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CHAPTER 2
EARLY CIVILIZATIONS
Early Civilizations
Contents
Chapter Focus
Section 1 The Nile Valley
Section 2 The Fertile Crescent
Section 3 Early South Asia
Section 4 Early China
Chapter Review
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Early Civilizations
Chapter Focus
Chapter Themes
• Relation to Environment The Egyptians
learn to control the floodwaters of the Nile
River upon which their agriculture relies.
(Section 1) 
• Cooperation The peoples of the Fertile
Crescent work together to build irrigation
systems and cities. (Section 2) 
• Cultural Diffusion Cities in early India
develop close trading and cultural ties with
the Fertile Crescent area. (Section 3) 
• Innovation Early Chinese civilization excels
in metal-casting skills. (Section 4)
Early Civilizations
Chapter Focus
Chapter Focus Transparency
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tomb of Seti I.
Chapter Focus Transparency 2
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Early Civilizations
The Nile Valley
Section 1
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Setting the Scene
• Terms to Define monarchy, dynasty,
theocracy, bureaucracy, pharaoh, empire,
polytheism, hieroglyphics 
• People to Meet Narmer, Hatshepsut,
Thutmose III, Akhenaton, Ramses II 
• Places to Locate Nile River valley, Memphis,
Thebes 
Why was Egypt called the “gift of the
Nile”?
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Additional lecture notes appear on the following slides.
Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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Introduction
• One of the world’s first civilizations
developed along the Nile River valley in
northeastern Africa. 
• The Nile River valley’s early inhabitants called
the land Kemet, meaning “black land,” after
the dark soil. 
• Later, the ancient Greeks would name the Nile
area Egypt.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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A River Valley and Its People
• Egypt receives very little rain, so the Nile is
the lifeline for the region. 
• At 4,160 miles in length, the Nile River is the
world’s longest river. 
• The Nile splits into many branches, forming a
marshy, fan-shaped delta before emptying into
the Mediterranean Sea.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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The Gifts of the River
• Annual flooding of the Nile deposited thick
layers of silt to nearby land, which made this
area extremely productive agriculturally. 
• Nomadic hunter-gatherers of northeastern
Africa began to settle near the Nile as early
as 5000 B.C. 
• The early Egyptians harvested papyrus that
grew wild along the banks of the Nile. The
long, thin reeds of papyrus were used to
make rope, matting, sandals, baskets, and
later on, sheets of paperlike writing material.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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Uniting Egypt
• In time, farming villages by the Nile
became organized into small kingdoms, or
monarchies, under the unrestricted rule
of a king. 
• By 4000 B.C., ancient Egypt consisted of two
kingdoms, Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt. 
• Around 3000 B.C. Narmer, a king of Upper
Egypt, gathered forces and led them north to
conquer Lower Egypt. 
• He built a capital city at Memphis, near the
former border of the two kingdoms.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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Uniting Egypt (cont.)
• Narmer’s reign became the first Egyptian
dynasty, or line of rulers from one family. 
• From 3000 B.C. until 332 B.C., a series of 30
dynasties ruled Egypt. These are
organized into three periods: 
–The Old Kingdom
2700 B.C.–2200 B.C. 
–The Middle Kingdom
2050 B.C.–1800 B.C. 
–The New Kingdom
1600 B.C.–332 B.C.
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Early Civilizations
Map Supplement
Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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The Old Kingdom
• During the first centuries of the unified
kingdom, Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt kept
their separate identities as kingdoms. 
• In time, Egypt built a strong national
government under its kings and developed
the basic features of its civilization.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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The Egyptian Monarchy
• Controlled from Memphis, Egypt had a
theocracy, or a government in which the
same person is both the religious and
political leader. 
• The god-king delegated many responsibilities
to a bureaucracy, a group of government
officials headed by the king’s vizier, or
prime minister.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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The Pyramids: A Lasting Legacy
• To honor their god-kings and to provide
them with an eternal place of rest, the
Egyptians of the Old Kingdom built lasting
monuments–the Pyramids. 
• Believing that a king’s soul continued to
guide the kingdom after death, the Egyptians
included personal possesions next to the
embalmed, mummified body in the king’s
burial chamber.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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The Middle Kingdom
• Kings in Memphis began to lose their power
around 2200 B.C. as ambitious nobles fought
each other for control of Egypt. 
