• Capital of Chaldean empire during 6th and 7th centuries

• Lies on the Euphrates River

• Was the main commercial and administrative center of Babylonia

• Great wealth made it a target for attacks

• Population between 150,000 and 200,000

Economic Developments:

• Complex trading systems

• Based largely on Agriculture

• Transported raw materials and manufactured goods to places like Turkey and India

Technological Developments:

• Invented the first written law (Hammurabi's Code)

• Developed advanced geometry and astronomy

• Developed innovations in irrigation

• Developed double-levelled walls for construction

Religion:

• Polytheistic

• Chief god named Marduk

Daily Life:

• Family was very important to Babylonians and extended families lived near each other. Ancient Babylon had a patriarchal society, but women had more rights than later societies. There were classes but they were not rigid. Many worked as farmers in Babylon's developed civil society.

Historical Significance:

• Babylon was home to many successful empires in the 6th and 7th centuries. It gave the world the first system of written law that are current law systems take inspiration from.

https://www.history.com/news/daily-life-ancient-babylon-mesopotamia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_religion#:~:text=Babylonia%20mainly%20focused%20on%20the,Enlil

https://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plans/life-old-babylonia-importance-trade#:~:text=Trade%20was%20critical%20to%20Old,even%20India%2C%201%2C500%20miles%20away.

• Built in 331 BC, founded by Alexander the Great. It was meant to be the new capital of Egypt.

• It was located near the Mediterranean Sea at the western edge of the Nile River delta. Which explains why it was such a huge seaport and naval base. It was a significant trading post between Europe and Asia. A canal was linked to the Red Sea.

• The city was designed by Alexander’s personal architect, Dinocrates.

• One of the greatest monuments was the great lighthouse, the Pharos of Alexandria. A main attraction was the Alexandria Library.

DAILY LIFE

• Since it was one of the biggest cities in Egypt during it's time it had a population of 4.1 million

• A dominant religion was Christianity.

• It was like paradise for many people with the best wine, the most pungent of spices, the finest clothing, wealth which could not be imagined, luxurious architecture, expensive foods, games, numerous theatres.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

• Important in preserving Hellenic culture. It was also in the middle of early christianity.

• Principal city of northern Syria

• 30 miles south of the Turkish border

• 60 miles from the Mediterranean Sea and 60 miles from the Euphrates River

• Among the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities

• Early Aleppo had natural defense advantages, fertile agricultural land, and proximity to the Quwayq River

• The exact age of Aleppo is unknown

• Has significant Kurdish and Turkmen populations

• Aleppo experienced a large population growth in 2021 caused by migration from rural areas

Economic Development

• Imported large amounts of Persian silks and Indian Pepper

• Engaged in trade of silks, tea, and central Asian cotton on the Silk Road

• Main industries were silk weaving, cotton printing, manufacturing soaps and dyes, and preparing hydes, wools, dried fruits, and nuts.

Technological Developments

• Constructed many complex trade routes

• Large mosques, citadels, and military installations (architecture)

Religion

• Islam (Sunni Muslims predominantly)

• Alawism

Daily Life

• Aleppo, like many other ancient cities, had divisions by class. Trade from the Silk road created a vibrant middle class of merchants, artisans, and professionals. The city also placed value on the arts and developing public institutions.

Historical Significance

• Aleppo is one of the oldest cities in the world. It was a hub of major trade along the silk road. It was once the largest city in the Syrian region. It currently remains as the center of Arab poetry, music, cuisine, and handicrafts.

https://www.britannica.com/place/Aleppo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleppo#:~:text=Aleppo%20is%20one%20of%20the,of%20the%20third%20millennium%20BCE.

https://medium.com/@obada/ancient-aleppo-and-its-timeless-treasure-of-history-and-culture-424340bbc0a2

• The city of Athens was located on the plain of Attica on the large peninsula that formed the southern most tip of the Greek Mainland.

• It was inhabited in 3000 BCE.

• But at its peak in the fifth century BCE, Athens, Greece, had not more than 150,000 inhabitants.

• Built to honor the goddess Athena, and these monuments had followed a geometrical design in accordance with the "golden mean."

• In the center of the city was the agora, which was the public heart or hestia koine, the center of community.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• Both the land and sea was vital for their economic growth. There were farms which provided grain, olives and vines, figs, nuts and other fruit and vegetables for profit

• Was also based on trade. Athenians traded with other city-states and some foreign lands to get the goods and natural resources they needed. They acquired wood from Italy and grain from Egypt. In exchange, Athenians traded honey, olive oil, silver, etc.

• The agora was also considered a marketplace to buy and sell goods.

