Page 39 - Western Civilization A Brief History, Volume I To 1715 9th - Jackson J. Spielvogel

1
The Ancient Near East: The First Civilizations
Excavation of Warka showing the ruins of Uruk
CHAPTER OUTLINE
AND FOCUS QUESTIONS
The First Humans
Q How did the Paleolithic and Neolithic Ages differ, and how did the Neolithic Revolution affect the lives of men and women?
The Emergence of Civilization
Q What are the characteristics of civilization, and what are some explanations for why early civilizations emerged?
Civilization in Mesopotamia
Q How are the chief characteristics of civilization evident in ancient Mesopotamia?
Egyptian Civilization: “The Gift of the Nile”
Q What are the basic features of the three major periods of Egyptian history? What elements of continuity are there in the three periods? What are their major differences?
IN 1849, A DARING YOUNG Englishman made a hazardous journey into the deserts and swamps of southern Iraq. Moving south down the banks of the Euphrates River while braving high winds and temperatures that reached 120 degrees Fahrenheit, William Loftus led a small expedition in search of the roots of civilization. As he said, “From our childhood we have been led to regard this place as the cradle of the human race.”
Guided by native Arabs into the southernmost reaches of Iraq, Loftus and his small group of explorers were soon overwhelmed by what they saw. He wrote, “I know of nothing more exciting
1
CRITICAL THINKING
Q In what ways were the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt alike? In what ways were they different?
CONNECTIONS TO TODAY
Q What lessons can you learn from the decline and fall of early civilizations, and how do those lessons apply to today’s civilization?
Copyright 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
A
P
T
H
E
C
R
Essam Al-Sudani/AFP/Getty Images