more brutal and cruel punishments in
Anyone who resisted Assyrian rule was Assyria.
punished. The Assyrians drove people from As builders, the Assyrians showed great
their lands and moved them into foreign skill. They erected large temples and palaces
territory. Then they brought in new settlers that they filled with wall carvings and stat-
and forced them to pay heavy taxes. ues. The Assyrians also produced and col-
A Well-Organized Government Assyrian lected literature. One of the world’s first
kings had to be strong to rule their large libraries was in Nineveh. It held 25,000
empire. By about 650 B.C., the empire stretched tablets of stories and songs to the gods.
from the Persian Gulf (PUHR • zhuhn) in the Modern historians have learned much about
east to Egypt’s Nile River in the west. The ancient civilizations from this library.
capital was at Nineveh (NIH • nuh • vuh) on Explain Why were the
the Tigris River. Assyrian soldiers considered brutal and cruel?

144 CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations

Boltin Picture Library
 WH6.2 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of Mesopotamia,
Egypt, and Kush.

The Chaldeans
Gianni Dagli Orti/CORBIS

Chaldeans decided the time had come to

fight back.
The Chaldean Empire built important In 627 B.C. Nabopolassar led his people
landmarks in Babylon and developed the first calen- in rebellion against the Assyrians. The
dar with a seven-day week. Chaldeans joined with the Medes, another
Reading Connection What landmarks exist in your people in the region who wanted to break
town or the nearest city? Read to learn some of the spe- free from the Assyrians. Together the
cial landmarks that made the Chaldean capital of Chaldeans and Medes defeated Assyria’s
Babylon famous. army. In 612 B.C. they captured the Assyrian
capital of Nineveh and finally put an end to
Assyria’s cruel treatment of people led the hated Assyrian empire.
to many rebellions. About 650 B.C., the Nabopolassar and his son, the famous
Assyrians began fighting each other over King Nebuchadnezzar (NEH • byuh • khud •
who would be their next king. Because the NEH • zuhr), then went on to build their
Assyrians were not united, a group of peo- own empire. By 605 B.C., the Chaldeans had
ple called the Chaldeans (kahl • DEE • uhns)
were able to rebel.
The Chaldean people had moved from
the Arabian Peninsula into southern
Mesopotamia about 1000 B.C. Their small Web Activity Visit ca.hss.glencoe.com and
kingdom was quickly conquered by the click on Chapter 1—Student Web Activity to
learn more about the first civilizations.
Assyrians but the Chaldeans hated their
new rulers. With the Assyrians busy fight-
ing each other, King Nabopolassar of the

Hanging Gardens
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were
considered one of the Seven Wonders of
the Ancient World. A complex irrigation
system brought water from the Euphrates
River to the top of the gardens. From there,
the water flowed down to each of the
lower levels of the gardens. What other
sights made Babylon a grand city?

Ruins of the
Hanging Gardens
conquered nearly all of the lands the These terraced gardens showcased large
Assyrians had ruled. They made Babylon trees, masses of flowering vines, and other
the capital of their empire, and because of beautiful plants. A pump brought in water
this, the Chaldean Empire is sometimes from a nearby river. Nebuchadnezzar built
called the New Babylonian Empire. the gardens to please his wife, who missed
the mountains and plants of her homeland
The City of Babylon The Chaldeans rebuilt
in the northwest.
the city of Babylon as the glorious center of
their empire. The city became the world’s One Greek historian in the 400s B.C.
largest and richest city. It was surrounded by described the beauty of Babylon. He wrote,
a brick wall so wide that two chariots could “In magnificence, there is no other city that
pass on the road on top of it. Built into the approaches it.” Outside the center of
wall at 100-yard (91.4-m) intervals were Babylon stood houses and marketplaces.
towers where soldiers kept watch. There, artisans made pottery, cloth, baskets,
Large palaces and temples stood in the and jewelry. They sold their wares to pass-
city’s center. A huge ziggurat reached more ing caravans (KAR • uh • VANZ), or groups of
than 300 feet (91.4 m) into the sky. Another traveling merchants. Because Babylon was
marvel, visible from any point in Babylon, located on the major trade route between
was an immense staircase of greenery: the the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean
Hanging Gardens at the king’s palace. Sea, it became rich from trade.

Chaldean Empire c. 605 B.C.

40°N
0 200 mi.
40°E
KEY 0 200 km
Original Chaldean settlement Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection
Farthest extent of Chaldean Empire

Caspian
ASSYRIA Sea
M
ES

Nineveh MEDES
OP

N
OT

SYRIA
Tig
AM

Byblos W E
Mediterranean
ris

Damascus
IA

Sea Eu S
R.