DAILY LIFE

• Urban life that was fragile with unsanitary housing conditions these problems continued to worsen as cities grew in size.

RELIGION

• Athens were sacred to Athena

• Were of course polytheistic

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

• Intellectual and artistic ideas originated here. Which is considered to be the place of origin for western civilization.

• This city was founded in 753 BC. Located beside the River Tiber in the Italian Peninsula.

• In 100 CE it was the world's largest city with a population of 650,000.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• Their financial state depended on the agriculture and farming. There was a collection of farmers who had consolidated their lands and resources around the Tiber river.

• The Tiber river allowed trade making it easier to travel through boats.

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS

• Roman Aqueducts

• As well as road systems which could be used for trade.

RELIGION

• Roman religion was mainly polytheistic meaning they worshipped multiple gods and goddesses.

DAILY LIFE

• One's life in Rome was completely dependent on their economic status. The wealthy had the benefit of slave labor and were able to live a lavish lifestyle. But the poor had no education, had to live in unsanitary conditions, in poorly constructed houses.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

• These romans pioneered advances in areas of science, technology, mathematics, etcs. Which allowed them to develop aqueducts which helped aid to water flow.

• Current capital of Iraq

• Located along the Tigris River

• Around 300 miles from the Persian Gulf

• Founded in 762 as the capital of the Abbasid Dynasty

• Conquered by a mongol and later made the capital of the Ottoman Empire

• At its height, ancient Baghdad had a population of around 1.5 million

Economic Development

• Fueled by the demand generated by the caliphate

• Large demand for food, services, and construction of mosques, barracks, and administrative offices

• Engaged in trade with the Caliphate

Technological Developments

• Modern day items like cameras, cologne, soap, and watches trace back to the era of ancient Babylon

• House of Wisdom: hub of intellectual scholarship

Relgion

• Islamic Empire

Daily Life

• Poor people lived in tents and mud huts while wealthier families lived in single family houses that typically had courtyards. People worked as farmers, merchants, craftsmen, teachers, herders, and soldiers. Young boys attended school where they studied the Quran.

Historical Significance:

• Ancient Baghdad was the most significant scientific and cultural center in the world at the time. It was the center of the Caliphate and one of the greatest cities in the world.

https://www.britannica.com/place/Baghdad/Architecture-and-monuments#ref24875

https://www.ducksters.com/history/islam/daily_life.php

https://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/baghdad2.htm#:~:text=The%20growth%20of%20Baghdad%20economy,barracks%20and%20the%20administrative%20offices.

• Founded by the Aztecs in 1325 CE.

• In 1500 CE in the capital of the Aztec Empire it had a population of 80,000.

• Located in the valley of Mexico, on Lake Texcoco where modern Mexico city now rests.

• The religion was primarily polytheistic .

• Their reason for locating there was because they were directed by their god, Huitzilopochtli. It it said that this god had directed them to build where they saw an eagle perched on a cactus, eating a snake. When they saw this exact event on Lake Texcoco, they interpreted it as a sign from their god and founded Tenochtitlan on that island.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• Much of their wealth came from their agriculture, they typically used irrigation systems and Chinampas also known as "floating gardens."

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS

• Adding on chinampas are seen to be one of the greatest technological achievements of the city.

• Aqueducts systems were also built to bring water from the mountains to create Lake Texcoco

DAILY LIFE

• There was a division between the people. The upper class were referred to as the pipiltin, and the middle class were referred to as macehualtin.

• Staples of their diet were maize, beans and squash, chilies and tomatoes.

• Established during the Incan Empire

• Located in the highs of the Andes Mountains above the Urubamba River Valley

• Population of around 4,000

State of Economic Development:

• Tourism is a large part of Machu Picchu's economy

Technological Developments:

• The road systems from the Incan Empire provide a route into Machu Picchu

• Idquo Ashlar - cutting stones together without mortar

Religion

• Followed many religious practices of the Incan Empire

• Polytheistic

Daily Life

• A large portion of Machu Picchu residents engage in farm work or herder work.

• Extended families often live together on the same land and perform domestic tasks within their family.

Historical Significance

• Machu Picchu is significant because it provides insight into the culture and practices of the early Incan Empire. It informs about their religion, economy, and achievements.

https://www.boisestate.edu/undergraduate-research/2020/04/22/240-machu-picchu-how-did-they-build-that/#:~:text=Construction%20Process&text=Some%20were%20chiseled%20from%20the,to%20fit%20together%20without%20mortar.

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/inca-civilization#:~:text=Life%20in%20the%20Inca%20civilization,a%20roof%20of%20dried%20grass.