Western Civilization I
Outline #2
Prof. Knight

Civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt

 I. Mesopotamian Civilization
        Sumerians
        Major Sumerian Cities: Ur, Uruk, Kish, Lagash
        Invention of Writing
            Cuneiform (Wedge-shaped)
        The Epic of Gilgamesh
        The Rise of Monarchy (c. 2500)
        Sargon (2371-2316 BC)
        Akkadian Empire—First political unification of Sumerian civilization
        Cycle of Conquest and Assimilation
        Gutians, Sumerian Revival, Amorites (Old Babylonians)
        The Code of Hammurabi—Babylonian law code. c. 1780BC
        Later Mesopotamian Empires and Peoples:
                Kassites
                Hittite Empire (1600-1100 BC)
                Assyrian Empire (1300-612BC)
                New Babylonians (Chaldians) (612-539BC)
                Persian Empire

II.    Egyptian Civilization
            Valley of the Nile
            3,100 BC King Narmer (Menes) unifies Upper and Lower Egypt
            Major Egyptian Gods: Re (The Sun God), Horus, Osirus, Isis
            Divine Kingship
            Belief in the afterlife
            The Great Pyramids
            Ma’at—Order, regularity, good government.
            Chronology of Egyptian Civilization:
                Old Kingdom 2770-2200BC
                Middle Kingdom 2050-1786BC
                New Kingdom 1560-1087BC
                First and Second Intermediary Periods
            Hyksos—Foreign invaders bring Middle Kingdom to an end.
            Important Pharoahs of the New Kingdom
                Ahmose I (1550-1525BC)
                Thutmose III (1479-1425BC)
                Queen Hatshepsut (1479-1457)
                Amenhotem IV (Akhenaton) (1350-1334BC)
                Ramesses II (1279-1212BC)