Answer the questions with short responses 5. Environmental difference also led to remarkably different political histories with Mesopotamia marked by frequent change and Egypt experiencing substantial continuity. The first phase of Mesopotamia's political history, known as Sumer, was dominated by several independent and often warring city-states, each with its own hereditary monarch. Each city-state had a walled urban area made up of simple mudbrick dwellings and a ceremonial and administrative center dominated by a Ziggurat. Outside of the city walls, each city-state controlled the large areas of surrounding farmland land. Around 4,000 years ago the King of Akkad, Sargon, conquered this region creating the world's first empire. This empire was Fertile Regions of Egypt and Mesopotamia relatively short lived as several waves of invasions and insurrection shifted political power to other groups. One of these groups, the Babylonians brought important political innovation when they unified the region in the 18th century BCE. The Babylonian King Hammurabi introduced the World's first written law code which limited the arbitrary justice of earlier kings. The Old Babylonian Empire as it is known by historians also witnessed a flowering in mathematics and literature. However, like the Mesopotamian empires that came before, Babylonians succumb to invasion leading to a series of warring empires. These empires included the Hittites, an Indo-European speaking people who arrived in the region about 2000 BCE bringing iron technology, the Assyrians who rose in power around 1900 BCE, and the Persians who began to build a long-lived empire around 550 BCE. 5. Why is Hammurabi's code a important rt of history? 6. Egypt, protected by vast desert and seas, saw far fewer invasions and as a result had a remarkably stable political history for over 2,000 years. This history began about 3,000 BCE with the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt into a single kingdom ruled by a divine hereditary monarch known as the Pharaoh. The Pharaohs were aided by an elaborate bureaucracy that included priests, administrators and scribes. This government was able to undertake elaborate public works projects like the construction of Pyramids that served as tombs for the Pharaoh. Historians divide Egyptian History into the Old Kingdom (c. 2649 to 2150 BCE), the First Intermediate Period, Middle Kingdom (c. 2030-1640 BCE), the Second Intermediate Period, and the New Kingdom (c. 1550-1070). The intermediate periods mark the only major times instability in Egypt before 1070 BCE. During the second Intermediate Period, Egypt experienced its first major invasion from the Hyksos of Mesopotamia who introduced the region to the horse, chariot and compound bow. After 1070, the political histories of Egypt and Mesopotamia intersected as they both experienced invasions from groups like the Hittites (who introduced Iron to the region), Assyrians and Persians. 6. Why did Egypt have such a long history? What aspects of Pharaohs were unique? 7. Fertile river valleys combined with technological advances like irrigation canals and plows allowed both Mesopotamia and Egypt to produce surplus food. With an agricultural surplus, both empires developed specialization of labor which in turn led to the development of social classes. Both societies had the same basic social hierarchy with the royal family at the top followed by priests, government officials, landowners, soldiers, and scribes constituting a ruling class followed by merchants and artisans in the middle and peasant farmers at the bottom. Mesopotamia tended to rely more heavily on slaves but Egypt developed a slave class made up mostly of foreigners later in its history. This specialization of labor allowed both societies to make notable cultural and technological advances. Both Mesopotamia and Egypt developed complex systems of writing, cuneiform and hieroglyphics respectively. Both also developed advanced literary, artistic and architectural traditions including The Epic of Gilgamesh from Mesopotamia 7. What lead to the development of Social lasses and how is this still shown today nd throughout history? 8. Farming villages first appeared in South Asia about 3200 BCE in the fertile plain between the Indus and Ganges rivers. This region's climate is dominated by monsoon rains and a wall of mountains to the north and west partially isolate its people. Urban centers appeared about 2500 BCE with Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa being the most significant. Panoramic view of the stupa mound and great bath in Mohenjo-Daro, by Saqib Qayyum 8 March 2014. 8. What aspects of South Asia lowed advanced aspects of their culture?

Answer the questions with short responses 5. Environmental difference also led to remarkably different political histories with Mesopotamia marked by frequent change and Egypt experiencing substantial continuity. The first phase of Mesopotamia's political history, known as Sumer, was dominated by several independent and often warring city-states, each with its own hereditary monarch. Each city-state had a walled urban area made up of simple mudbrick dwellings and a ceremonial and administrative center dominated by a Ziggurat. Outside of the city walls, each city-state controlled the large areas of surrounding farmland land. Around 4,000 years ago the King of Akkad, Sargon, conquered this region creating the world's first empire. This empire was Fertile Regions of Egypt and Mesopotamia relatively short lived as several waves of invasions and insurrection shifted political power to other groups. One of these groups, the Babylonians brought important political innovation when they unified the region in the 18th century BCE. The Babylonian King Hammurabi introduced the World's first written law code which limited the arbitrary justice of earlier kings. The Old Babylonian Empire as it is known by historians also witnessed a flowering in mathematics and literature. However, like the Mesopotamian empires that came before, Babylonians succumb to invasion leading to a series of warring empires. These empires included the Hittites, an Indo-European speaking people who arrived in the region about 2000 BCE bringing iron technology, the Assyrians who rose in power around 1900 BCE, and the Persians who began to build a long-lived empire around 550 BCE. 5. Why is Hammurabi's code a important rt of history? 6. Egypt, protected by vast desert and seas, saw far fewer invasions and as a result had a remarkably stable political history for over 2,000 years. This history began about 3,000 BCE with the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt into a single kingdom ruled by a divine hereditary monarch known as the Pharaoh. The Pharaohs were aided by an elaborate bureaucracy that included priests, administrators and scribes. This government was able to undertake elaborate public works projects like the construction of Pyramids that served as tombs for the Pharaoh. Historians divide Egyptian History into the Old Kingdom (c. 2649 to 2150 BCE), the First Intermediate Period, Middle Kingdom (c. 2030-1640 BCE), the Second Intermediate Period, and the New Kingdom (c. 1550-1070). The intermediate periods mark the only major times instability in Egypt before 1070 BCE. During the second Intermediate Period, Egypt experienced its first major invasion from the Hyksos of Mesopotamia who introduced the region to the horse, chariot and compound bow. After 1070, the political histories of Egypt and Mesopotamia intersected as they both experienced invasions from groups like the Hittites (who introduced Iron to the region), Assyrians and Persians. 6. Why did Egypt have such a long history? What aspects of Pharaohs were unique? 7. Fertile river valleys combined with technological advances like irrigation canals and plows allowed both Mesopotamia and Egypt to produce surplus food. With an agricultural surplus, both empires developed specialization of labor which in turn led to the development of social classes. Both societies had the same basic social hierarchy with the royal family at the top followed by priests, government officials, landowners, soldiers, and scribes constituting a ruling class followed by merchants and artisans in the middle and peasant farmers at the bottom. Mesopotamia tended to rely more heavily on slaves but Egypt developed a slave class made up mostly of foreigners later in its history. This specialization of labor allowed both societies to make notable cultural and technological advances. Both Mesopotamia and Egypt developed complex systems of writing, cuneiform and hieroglyphics respectively. Both also developed advanced literary, artistic and architectural traditions including The Epic of Gilgamesh from Mesopotamia 7. What lead to the development of Social lasses and how is this still shown today nd throughout history? 8. Farming villages first appeared in South Asia about 3200 BCE in the fertile plain between the Indus and Ganges rivers. This region's climate is dominated by monsoon rains and a wall of mountains to the north and west partially isolate its people. Urban centers appeared about 2500 BCE with Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa being the most significant. Panoramic view of the stupa mound and great bath in Mohenjo-Daro, by Saqib Qayyum 8 March 2014. 8. What aspects of South Asia lowed advanced aspects of their culture?