• Around 2050 B.C. a new dynasty reunited
Egypt and moved the capital south to
Thebes. 
• During this Middle Kingdom period, Egypt
enjoyed greatly increased trade, worked on
irrigation projects, and seized new territory.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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The Middle Kingdom (cont.)
• In the 1700s B.C. local leaders began to
challenge the Theban kings’ power. 
• At the same time, Egypt was facing an
invasion by the Hyksos, a people from
western Asia. 
• With bronze weapons and horse-drawn
chariots, the Hyksos defeated the Egyptians
and established a new dynasty that would
last for about 110 years.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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The New Kingdom
• The Egyptians despised their Hyksos
masters. 
• Around 1600 B.C. Ahmose, an Egyptian
prince, raised an army and drove the
Hyksos out.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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Pharaohs Rule and Empire
• Ahmose founded a new dynasty, the first
of the New Kingdom, and assumed the
title pharaoh, an Egyptian word meaning
“great house of the king.” 
• Queen Hatshepsut came to power
around 1480 B.C., followed by her stepson
Thutmose III. By the end of his reign, he
had created an Egyptian empire.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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Akhenaton Founds a Religion
• Amenhotep IV assumed leadership about
1370 B.C. and declared that Egyptians should
only worship Aton, the sun god. This caused
turmoil among the people, who believed in
many deities. 
• Claiming to be Aton’s equal, Amenhotep
changed his name to Akhenaton. 
• Akhenaton moved the capital from Thebes
to a new city in central Egypt.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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Akhenaton Founds a Religion (cont.)
• After Akhenaton’s death, the priests restored
the old religion. 
• They made Akhenaton’s successor,
Tutankhamen, move the capital back to
Thebes.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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Recovery and Decline
• During the 1200s B.C. pharaohs, including
Ramses II, or Ramses the Great,
successfully worked to restore Egyptian
prestige. 
• After the death of Ramses II in 1237 B.C.,
Egypt weakened due to increasing invasions,
and in 945 B.C. it fell under foreign rule.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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Life in Ancient Egypt
• At its height Egypt had 5 million people. 
• Egyptian society was divided into classes,
although ambitious lower-class people could
improve their status somewhat.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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Levels of Egyptian Society
Class
Professions 
upper class
royalty, nobles, and
priests 
middle class
artisans, scribes, merchants,
and tax collectors 
lower class
farmers and servants
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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Egyptian Families
• Upper-class families were nuclear, whereas
lower-class families also included
gradparents and other relatives. 
• The status of Egyptian women improved
over time. Eventually women could own
property, testify in court, and start legal
proceedings.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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Worshiping Many Deities
• Religion was based on polytheism, or the
worship of many deities, and guided every
aspect of life. 
• Religion also stressed an afterlife, so
Egyptians devoted much time and wealth to
preparing for survival in the next world.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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Writing With Pictures
• In their earliest writing system, called
hieroglyphics, the Egyptians carved
picture symbols onto pieces of slate. 
• For everyday business, the Egyptians
used a cursive script known as hieratic,
which simplified and connected the
picture symbols.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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Achievements in Science
• Pyramids, temples, and other monuments
bear witness to architectural achievements of
Egyptian artisans. 
• These feats would not have been possible
without advances in disciplines such as
mathematics.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Lecture Notes
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Achievements in Science (cont.)
• The Egyptians developed a number system
that enabled them to calculate area and
volume, and they worked out an accurate
365-day calendar. 
• Other ancient civilizations would acquire
much of the Egyptians’ knowledge,
especially in medicine.
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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Review
Compare the reigns of Ahmose, Hatshepsut,
and Thutmose III. Which reign do you think
contributed most to Egypt? Why?
All three made significant contributions:
– Ahmose drove the Hyksos out of Egypt.
– Hatshepsut was a female pharaoh who
carried out extensive building projects.
– Thutmose III developed an empire.
End of Section 1
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Early Civilizations
The Fertile Crescent
Section 2
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Setting the Scene
• Terms to Define city-state, cuneiform 
• People to Meet the Sumerians, Sargon I, the
Akkadians, Hammurabi 
• Places to Locate Fertile Crescent,
Mesopotamia, Tigris and Euphrates Rivers 
How did Sumer’s achievements
enrich the early culture of the
Middle East?
