Ancient Near East Flashcards
(58 cards)
“Origin of Species”
authored by Charles Darwin — proposed the “theory of evolution”
primates
an order of mammals appeared 55 m.y.a. - nails rather than claws - prehensile hands and feet - one pair of mammary glands - forward eye orbits
Ardipithecus
1st hominid "Ardi" 4.5 - 4.2 m.y.a. 4' tall c.c. = 350cm³ ape-like skull and face hunched biped splayed big toes (partly arboreal) diet = fruits, nuts, and forest foods
Australopithecus
2nd hominid ex. "Lucy" 4 - 2 m.y.a. 3'6" - 5' tall c.c. = 450cm³ ape-like skull and face hunched biped diet = fruits, nuts, seeds, tubers, and possibly insects
Homo Habilis
3rd hominid "skillful man" 2.4 - 1.5 m.y.a. 4' - 5' tall c.c. = 650cm³ less ape-like hunched biped diet = wild plants and scavenged abandoned kills (marrow extraction and increased protein intake) first stone tools
Homo Erectus
4th hominid "upright man" 1.8 m.y.a. - 300,000 y.a. 5'3" - 5'10" tall c.c. = 1000cm³ fully upright diet = big game (hunter/gatherer) controlled use of fire first hominid to migrate from Africa to Asia/Europe
Homo Heidelbergensis
5th hominid "archaic homo sapiens" 800,000 - 125,000 y.a. 5'2" - 5'9" tall c.c. = 1200cm³ diet = big game (hunter/gatherer)
Homo Neanderthalis
6th hominid 400,000 - 30,000 B.C. 5'1" - 5'5" c.c. = 1500cm³ diet = big game (hunter/gatherer) Shanidar Cave = evidence of burial of dead/possible belief in the afterlife first evidence of art
Natufians
sedentary late paleolithic hunter/gatherers in the Levant region (transition period of the Neolithic revolution)
Ain Ghazal
one of the largest Neolithic villages (ca. 8300 B.C. - Jordan)
ca. 35 acres w/ pop. ca. 3,000
rectangular houses with plaster floors
domesticated animals
hunting & gathering was still important
early example of anthropogenic environmental catastrophe (due to overgrazing of goats)
Catal Huyuk
one of the largest Neolithic villages (ca. 7500 B.C. - Turkey)
ca. 6,000
mud-brick houses accessed through roofs
domesticated animals (first evidence of cattle)
early evidence of handmade pottery and plastered storage bins
stone/ceramic figurines of females, possibly of religious significance
Dilmun
Semitic civ. - suspected dwelling of Utnapishtim in the “Epic of Gilgamesh”
Uruk
Sumerian city-state
Ishtar
Mesopotamian fertility/love goddess
Enkidu
beast-like man sent by the gods to humble Gilgamesh - is tamed by a prostitute and becomes Gilgamesh’s best friend
Sargon of Akkad
ca. 2350
Semitic king of the city-state Akkad in Mesopotamia
“Legend of Sargon”
conquered all of Mesopotamia and founded the Akkadian Empire (first “empire builder” in history)
Hammurabi
Babylonian king that achieved domination over the entire region (Old Babylonian Empire)
“Hammurabi’s Law Code”: supposedly given to Hammurabi via Marduk - Semitic law code
Marduk
patron god of Babylon (replaced Enlil as chief god)
Narmer/Menes
king of Upper Egypt
conquered Lower Egypt and created a unified kingdom with the capital at Memphis
1st king of 1st dynasty
Memphis
capital of unified Egypt
Sinuhe
“The Story of Sinuhe”:
court official that fled Egypt and lived in Syria for years, pharaoh eventually welcomed him home and restored his position so he could begin his arrangements for the afterlife
Thebes
capital of Egyptian Middle Kingdom
Hyksos
“Rulers of Foreign Lands” (mostly Semites from Palestine)
conquest over Egypt aided by horse-drawn chariots
ruled Delta directly and held indirect control over all of Egypt
Avaris
Hyksos capital of Egypt
