Download The Earliest Civilizations

The Earliest Civilizations
A. Historians have long argued that all civilizations, from the first known to
modern, all share 5 common characteristics. These characteristics are
ESSENTIAL for the success of any civilization
1. advanced cities (explain):
2. specialized workers (explain):
3. complex institutions (explain):
4. record keeping (explain):
5. advanced technology (explain):
B. The civilizations of Mesopotamia are some of the earliest known
1. the land of Mesopotamia is known as “The Fertile Crescent”
2. location (explain):
3. the two vital rivers that provide life for this civilization (explain):
4. the Sumerians were the first group to occupy this area and create
a civilization
5. the Sumerians faced three difficult environmental challenges
living in the area
1
Problems living in the area
Solutions to the problem
Unpredictable floods or no
rain at all which led to drought
No natural barriers for
protection – the area was
defenseless
Few natural resources
6. the significance of solving these problems is that it forced the
Sumerians to work together and to achieve the “5 C’s”
For the remainder of this section we will examine how the Four Early River
Valley Civilizations demonstrated the “5 C’s”
C. The Sumerians were only one group that inhabited the area of
Mesopotamia
1. one of their most important achievements was establishing a form
of government
a. they formed city-states (explain):
b. how leadership evolved in the Sumerian culture (explain):
2. which of the 5 C’s? - ____________________________
2
D. As the success of the city-states grew, so too did the size of the Sumerian
civilization
1. as they came into contact with surrounding civilizations, cultural
diffusion took place (define):
2. one example of these ideas was polytheism (define):
3. one way the Sumerians pleased their gods was by building
places of religious worship called - ________________
a. the fact that they built these impressive buildings showed
technological advancements
b. historians believe the Sumerians developed the wheel, sail,
and were among the first to use bronze
4. which of the 5 C’s? - ____________________________
5. another advancement of the Sumerians was the development
of cuneiform (explain):
a. importance:
6. which of the 5 C’s? - ____________________________
E. Soon the Sumerians began fighting among themselves and became
exposed to foreign attack. Ultimately, the Babylonians came to power
in Mesopotamia
1. the unique contribution of the Babylonians came from one ruler –
Hammurabi
a. what he did (explain):
b. he hoped that a uniform set of laws would help unite the
various people living in Mesopotamia
2. the code protected all aspects and people in society
3
3. the “Code of Hammurabi” was an example of the belief that
the government was responsible for what happened in society
The Egyptian Civilization
F. The Nile River made civilization possible in northeast Africa
1. important points about the Nile River (explain):
2. being surrounded by desert made Egypt easily defended. As a
result, the people of Egypt mainly interacted with only those
living along the Nile
G. The form of government that ran Ancient Egypt was a theocracy
(explain):
1. the pharaoh had complete control over Egypt (explain):
2. it was believed that the pharaoh ruled after his/her death
3. it was important to build a structure that would house the remains
of the deceased pharaohs
4. the famous Pyramid at Giza (explain):
5. which of the 5 C’s? - ____________________________
H. The Egyptian society was greatly influenced by their religion
1. Egyptians were polytheistic – they had over 2,000 gods
4
a. Re – ___________________________
b. Osiris – ________________________
c. Isis – ___________________________
2. Egyptians believed that a pleasurable afterlife was attainable
3. in order to be ready for the afterlife upper class Egyptian bodies
were preserved by mummification (explain):
I. Egyptian society was not “fixed”
1. while it is true that there were several classes in Egyptian society,
one could move from class-to-class
a. what skill allowed this movement (explain):
2. women in Egyptian society had many of the same rights as men
(explain):
3. Egyptians also made tremendous technological advancements
Invention
Purpose
Calendar
System of numbers
Medical advancements
4. eventually an invasion by the Hyksos brought about an end of the
Ancient Egyptian civilization that existed for over 2,500 years!
5
The Indus River Civilization
J. The geography around the Indus River allowed for a civilization to
flourish
1. the physical setting (explain):
2. seasonal monsoons provide much of the water for the civilization
3. these monsoons can be unpredictable and occasionally nonexistent
K. The people along the Indus River were developing elaborate cities (at
almost the same time as the Egyptians were building their pyramids)
1. the cities were well designed (explain):
2. one of their greatest advancements was early plumbing
a. significance (explain):
L. The cities along the Indus River created their own unique culture
1. there was not much social division
2. the significance of the discovery of toys (explain):
6
3. trade was an important part of society
What was traded
Where it was traded
Gold and Silver
Cotton, lumber, precious
stones
4. many believe that the culture that developed along the Indus
River may have been destroyed over time by environmental
changes and not from foreign invasion
The River Civilizations of China
M. China’s geography helped create an isolated society (explain):
1. the Yellow River and the Yangtze River are where the early
Chinese civilization began
2. it was believed that over 4,000 years ago irrigation systems were
established that allowed for cities to grow along these rivers
3. the first city structures were made of wood and the cities were
surrounded by huge walls
4. which of the 5 C’s? - ____________________________
N. The Chinese developed a unique identity as the importance of “the
group” was stressed over the importance of “the individual”
1. an example of this can be seen in the family (explain):
7
2. the “spirits” of the father’s ancestors were honored by making
sacrifices
a. these “spirits” were seen as helpful to those in need
3. the Chinese did worship several gods and would ask questions
using oracle bones (explain):
4. the Chinese created an intricate uniform style of writing
a. in order to be “literate” in Chinese society, one would have
to know 1,500 characters
b. this meant that only upper class children would be educated
O. Throughout Ancient Chinese history, several dynasties came to rule and
would challenge each other for power
1. this cycle was known as “The Mandate of Heaven” (explain):
P. The Ancient Chinese cities created several inventions that helped their
civilization flourish
Invention
Importance
Roads and canals built
Coined money
Blast furnaces that
created cast iron
8