Chapter 3 - The Iron Age

      The Iron Age began with the advent of (you guessed it!) iron being used in tools instead of bronze, mainly because iron was not an alloy and it could be found in many places.
     In late Bronze Age Mesopotamia, cultures and lifestyles were shared, and peasant life was improving.By 1500 BCE, the Babylonians had risen to power in the south, and the Assyrians had taken the north.
     The Hittites, the first people to master iron working, were from Turkey. They established power in Anatolia (Turkey) and Syria in the late Bronze Age with a wealth in metals and a strong military. They vied with New-Kingdom Egypt (we'll talk about them later) for control over Syria and Palestine before falling to unknown attackers in circa 1200 BCE. The Hittites used cuneiform and were highly influenced by Mesopotamian culture.
     In 1640 BCE, Egypt was ruled by the Hyksos, the Princes of Foreign lands, who had taken over with the use of the chariot and the composite bow. The pharaohs Kamose and Ahmose started the New Kingdom in 1532 BCE, which was both aggressive and expansive (especially in trying to control Nubia).
     Some Pharaohs to Know:

• Hatshepsut - she became pharaoh when her husband died and led a successful reign
• Akhenaten/Amenhotep IV - he is the alleged "creator" of monotheism (at least in this book - this will be that answer for the exam, if they ask about the creator of monotheism); he changed Egypt's religion from following many gods under the supreme god Akhen to worshiping one god, Amen (Amun). He was married to Queen Nefertiti. 
• Tutankhamen - he ruled and died at a very young age and is known for the riches discovered in his tomb
• Ramses II - he reigned for 64 years and had over 100 children. His Egypt specialized in metal trad using horses and camels

     The ancient Greek civilization began with the Minoans in Crete. The fortified city of Mycenae was the first site to be excavated there, so it is known as the Mycenaean empire (I apologize now for any times I spell that wrong in the future). The Mycenaeans used a language called Linear B, which was an ancestor of Greek. The Minoans and Mycenaeans were known for their sailing and ship trade in slaves, pottery, oil and wine. They imported things from all over the region, showing that they were well connected. While the Hittites were conquered and the Egyptians surrendered lands after years of attacks, the Mycenaeans built forts to protect their cities. These forts bought them time, but they were eventually destroyed by invaders. Their economic connections increased their vulnerability - once their trading partners were taken over, they only had a matter of time.
     The Assyrians expanded to cover the area from Anatolia to Iran. All people served the king, and propaganda was used to gain military support for the government, to the point where professional soldiers were hired. The rebellious were deported en mass, with up to four million people being relocated. The government used its cities as tight centers of control to exploit the area's wealth. The Assyrians valued knowledge and built large educational institutions, with the Library of Ashurbanipal being the most well known (to historians... I doubt we've ever heard of it).
     Ancient Israel began with Abraham (who goes by Avraham too) and his descendents accepting a monotheistic religion. They soon were put into slavery in Egypt, but left hundreds of years later and accepted the Torah (yes, I know, the book calls it the "Hebrew Bible"... but it's the Torah). The twelve tribes of Israel divided, and trouble with the neighboring Philistines started.
     Saul became the first king of Israel, with David taking over after Saul was killed in battle. Solomon, David's son, built the First Temple to consolidate religious and secular authority in what is known as the golden age for ancient Israel.
     Extended families were important in Israeli society, with male heirs being needed to carry on the family's business. Women were respected, but could not own property or divorce their husbands.
     After King Solomon died (around 920 BCE), Israel split into Israel (in the North) and Judah (in the south). They were soon crushed by the Assyrians, sending the Jewish people into the Diaspora, which strengthened their cultural identity.
     Phoenicia (which called itself Canaan) dominated the Mediterranean while Israel was still one kingdom. It specialized in sea commerce, and developed an early form of writing to keep track of trade. Phoenicia was ruled by a bunch of city-states, the most notable Sidon and Tyre.
     By 700 BCE, the Phoenician Triangle (of trade) spanned all of North Africa, the Spanish coast, and many Italian islands. Carthage, a city in modern-day Tunisia, was a part of this triangle. Carthage was a commercial and naval power, but was crushed by Rome in the third century BCE. It used chosen judges as heads of state, had a well trained navy, and kept watchtowers over all of its ports. Carthage controlled a belt of agricultural land in North Africa, which it used to grow food (well, the slaves grew it).
     The Carthagenians worshiped many gods - the main god was one who controlled the storms and had to be appeased by sacrificing children.
     All of these civilizations fell to Assyria, but the large territory weakened the state and the Neo-Babylonians and Medes (from Iran) took over in 612 BCE and resulted in the depopulation of Northern Mesopotamia. However, this resulted in a cultural renaissance in Babylonia.


     Please review the key questions at the beginning (and the ones that the end) of the chapters to make sure that you've got the main points. I will be putting up chapter four sometime soon (I hope), since we need to move quickly to catch up to where we are supposed to be.  I would prefer to be ahead and help you with writing essays than be behind. Let me know what you think so far!