Review

Mesopotamia 
Sumerians are the oldest known civilization to live in modern day Iraq
They invented written language and written laws to be followed. They were also the first to divide time into minutes and seconds. They opened up the first trade routes.
Code of Hammurabi- the first set of written laws in the world.
Four thousand years ago this civilization was wiped out.
According to the First Testament the Garden of Eden was in Mesopotamia.
Mesopotamia means "The land between two rivers." This created an oasis.
A tel in a desert "tells" archaeologists that there may be something of importance buried under the sand.

Egypt
Death is the single most important thing in Egyptian culture. They devoted their entire time and wealth into the construction of gigantic tombs- Pyramids.
The pharaoh had ultimate power and had to be praised even after death. He was considered a god on Earth.
Belief in the Ka- life force- helped to understand death.
Mummification had to take place so that the Ka could escape from the body and stay in the tomb passing time.
Osiris was the Egyptian god of death.

Minoan Culture
The Minoans lived on Crete.
They got their name from King Minos.
As legend goes there was a labyrinth under the island where a Minotaur existed and was fed young girls and boys.
Theseus decided to kill the Minotaur.  
When Crete was at its peak a volcanic explosion of Thera mutilated the inhabitants and caused havoc in the environment. The cloud of sulphuric acid hung over the civilization, which led to the steady decline of the population.