Tyre ph
r
at

es
R.
30°E JUDAH
Jerusalem ARABIAN DESERT PERSIANS
Babylon Susa
EGYPT

CHALDEANS
1. Location How far apart are the 35°N

cities of Susa and Damascus? Persian

2. Region How were the Gulf
geographical locations of the
50°E
original Chaldean settlement and
Judah similar?

146 CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations

S. Fiore/SuperStock
 Babylon was also a center of science.
Like earlier people in Mesopotamia, the
Chaldeans believed that changes in the
sky revealed the plans of the gods. Their
astronomers (uh • STRAH • nuh • muhrs)—peo-
ple who study the heavenly bodies—
mapped the stars, the planets, and the
phases of the moon. The Chaldeans made
one of the first sundials and were the first to
develop a seven-day week.

Why Did the Empire Fall? A number of

weak leaders, along with poor harvests and
decreased trade, caused the Chaldeans to
lose their power. In 539 B.C. Persians from The Ishtar Gate was at the main entrance
the northeast captured Babylon and made to ancient Babylon. Describe the wall that
Mesopotamia part of the new Persian surrounded Babylon.
Empire.
Identify What were the
Hanging Gardens of Babylon?
Study Central Need help understanding the
Assyrians and Chaldeans? Visit
ca.hss.glencoe.com and click on Study Central.

What Did You Learn?

Reading Summary 1. Why was the Assyrian army
a powerful fighting force?
5. Why do you
think the Assyrians took con-
Review the quered peoples from their
• Using cavalry and foot soldiers 2. What were some of the
accomplishments of Chaldean lands and moved them to
armed with iron weapons, the other places? CA CS3.
Assyrians created a large empire astronomers?
that included all of Mesopotamia Critical Thinking 6. Explain Why did the
and extended into Egypt. 3. Summarize Information Chaldeans join with the Medes
Draw a chart like the one to fight the Assyrians?
• The Chaldeans built a large below. Use it to describe
CA HI1.
empire in Mesopotamia that the city of Babylon and why it 7. Science Link What different
included Babylon, the largest and became powerful. CA HI2. types of knowledge and skills
richest city in the world at that
would the Babylonians need
time.
Babylon Under Chaldeans to build the Hanging Gardens?
CA 6RC2.3

8. Posing
Questions Write four ques-
4. Analyze How did the tions about the Chaldeans you
Assyrians set up a well- would like answered. Use the
organized government? library and Internet to research
CA 6RC2.0 and write answers to your
questions. CA HR1.

CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations 147

 WH6.2.9 Trace the
evolution of language
and its written forms.

Ancient Forms
of Communication Sculpture of
chariot from
Mesopotamia
Long before the rise of civilization, early people expressed themselves
through paintings. People may have used these images to explain the universe.
Later, people in Mesopotamia began using writing not only to express their
ideas, but also to record important events and tell stories. These include epic
stories of heroes, proverbs about how to live properly, and law codes.
Study the painting and the passages that follow, and then answer the ques-
tions on page 149.

Reader’s Dictionary
old ones: the elders or leaders of the Enkidu (ehn • KEE • doo): Gilgamesh’s
city friend and traveling companion

Cave Painting
One of the earliest forms of communication
was through art. Beginning around 30,000 B.C.,
people began to crush rocks to make powder
for painting on cave walls. The images they
painted include animals, hunting scenes, and
people engaged in various activities. These
paintings may have had a religious meaning
or may have been intended to record events.

This cave painting is in Lascaux, France.

The cave is filled with images drawn or
carved by people during the Paleolithic
Age, about 15,000 years ago. The
images show animals and people, and
tell stories about Paleolithic life.

148 CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations

 Advice for Gilgamesh The Code of Hammurabi
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a legend about the The following is law seven from the Code of
travels of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk in Babylonia. Hammurabi. He ruled Babylon from around
It was written about 2000 B.C. In the following 1792 B.C. to 1750 B.C.
passage, Gilgamesh is warned about going on a 7. If any one buy from the son or the slave of
dangerous adventure alone. another man, without witnesses or a con-
The old ones shaped their mouths and spoke, tract, silver or gold, a male or female slave,
saying to Gilgamesh, an ox or a sheep, an ass or anything, or if he
“Do not trust all that strength of yours, take it in charge, he is considered a thief and
Gilgamesh. shall be put to death.
Make sure your eyes are wide, your blow cer-
—“Code of Hammurabi,” L. W. King, trans.
tain.

The one who walks in front guards his friend;

the one who knows the way safeguards his
companion.

Let Enkidu go before you as you march;

he knows the way of the forest, to the cedars.
He has seen battle, understands warfare.
Enkidu will watch over the friend, make the
way safe for his companion.”
—Gilgamesh, John Gardner and John Maier, trans.

