The document provides information on the landscapes, civilizations, and cultures of Mesopotamia and Egypt between 3500 BC - 330 BC. It describes the key rivers and fertile plains of both regions. It outlines the major political periods and empires of Mesopotamia, including the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Persians. It also details the major political periods of Egypt, such as the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms. It provides insights into the societies, economies, religions, and artistic achievements of these ancient civilizations.

1. The landscape
Deserts: Sahara, Arabia.
great Rivers:
Nile and Euphrates
Fertile plains,
close to
Rivers.MIDDLE EAST

2. MESOPOTAMIA
3500-330
SUMMER
3500-2000 BC
AKKAD
2300
(Sargón II)
BABYLON
(Hammurabi)
1800-539
ASSYRIA
1350-612
PERSIA
530-330
Greek Conquest
Alexander the Great
330
MESOPOTAMIA: TIME AND SPACE

3. Summer (3500 BC)
Writting was discored in
Summer.
Scribes and traders
were important
in Mesopotamia
Wheels were invented
by Sumerians in 3000
BC, making transport
much easier and chang
warfare techniques.
Ziggurats were the temples
Of every city. There was a santuary
In the top of the building, and were
Attended by priest.
Mesopotamia was ruled by
city states like Uruk, Ur or Lagash.
They were indepent, but
Shared the same culture

4. Sumer: Sargon II
(2300 BC)
Sargon of Akkad
created the first
empire in history
and was able to
conquer all the sumerian
cities. Like Moses, Sargon
was the son of Ishtar,
and was saved from the river
Eufrates by a gardener.

5. Babylon and Assiria
After 2000 BC, Sumer decayed
And new reigns and cities appeared.
Among Them, Babylonians and Assirians
were the most powerful and created
vast empires in Middle East.
Hamurabi code
was the first law
to be written.
Assirians were terrifing warriors.
Merciless, they killed all men and
deported women and children as
slaves.

6. The persian empire (539-330)
Defeat at Issus
Persepolis was the capital of
The biggest empire of Asia till then.
“Three things
Have to learn
all Persian
youth: ride on
a horse, shoot
the bow and
tell always the
truth.”
HERODOTO

7. Mesopotamia: Society and economy
Hierarchical society:
– elite (aristocracy, priest and
high officials)
– Intermediate levels (scribes
and merchants)
– Low levels (peasants and
artisans)
– War slaves.
Economy depended mainly
on agriculture and
livestock.
Trade was important as well.
Empires used to pillage the
conquered lands and
after that to impose taxes on
them.
Standard of Ur
And three social classes

8. Mesopotamia: culture
Cuneiform writting
Appeared in Mesopotamia
In 4000 BC and it is
the first in human history.
Babylons are the inventors
Of astronomy, and the
First poem in history is from
Mesopotamia too.
Mesopotamians were
Polytheist, with Marduk and
Ishtar. Persians brought
A new religion, the zoroastrisme
Clay tablet from
Uruk, used for
Administrative purposes
The first epic
Poem: the works of
Gigamesh

9. EGYPT: TIME AND SPACE
OLD KINGDOM
2700-2200
(pyramids)
MIDDLE KINGDOM
2050-1650)
(hyksos invasion)
NEW KINGDOM
(1650-1070)
(Ramses II)
LATE PERIOD
(700-30 BC)
Persian and
Greek conquest
Cleopatra,
Last queen of Egypt
ROMAN CONQUEST
30 BC

10. Egypt: politics
Egypt was a
kingdom ruled by a
pharaon, with the
help of the army and
a strong priesthood.
In the old
kingdom, pyramids
were built and the
Egyptian rule
dominated all the Nile
Valley.

11. Channels had to
be made
To control and
share
The waters of
river Nile and
Its annual floods.
Therefore, a
strong human
Power was
needed for that,
And this is the
origin of
The state in
Egypt.

12. Egypt: politics
The middle Kingdom suffered the
Invasion of the hicsos, coming from
Mesopotamia.
After that, the new kingdom became more
militarist and carried
Out an expansion of its territories
by pharaons like Ahmose and
Tutmosis III.
Big palaces and temples were built
Instead of pyramids.
Ramses II, is holding an
axe In one hand, and
three heads of prisoners
In the other, as a symbol
of victory against the
enemies
Hicsos introduced
In Egypt new warfare
Such as the war chariot

13. Egypt: society
Society was very hierarchycal.
There was a ruling elite (priesthood
warriors and scribes).
Under this elite lays the rest (farme
And merchant). There were some
slaves for the hardest works
(mininig)
Women had more rights than
In many other civilizations

14. Egypt: Economy
All the wealth of Egypt relied on the
Fertile lands in the borders of the Nile.
Dams and canals were built to control
The river.
Irrigated agriculture: wheat, vines, olive
Livestock: cows, pigs, sheeps…
Crafts: textiles, pottery, jewellery…

15. Egypt: lifestyle
Egyptian society was very complex
and with a wide social division of
Work and occupation.
Marriages were generally
Polygamous, and slaves
Were used for domestic
Service.

16. Egypt: Economy
Egytians were artisans and traders too.
They exported pottery, papyrus and cereals
Mainly to Greece and Mesopotamia.
Artisans took advantage of the
Natural resources of the country:
Limestone, papyrus, etc…
Papyrus: it was
The ancient “paper”,
softer and more brittle
than ours.

17. Egypt: art and culture
The ancient egyptians built specially tombs and temples.
There were three types of tombs: mastabas (flat roofs),
pyramids (staircase first, and smooth afterwards)
and finally, hypogeas, like tunnels carved in rock.

18. The pyramids, how long it took to
build it up?
“Pyramids took a long time to
build. The Great Pyramid at
Giza took 50,000 people 20
years to build. Workers lived in
special villages based around
the building site and gangs of
workers would quarry the
stone and then move it on
rollers to the pyramid. Each
block of stone was huge,
weighing about 2.5 tonnes,
and it took a great deal of
effort to put each piece in
place.”

20. Egypt: culture and art
In the new empire, egyptians gave
Up building pyramids, and started
the creation of huge temples, like
Karnak and Luxor.

21. Egyptian writting: hieroglyps
Egyptians are one of the
first cultures that
We can call “historic”: they
invented the
Scripture with hieroglys
(jeroglíficos)

22. How could we translate hieroglyps?
The reason lies in this stone,
discovered in 1799 by french
archaeologist:
the rosetta stone, an egyptian text
translated into ancient greek.
Nowadays you can find it in the Britsh
Museum (London)

23. Egypt: religion
Egyptians were
polytheist
And believed in many
gods,
Most of them with
animal
Forms, like Horus or
Anubis

24. Egypt: religion
Egyptians believed in life after death,
And that is the reason why so many tombs
Were created. It was supposed that dead
people should take with them everything
that they need for the other life.
Anubis was the guardian
of the death
Mummies are preserved
after 3500 years till now.
After death, men were judges
by Anubis for their deeds in life