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Additional lecture notes appear on the following slides.
Early Civilizations
Introduction
Section 2 Lecture Notes
• Around 5000 B.C. migrants from the
Arabian Peninsula and the highlands
near present-day Turkey began moving
into an area called the Fertile Crescent,
a fertile strip of land stretching from the
Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. 
• Many of these migrants settled in
Mesopotamia, the eastern part of the
Fertile Crescent. 
• Mesopotamia, meaning “land between
the rivers,” was located on the low plain
between the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers in present-day Iraq.
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Early Civilizations
Map Supplement
Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
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The Twin Rivers
• The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers did not
provide a regular supply of water; flooding
and drought were unpredictable. 
• To control flooding and provide irrigation,
Mesopotamian villages were forced to work
together. 
• By 4000 B.C., Mesopotamian farmers were
producing food, especially grain crops, in
abundance.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
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The Sumerian Civilization
• Around 3500 B.C. a people from either
central Asia or Asia Minor–the
Sumerians–settled in the lower part of
the Tigris-Euphrates river valley, known
as Sumer. 
• Sumer became the birthplace of what
historians have considered the world’s first
cities.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
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The Sumerian City-States
• By 3000 B.C., the Sumerians had formed 12
city-states in the Tigris-Euphrates valley,
including Ur, Uruk, and Eridu. 
• A typical city-state consisted of the city and
the land around it. 
• The population of each city-state ranged
from 20,000 to 250,000.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
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The Sumerian City-States (cont.)
• The people of Sumer shared a common
culture, language, and religion. 
• City-states also shared some physical
features, such as a ziggurat, or temple, that
rose above each city in a pyramid fashion.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
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Sumerian Government
• Each city-state, under normal circumstances,
governed itself. 
• When facing threats such as invaders or
scarce resources, the people typically
chose a military leader from among
themselves. 
• By 2700 B.C., several city-states had kings
and soon the kingships would be hereditary.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
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Sumerian Government (cont.)
• A Sumerian king was not only the military
commander but also the high priest. 
• Therefore, most governments in Sumer were
not only monarchies but theocracies as well.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
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The Roles of Men and Women
• Family life was extensively controlled under
Sumerian law. 
• Men exercised great authority over their wives
and children, including the right to sell them
into slavery in order to pay a debt. 
• Women were permitted to own property, run
businesses, and own and sell slaves.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
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Writing on Clay Tablets
• Cuneiform, the Sumerian system of writing,
consisted of hundreds of wedge-shaped
markings that were pressed into wet clay
tablets. 
• Scribes, professionals who actually recorded
cuneiform, studied for many years and often
rose to high positions in society. 
• Business records, lists of important dates, and
literary works such as Gilgamesh–perhaps
the oldest story in the world–have survived in
cuneiform.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
Sumer’s Many Deities
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• Like the Egyptians, Sumerians practiced a
polytheistic religion, with each deity presiding
over a specific natural force. 
• An, the highest Sumerian deity, had
responsibility for the seasons. 
• Each city-state adopted a main deity whom
its citizens worshiped. 
• To appease their temperamental gods and
goddesses, Sumerian priests and
priestesses performed religious ceremonies
and rituals.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
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Sumerian Inventions
• Sumerians developed. . . 
– the wagon wheel to better transport goods and
people. 
– the arch to make buildings stronger. 
– the potter’s wheel to shape containers. 
– a number system based on 60. 
– a 12-month calendar based on the cycles of the
moon. 
– bronze, which is made from copper and tin. 
– a metal plow.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
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First Mesopotamian Empires
• After a long period of conquest, the Sumerian
city-states eventually fell to foreign invaders in
the 2000s B.C. 
• These invaders were inspired by dreams of
empire.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
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Sargon Leads the Akkadians
• The first empire builder in Mesopotamia was
Sargon I. 
• His people, the Akkadians, were nomadic
Semites who had migrated from the Arabian
Peninsula to the Fertile Crescent around 5000
B.C. and established a kingdom called Akkad
in northern Mesopotamia. 
• Sargon I assumed power in Akkad around
2300 B.C. and immediately launched a huge
military campaign of expansion.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
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Sargon Leads the Akkadians (cont.)
• Sargon’s conquests united all of the city-states
of Mesopotamia into one empire. 
