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TASK AND FATE FACTS
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GENERAL
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Nomads Settle Down
Human society changed when people stopped being nomadic hunter-gatherers.
When people began farming they produced more food than they needed. For
the first time in history. people did not spend all of their time searching for
food. They began to specialize in other types of jobs.
Job SpedaHzation
Some people became construction workers and bricklayers. ~y built homes. shops, palaces, and
temples. Some people became skilled artisans. They made pottery. jewelry. clothing. weapons. and
tools. Some people became merchants. They set up markets to buy and sell food and other goods. As
the people became wealthy. they could enrich their lives. ~y hired artists to bring beauty and style to
homes and buildings. They hired singers and storytellers to entertain. These specialized jobs contributed
to the development of civilization.
Soda1 Classes
Job specialization changed the way people viewed one another. People began to rank others based on
the jobs they performed. These rankings led to the first social classes in human history. The ruling
family was at the top of the social class rankings. Important government and religious leaders ranked
near the top. Skilled professionals. merchants. and artiSans in the cities ranked next. Below these
classes were lesser government and religious workers. Jobs in construction, defense. or entertainment
usually ranked lower than the professional classes. ~ vast majority of workers in ancient times were
peasants. Most peasants were farmers who lived outside the city walls. Though their work was
essential. they were ranked below those who performed specialized jobs in the city.
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Slavery
Most ancient civilizations
practiced slavery.
Sometimes people became
slaves because they could
not payoff debts. If they
could somehow pay their
debt, they could regain their
freedom. People who
became slaves because of
war were less fortunate. They were usually slaves for as long as they lived. Slaves were at the bottom of
the social ranking. They did back-breaking. menial work for the society that captured them. They
performed the most difficult and dangerous jobs.
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Organized Religion
~ :first civilizations in ~ Fertile Crescent were polytheistic, meaning ~
people believed in many gods. ~y believed that different gods and
goddesses controlled every aspect of their existence. ~y thought that some
gods controlled ~ weather. They believed that other gods controlled ~ir health or the success of their
crops. Still other gods protected them from their enemies. Ancient people believed that pleasing the
gods was essential to ~ survival and success of their society. Each city-state believed that one certain
god or goddess would provide special protection for ~ inhabitants. ~y built great pyramid-like
temples called ziggurats in honor of that god or goddess. A ziggurat was usually the center of worship
in
•
~city.
Fear and Sacrillces
~ ancient people did
not understand ~ cause of
deadly storms, earthquakes,
droughts, or floods. They
believed that natural
disasters happened because
~ir gods were angry.
Therefore, the most
important duty of every citizen was to please ~ gods and keep them happy. They were sure that happy
gods would provide good crops, good health, ~ success in trade or war. Some citizens became priests
and priestesses. ~y developed complex ceremonies and rituals. They hoped that these rituals would
please ~ir gods. ~y led ~ people in worship of ~ gods. ~y taught ~ proper dances, songs,
and prayers. Most early civilizations offered sacrifices to their gods to keep ~Dl happy. The sacrifices
were usually small animals, but sometimes ~y were human.
Rulen and Religion
Rulers in Mesopotamia claimed that their
power and authority came from their city­
state's god or goddess. They were often
~ leaders of the religion as well as ~
city-state. ~ rulers often performed
religious ceremonies along with their
priests or priestesses. Most rulers
expected to be revered as if they were
gods themselves. ~ claim of divine
authority protected these leaders from
questions or challenges.
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ARTISAN
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confronted by Fate. Be prepared at all times to contribute what you know to
help your clan.
Arts
Ancient people used arts and literature to glorify and please their gods. Art and
literature reflected ~ values and beliefs of their society. Artists created works
of art to instruct the people about the greatness of their gods and leaders.
Literature was an important part of religious worship. It explained the origins and will of ~ gods.
Literature also helped people understand their place in the divine order and explained natural events.
•
Archltectore
Architecture also glorified the gods and reflected ~ power and correctness of ~ society. Ancient
people built massive temples for religious worship. ~y built impressive palaces for governmental
leaders. The large size of the structures inspired and awed the common people. ~ temples and palaces
were a source of pride for the city. They provided a focus to
everyday life for the inhabitants. Massive food warehouses
ensured adequate f~ even in years when harvests were
meager. Some cities built schools to train scribes and
priests.
Publk Works Projects
Ancient governments started public works projects to
improve ~ lives of city dwellers and farmers. 'The most
important factor in the development of a city was a steady
source of food. 'The first public works projects were dikes
and dams to control flooding. Ancient people used dams to
store excess water from rivers. Canals brought water from the rivers to ~ fields. 'These irrigation
projects allowed farmers to grow crops in times of limited rainfall. City-states started huge public
works projects to protect themselves. ~y built massive walls around their city. The farmers' fields
were outside ~ city walls, and ~ farmers would move inside for protection when necessary. 'The city
walls also surrounded warehouses that stored extra food.