Stone monument
showing Hammurabi
(standing)

Cave Painting 6. Do you think the punishment would be the

1. What kind of animals are shown? same if there were a witness or a contract?
Why?
2. Why do you think this image was painted?
Read to Write
Advice for Gilgamesh 7. How do you think the author of the Epic of
3. What do the old ones tell Gilgamesh to do Gilgamesh would have used words to express
instead of relying on his strength? Why? the image of the cave painting?
4. Why do the old ones think it is a good idea 8. Based on the primary sources, explain what
for Enkidu to accompany Gilgamesh? values you think were important to people in
ancient Mesopotamia. How do these values
The Code of Hammurabi compare to ours today? CA HI2.; HR4.
5. What is the punishment for making a deal
without a witness or a contract?

CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations 149

Scala/Art Resource, NY
 Standards WH6.1 & WH6.2
14. Describe What rights did women have in
Review Content Vocabulary the city-states of Sumer? CA 6RC2.0
1. Write a brief paragraph that describes and 15. Predict How successful do you think the
compares the following terms. Assyrian army would have been if it had
archaeologist artifact not learned how to strengthen iron?
fossil anthropologist CA HI4.

Indicate which of the following statements are

true. Replace the word in italics to make any
Geography Skills
false statements true. Study the map below and answer the follow-
ing questions.
___ 2. An artisan kept records in cuneiform.
16. Location On what continent was the
___ 3. Assyrian kings divided their empire earliest fossil evidence of humans found?
into political districts called provinces. CA CS3.
___ 4. A civilization is a group of many differ- 17. Movement Based on fossil evidence,
ent lands under one ruler. where did early humans go first, Europe
or Australia? CA CS3.
Review the 18. Analyze Which three continents are not
Section 1 • Early Humans shown on this map? How do you think
5. How did Paleolithic people adapt to their early humans reached those continents?
environment? CA CS3.
6. What were the major differences between
people who lived in the Paleolithic period
and those who lived in the Neolithic
period?
Section 2 • Mesopotamian Civilization
Spread of Early Humans
7. Where were the first civilizations in 30°E 90°E 150°E

Mesopotamia? 25,000
40,000 years ago
8. What kinds of contributions did 60°N
years ago
Sumerians make? ASIA
9. How did Sumerian city-states lose power? EUROPE
Section 3 • New Empires 100,000
30°N years ago
10. What helped Assyria build an empire in
Mesopotamia? AFRICA
11. What scientific advancement did the 150,000–200,000 EQUATOR
50,000
0° years ago years ago
Chaldeans make?

Critical Thinking 30°S AUSTRALIA

12. Explain Why do you think Mesopotamia N
is sometimes called the “cradle of 0 2,000 mi.
civilization”? CA 6RC2.3 W E
KEY
0 2,000 km
13. Analyze Why was the development of Mercator projection S Movement of
early humans
farming called a revolution? CA HI3.

150 CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations

Read to Write Self-Check Quiz To help you prepare for
the Chapter Test, visit ca.hss.glencoe.com
19. Expository Writing Most of
what we know about early humans
comes from scientific discoveries. Write
two to three paragraphs explaining how
these scientists help historians gather 25. Researching Many impor-
information about the past. CA 6WA2.2 tant scientific discoveries, such as Lucy in
20. Using Your Use your Chapter 1 1974, changed the way that scientists
foldable to create an illustrated time line. understand early human history. Use your
Your time line should extend from the local library to research the discovery by
date Jericho was founded to the fall of anthropologist Tim White in 1992. What
the Chaldean Empire. Create drawings or kind of new information did this discovery
photocopy maps, artifacts, or architecture provide about early hominids? Write a
to illustrate your time line. CA 6WS1.3 research paper describing the importance
of this discovery. CA HI5.
Using Academic Vocabulary
21. Use the words listed below as you write a
two- to three-paragraph summary of
Chapter 1. Make sure that you cover all of
the important events and cultures that
appear in the chapter. CA HI1.
task code
revolution core Select the best answer for each
complex interval of the following questions.
consist route
26 Which of these was a purpose
Economics Connection of the ziggurat in ancient
22. Persuasive Writing Suppose you are a Mesopotamia?
merchant in Çatal Hüyük. A new group of
people wants to trade with your village. A weapon storage
Write a short speech to persuade your vil- B schoolhouse
lage that there are economic benefits to C office for recording votes
trading with other people. CA HI6. D temple for worship

Linking Past and Present 27 The importance of ancient

poems such as the Epic of
23. Analyzing Information Imagine you are
Gilgamesh is that they continue
a nomad who travels from place to place
to provide people with
to hunt and gather food. What things
would you carry with you to help you sur- A historically accurate
vive? Make a list of items and discuss it descriptions of events.
with your classmates. CA 6RC2.4
B fantastic adventures with great
heroes.
Reviewing Skills C a deeper understanding of
future events.
24. Previewing Imagine that a D stories about real, historic
friend has to read Section 3. Write a few
people.
paragraphs telling him or her how to
preview the section. CA 6RC2.4

CHAPTER 1 • The First Civilizations 151