• Under Sargon’s rule, the people of
Mesopotamia began to use the Akkadian
language instead of Sumerian. However, the
Akkadians adopted various Sumerian religious
and farming practices.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
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The Kingdom of Ebla
• Ebla, on the trade route between Egypt and
Mesopotamia, was a very wealthy and
powerful city-state. 
• Ebla controlled and demanded a tribute
from a number of neighboring towns. 
• Kings of Ebla were elected for seven-year
terms, and a council could remove them if
they failed in their jobs. 
• The Amorites, a Semitic people from
western Syria, destroyed Ebla sometime
around 2000 B.C.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
Hammurabi’s Babylonian Empire
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• The Amorites expanded into Mesopotamia and
set up dynasties in many of the Sumer citystates. 
• Hammurabi, a ruler who would dominate
Mesopotamia, rose out of the dynasty in
Babylon.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
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Hammurabi’s Babylonian Empire (cont.)
• Hammurabi organized a strong government
and eventually brought the entire region under
his control. 
• Under his rule, traders from as far away as
India and China paid gold and silver for
Babylonian grain and cloth.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
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Hammurabi’s Law Code
• Historians consider Hammurabi’s greatest
achievement his effort “to make justice appear
in the land.” 
• He created Hammurabi’s code–a code of law
that consisted of 282 sections dealing with
most aspects of daily life.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
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Hammurabi’s Law Code (cont.)
• These laws clearly stated violations and
punishments. 
• Instead of fining violators, the code exacted
“an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” 
• Government assumed the responsibility of
protecting its citizens in exchange for loyalty
and service.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
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Babylonian Society
• Babylonian society was broken into three
classes. 
– top
– middle
– bottom
kings, priests, and nobles 
artisans, merchants,
scribes, and farmers 
slaves 
• Laws were applied differently according to the
class of the person offended against.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Lecture Notes
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Decline and Fall
• After Hammurabi’s death, the Babylonian
Empire declined. It was eventually taken over
by the Hittites, a people from Asia Minor,
around 1600 B.C.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Review
Contrast Hammurabi’s code with earlier
Sumerian law. Which do you think served
justice better? Explain.
Hammurabi’s code was more severe. Sumerian
law fined wrongdoers; Hammurabi’s code
extracted “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a
tooth.”
End of Section 2
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Early Civilizations
Early South Asia
Section 3
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Setting the Scene
• Terms to Define subcontinent, monsoon 
• People to Meet the Harappans 
• Places to Locate Indus River valley,
Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro 
How did people of the Indus
River valley civilization build
cities?
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Early Civilizations
Section 3 Lecture Notes
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Introduction
• A third civilization, larger than both Egypt
and Sumer, arose in the Indus River valley
in South Asia. 
• It reached its height between 2500 B.C. and
1500 B.C.
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Early Civilizations
Section 3 Lecture Notes
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The Subcontinent
• Three modern nations–India, Pakistan, and
Bangladesh–trace their roots to the Indus
Valley civilization. 
• These nations lie on the subcontinent of
South Asia, a large, triangular-shaped
landmass that juts into the Indian Ocean.
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Early Civilizations
Section 3 Lecture Notes
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Bounded by Mountains
• The Himalayas and the Hindu Kush
mountain ranges separate the South Asian
subcontinent from the heart of Asia. 
• Throughout history, invaders entering the
subcontinent by land have had to cross the
few high mountain passes of the Hindu
Kush to get to the fertile plains at their
southern base. 
• Three major rivers flow across the wide
plains of South Asia–the Indus, Ganges,
and Brahmaputra Rivers.
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Early Civilizations
Section 3 Lecture Notes
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Seasonal Winds
• Cold air masses from the north are blocked
by the mountains, leaving the weather mild
in South Asia. 
• Two seasonal winds called monsoons
affect the region. The northeast, or winter,
monsoon blows from November to March;
and the southwest, or summer, monsoon
from June to September.
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Early Civilizations
Map Supplement
Early Civilizations
Section 3 Lecture Notes
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The Indus Valley Civilization
• Less than a century ago, archaelogists
identified an ancient civilization in South
Asia. 
• They dated this civilization to about 2500
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B.C.
Early Civilizations
Section 3 Lecture Notes
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Centrally Planned Cities
• The Harappan civilization had at least two
major cities along the Indus River: 
– Harappa, located in present-day Pakistan 
– Mohenjo-Daro, located near the Arabian Sea 
• The ruins of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
are excellent examples of urban planning.
