Inventions: There were several important ones during this time period: papyrus for writing on which was lighter than previous clay tablets; sails which made boats faster and easier to propel; and looms for weaving cloth. Also, during this time some people began riding horses which had already been domesticated, and bows and arrows were now used in warfare. Imperialism, a desire to conquer, began to rise because there were now multiple civilizations which were competing for power and resources.
Middle Kingdom of Egypt begins in 2055 BCE and lasts until about 1700 BCE. During this period, the funerary cult of Osiris (God of the afterlife) rose to dominate Egyptian popular religion. “A funerary cult is a body of religious teaching and practice centered around the dead, in which the living are thought to be able to confer benefits on the dead in the afterlife or to appease their otherwise wrathful ghosts. Rituals were carried on for the benefit of the dead, either by their relatives or by a class of priests appointed and paid to perform the rites. These rituals took place at the tombs of the dead themselves or at funerary temples appointed to this purpose. Funerary Cults have occurred in a wide variety of cultures” (Wikipedia).
Akkadian Empire was world’s first empire. An empire is “a political unit, usually larger than a kingdom and often comprising a number of territories or nations, ruled by a single authority” (The American Heritage Dictionary 236). Usually it is formed by conquest and includes people of different cultures (behavior patterns characteristic of a group of people)
(The American Heritage Dictionary 174) and different languages. The Akkadian Empire was founded by King Sargon in Mesopotamia. The Akkadians built ziggurats which looked similar to step pyramids and were used as temples. This is also the time when Abraham, the Hebrew patriarch, left Sumer to move to Canaan in present day Israel.
Xia (“She uh”) Dynasty was China’s first dynasty. It was founded in about 2070 BCE and lasted until about 1600 BCE (almost 500 years). The dynasty was founded by Yu the Great who successfully stopped the destructive flooding of the Yellow River and others by building irrigation canals which led the water out to the sea. As a result of stopping the flooding, agricultural production increased. (All from Wikipedia)