Artisans
A new class of people, Artisans, emerged in the early
civilizations of ~ Fertile Crescent. Artisans were skilled labofers
who made everything by band. ~y created products necessary
for the society. ~y made valuable and highly desired consumer
goods. Artisans created pottery, furniture, boats, household items,
weapons, tools, etc. Artisans also made important discoveries and
innovations. They developed wheeled vehicles and learned to
forge iron. The job specialization of artisans in cities encomaged
and was a part of the development of social classes.
•
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Writing
One of ~ greatest contributions of the early civilizations of the Fertile
CreScent was writing. The first efforts at writing were pictures. ~ Sumerians
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developed ~ first known writing system., cuneiform (from ~ Greek: wedge- 'L...-.
shaped). ~ Sumerians developed cuneiform to record ~ amount of grain brought to ~ir
warehouses. Scribes scratched ~ wedge-shaped symbols on clay tablets. They kept detailed records of
~ food supply. 1bey also kept records of taxes. Gradually writing became more complex and
sophisticated. The Phoenicians developed the first formal alphabet
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BenefIts and Costs
Writing developed because centralized governments needed to keep
accurate records. As ~ city-states grew, ~ rulers set up a system to
ensme food for everyone. Peasant farmers worked and lived outside
the city walls. The ruler protected the farmers with his or her army.
The ruler also provided irrigation and flood control. ~se public
works projects benefited ~ farmers. In return, ~ farmers gave up
some of ~ir crops (grain) in taxes. The taxes (grain) were stored in
warehouses inside
city walls. Grain was distributed to those who
specialized in various jobs within the city-walls.
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Written Records
Symbolic writing enabled ancient societies to function. Using the
services of scribes, ancient governments were able to collect, store,
and distribute grain efficiently. This was ~ major function of the first
governments. Government officials also used scribes to draw up
contracts and treaties and write down laws. Religious leaders used ,
writing to document ~ rules of their religion and record ~ir
religious ceremonies.
Scribes
Scribes were ~ record keepers of ~ir society
and ~ recorders of their history. They enriched
~ir societies with advances in mathematics,
astronomy, ~ literature. Very few other people
in ancient societies were trained to read and
write. Only a select group of boys were chosen at
a young age to become scribes. They studied for
many years. Their training was strict and
demanded hour after hour of reading and writing.
Scribes were ~ first educated class in history.
102 EMPIRES Teach.. Guide
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TASK AND FATE FACTS
RULER
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clan members information to help complete ~ and m.ake decisions when
confronted by Fate. Be prepared at all times to contribute what you know to
help your clan.
The Struggle of Nomads
Early hun~-gatherersstIuggled hard just to survive. They constantly competed
with other nomads for scarce land, water, and other natural resources. In a
hunter-gatherer society people were generally equal. Every member of the clan
performed the same job-everyone worked to provide food. Each clan was governed by unwritten
customs. Because everyone knew everyone else, they did not need written laws.
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VIllages
Eventually the nomads became farmers. ~y settled in villages. Over time the
villages grew into cities. Life became more complex. Living within a city required
cooperation and compromise. For the first time in human history, members of the
same society were often strangers to one another. Clan or village customs could
no longer regulate behavior. City dwellers developed formal rules of behavior
Oaws). They also developed stroetures to provide protection and services. These
structures became organiZHl government. The most important function of these
early organized governments was to protect a reliable food supply.
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City-states
As cities grew into city-states they competed with other city-states. The competition led to conflict
and violence. War-like civilizations preyed upon weaker ones. Each city-state turned to a war leader to
protect the city and acquire necessary resources. These rulers built massive fortified walls around their
cities. The walls protected the people in and around the cities from invaders. The war leaders (rulers)
soon took control of all governmental functions. Rulers in Mesopotamia were absolute-they alone
made all governmental decisions. The leaders ruled throughout their lifetime. The transfer of power
became hereditary. Usually a son would become ruler when his father died. This is known as
patriarchal system. This passing of power through one family became known as a dynasty. For most
civilizations, the rulers were war leaders, but a few were religious leaders.
CentrllUzed Govemment
The first task of early g<mmments was to safeguard and maintain vital food supplies. Working together and
pooling resources allowed people of the first civilizations to create a much stronger society. Working for the
common good developed pride in their cities and strengthened their culture. City rulers established, trained,
and equipped armies. They aeated and enforced laws. They also hired scribes (people who could read and
write) to perform clerical and governmental functions. Soldiers and scribes did not produce products that
could be sold; they performed services. The rulers invented taxation to pay for these services.
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