What factors could explain why cities would first develop in Southwestern Asia? How was city life different from village life? What technological innovations do you see connected to the growth of cities? How do the authors explain the development of the rst civilization in Mesopotamia? How did the development of cities lead to a more hierarchical society (with class distinctions)? Explain the role of temples in early Mesopotamian society. What can we learn from the vase found at Uruk ("Seeing the Past'' section)? Why were palaces important to Mesopotamian societies? What do the authors mean by "A New Order of Society"? What obligations did people have to their state? What benets did they get for serving the state? How are the laws of Hammurabi signifcant to the development of Mesopotamia? What do you find most notable about the invention of writing, and the expansion of knowledge? What do the authors mean by the "First International lOrder"? What developments do you see in the Eastern Mediterranean around 16001200 BCE? What do you find notable about "lntemational Relations" in this era? If the societies had a lot in common, why were they often fighting each other? What do you find most notable about the development of society in Egypt? How do the authors compare the societies of the Nile area with those of Southwest Asia