• A citadel was built on a brick platform
overlooking each city.
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
Early Civilizations
Section 3 Lecture Notes
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Centrally Planned Cities (cont.)
• Streets were skillfully laid out in a grid
pattern of straight streets crossing each
other at right angles. 
• The Harappans used oven-baked bricks
to build houses; some were several
stories high. 
• Almost every house had a bathroom with
drains and chutes connected to a sewer
system under the streets.
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Early Civilizations
Section 3 Lecture Notes
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Harappan Life
• Most Harappans were farmers who, by
creating a food surplus, allowed city dwellers
to engage in industry and commerce. 
• Trade was established with Mesopotamia as
early as 2300 B.C.
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Early Civilizations
Section 3 Lecture Notes
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Language and Religion
• There is a lack of surviving written records
from the Harappan civilization, leaving
artifacts as the only true clues. 
• Animal and humanlike figures suggest that
the Harappans worshiped gods associated
with natural forces. 
• By 1500 B.C., the Harappan civilization had
vanished, possibly from floods or invaders.
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Early Civilizations
Section 3 Lecture Notes
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Collapse of a Civilization
• By 1500 B.C., the Harappan civilization had
vanished. 
• Historians theorize that possibly floods or
invaders caused this collapse.
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Early Civilizations
Section 3 Review
What do archaeological clues suggest
about the decline and collapse of the
Indus Valley civilization?
Historians theorize that destructive natural
disasters such as a flood caused the collapse. At
Mohenjo-Daro there are signs of a violent end.
End of Section 3
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Early Civilizations
Early China
Section 4
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Setting the Scene
• Terms to Define mandate 
• People to Meet Yu the Great 
• Places to Locate Huang He valley, Anyang 
What were the major contributions
of early Chinese civilization?
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Early Civilizations
Section 4 Lecture Notes
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Introduction
• For many centuries the Chinese lived in
relative isolation and saw themselves as the
center of the world. 
• The lack of outside contacts allowed the
Chinese to develop one culture across
many regions and a strong sense of national
unity as well. 
• China has the oldest continuous civilization
in the world.
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Early Civilizations
Section 4 Lecture Notes
China’s Geography
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• China’s varied geography has affected its
historical development. 
• Mountains, which make up about one-third
of China’s area, hindered cultural diffusion
both into and out of China. 
• On the east, China’s coastline touches the
Pacific Ocean.
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Early Civilizations
Section 4 Lecture Notes
China’s Geography (cont.)
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• Eastern China contains a number of
fertile river valleys and plains with three
major rivers: 
– Huang He (Yellow River) 
– Chang Jiang (Yangtze) 
– Xi Jiang (West River) 
• A favorable climate, plenty of rainfall, and
fertile soil made the North China Plain a very
successful farming area.
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Early Civilizations
Section 4 Lecture Notes
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The Shang Dynasty
• Very little is known about the origins of
Chinese civilization. 
• Neolithic finds dated to earlier than 5000 B.C.
make it clear that the Huang He Valley
invited settlement from very early times.
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Early Civilizations
Section 4 Lecture Notes
6 of 11
Chinese Myths
• The Chinese developed many myths to
explain the past. 
• Pan Gu, according to myth, hatched the
universe from an egg. 
• Also according to myth, Yu the Great, a
miraculous engineer, founded China’s first
dynasty–the Xia–around 2000 B.C. 
• The first dynasty to be dated from written
records in China is the Shang, which ruled
from about 1700 B.C. to 1000 B.C.
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Early Civilizations
Section 4 Lecture Notes
7 of 11
Early Religion
• Shang kings were also high priests and,
as in many other early civilizations, were
responsible for both government and
religious affairs. 
• They communicated with ancestors or
predicted the future by having priests
interpret oracle bones.
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Early Civilizations
Section 4 Lecture Notes
8 of 11
Important Achievements
• The Shang priests who wrote on the oracle
bones used a script with many characters. 
• These characters represented objects,
ideas, or sounds and were written in vertical
columns. 
• This script grew into numerous characters
that were hard to memorize; therefore, few
people in ancient China could read or write.
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Early Civilizations
Section 4 Lecture Notes
9 of 11
Important Achievements (cont.)
