HIST-1720 Lecture 2: Beginning of civilization- Sumer and Egypt
28 Apr 2017
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Chapter 1 water and soil, stone and metal: the first civilizations. Histor(cid:455) hea(cid:448)il(cid:455) depe(cid:374)ds o(cid:374) (cid:449)riti(cid:374)g, a(cid:374)d there is(cid:374)"t (cid:373)u(cid:272)h (cid:449)riti(cid:374)g i(cid:374) pre-history. History can be explained by a record of events in the past and pre-histor(cid:455) is(cid:374)"t re(cid:272)orded. By managing water, able to produce many grains; but lacked in stone and metal. Clan elders governed cities but could not protect the people from the wrath of the gods. Therefore, priests handled the deities and kings protected and controlled the people. Sumerians-cuneiform- in order to keep track of trading records/shipments/ used clay tablets baked in the sun. Believed their reason for existing was to serve the gods. Did not want to be punished if the gods became unhappy. Became the reason for society to behave and to put in effort. The origins of western civilization lie in southern iraq- sumer (5,000 years ago) Seems like an unlikely place for civilization to begin; exposed to raiding groups from the iranian.