• The Chinese had mastered bronze, pottery,
and silk weaving. 
• The Chinese built their first cities under
the Shang dynasty, and archaeologists
have identified seven capital cities,
including Anyang.
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Early Civilizations
Section 4 Lecture Notes
10 of 11
Expansion and Decline
• Shang kings, with superior weapons,
eventually took over much of the Huang He
valley. 
• The Shang dynasty lacked strong leaders and,
in time, became weak. 
• Around 1000 B.C., Wu, the ruler of a former
Shang territory in the northwest, killed the
Shang king and established a new dynasty,
known as the Zhou, which lasted for 800
years.
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Early Civilizations
Section 4 Lecture Notes
11 of 11
Many Centuries of Dynasties
• The Chinese believed that their rulers
governed through a principle known as the
Mandate of Heaven. 
• If their rulers were just and effective, they
received a mandate, or authority to rule,
from heaven. 
• If rulers did not govern properly, they lost
the mandate to someone else. 
• The Mandate of Heaven first appeared
during the Zhou dynasty.
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Early Civilizations
Section 4 Review
Explain the basic features of the Chinese
writing system as it developed in early
times. How widespread was the use of
this method of writing in China under the
early dynasties?
The Chinese writing system consisted of many
characters representing objects, ideas, or sounds.
It was very complex and was written in vertical
columns. Because of the complexity, very few
people in ancient China could read or write.
End of Section 4
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Early Civilizations
Chapter Review
1 of 9
What clues do artifacts found in the ruins
at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro provide
about the Harappan religion?
Artifacts suggest that Harappan deities were
associated with natural forces.
Early Civilizations
Chapter Review
2 of 9
How did the powers of the Egyptian kings
differ from those of the Shang kings? How
were their powers the same?
Egyptian kings were regarded as gods, while
Shang kings were not. Both were political and
religious leaders, and both performed ritual acts to
benefit their people.
Early Civilizations
Chapter Review
3 of 9
What reaction would you have had to
Akhenaton’s reforms if you had been a
priest of Amon-Ra?
You probably would have resented the loss of
power. Akhenaton made worshiping Aton the
official religion, replacing Amon-Ra.
Early Civilizations
Chapter Review
4 of 9
What do you think might have happened if
the Sumerians had never invented
cuneiform?
Writing had a great effect on Sumerian culture.
The Sumerians were able to keep records, record
their history, and send reliable messages over long
distances. If they had not invented cuneiform, their
culture would not have been as strong as it was.
Early Civilizations
Chapter Review
5 of 9
What flood-control methods of the ancient
Egyptians and other river valley civilizations
are still in use today?
Dams, canals, and reservoirs originated with the
ancient civilizations and are still used today.
Early Civilizations
Chapter Review
6 of 9
In what areas of city life today is
cooperation as important as it was when
the Sumerians built the earliest cities?
There are a number of ways that cooperation is
still a large part of city life, including building and
maintaining public buildings and areas; and
fighting societal problems such as crime, poverty,
and drugs.
Early Civilizations
Chapter Review
7 of 9
What advances in the twentieth century
have made cultural diffusion easier and
faster than in ancient times?
Anything that allows humans to move or
communicate faster aids in cultural diffusion.
Telecommunications equipment, such as
computers, and jet travel both aid cultural diffusion.
Early Civilizations
Chapter Review
8 of 9
Why would you consider each of the
following developments in ancient China
an innovation: a writing script with many
characters, bronze vessels and tools, and
pottery?
A writing script: some characters represented
sounds, unlike cuneiform. Bronze use: Chinese
metal-casting skills were superior to those of other
civilizations. Pottery: artisans used a fine white
clay called kaolin.
Early Civilizations
Chapter Review
9 of 9
Chapter Bonus Question
What factors can lead to the decline or fall
of a civilization or dynasty?
Weak rulers, foreign invasion, natural disasters,
and climate changes that affect agricultural
production can all lead to the demise of a ruling
family or civilization.
End of Chapter Review
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Early Civilizations
Historical Significance
1 of 2
In what ways were each of the early
civilizations unique? How were they
different?
Each civilization had unique features: Egypt,
pyramids; Sumer, irrigation; Indus River valley,
urban planning; China, metal casting. They
differed depending on climate, topography, and
traditions.
Early Civilizations
Historical Significance
2 of 2
How did the river valley civilizations lay the
foundations for the global civilization that
we know today?
All of the early civilizations contributed to the growth
of cities, government, literacy, and technology–keys
to the rise of a global civilization.
Early Civilizations
Chapter 2
Disc 1
Side A
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preview, review, or both.
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video if you have a videodisc player attached to
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Early Civilizations
Turning Points
in World History
The Code of Hammurabi
Side 1
Chapter 4
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anytime throughout this
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Early Civilizations
Side 1
Chapter 4
Turning Points
in World History
The Code of Hammurabi
Objectives
• Identify the importance of a system of
laws to any society. 
• Explain the functions of laws in a society. 
• Recognize the issues dealt with by the
Hammurabi code and law codes that have
followed.
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Early Civilizations
Side 1
Chapter 4
Turning Points
in World History
The Code of Hammurabi
Discussion
What are some of the functions of laws in a
society?
Laws establish the individual’s rights and duties, as well
as penalties for those who fail to uphold the law.
Early Civilizations
Side 1
Chapter 4
Turning Points
in World History
The Code of Hammurabi
Discussion
What are some of the civil issues
Hammurabi’s code dealt with? What are
some of the criminal issues the code dealt
with?
Civil issues included taxes, trade, and marriage.
Criminal issues included theft and murder.
Early Civilizations
Side 1
Chapter 4
Turning Points
in World History
The Code of Hammurabi
Discussion
Justice and law are often symbolized by a
blindfolded woman holding scales. What do the
scales and blindfold symbolize?
The scales symbolize a system in which matters such
as evidence and testimony are carefully weighed in
reaching a just decision. The blindfold signifies that
justice is “blind” to such matters as social status and
ethnic background.
Early Civilizations
Turning Points
in World History
The Code of Hammurabi
Events of the Period
c. 2000 B.C.
Epic of Gilgamesh is written. 
c. 2000 B.C.
Ice cream is invented in
China. 
c. 2000 B.C.
The Hittites come to power in
Asia Minor. 
c. 1900 B.C.
The first metal money is used.
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Early Civilizations
Turning Points
in World History
The Code of Hammurabi
Events of the Period
c. 1800 B.C.
c. 1800 B.C.
The Story of Sinuhe appears in
manuscript in Egypt. 
The main ring of Stonehenge is
erected in England.
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Early Civilizations
Turning Points
in World History
The Code of Hammurabi
Fact Files
Who Was Hammurabi?
End of Babylonian Empire
What is the Code of Hammurabi?
Elements of the Code of Hammurabi
(Frames 14489)
(Frame 14491)
(Frame 14492)
(Frame 14494)
Maps
Babylonia ca. 1800 B.C.
Click on a hyperlink to go to the related fact file or map.
(Frame 14488)
Early Civilizations
FACT FILE:
Turning Points
in World History
Who was Hammurabi?
Hammurabi was a descendant of the Amorites.
Hammurabi was king of the Babylonian Empire
from 1792 B.C. until 1750 B.C.
He revised the laws of the Mesopotamian
region into one code to govern the land. He
instilled strict laws, created a new tax system,
and promoted trade.
Early Civilizations
FACT FILE:
Turning Points
in World History
End of Babylonian Empire
Hammurabi’s empire ended when the Hittites
invaded Babylon in the 1600s B.C.
Early Civilizations
FACT FILE:
Turning Points
in World History
What is the Code of Hammurabi?
The Code of Hammurabi is a compilation of
laws that addressed all aspects of life.
Within the code, violations of these laws were
stated and severe punishments were
assigned.
Early Civilizations
FACT FILE:
Turning Points
in World History
Elements of the Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Hammurabi dealt with most aspects
of daily life, including the protection of women
from mistreatment, property, loans, adoption,
and inheritance.
Early Civilizations
MAP:
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Early Civilizations
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Early Civilizations
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Early Civilizations
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Early Civilizations
The Hemispheres
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1 River Valley Civilizations, 3500 B.C. to 1500 B.C. (1 of 3)
1A Nile River and Tigris–Euphrates Valleys (2 of 3)
1B Indus River and Huang He Valleys (3 of 3)
2 Ancient Egypt (1 of 4)
2A Old Kingdom (2 of 4)
2B Middle Kingdom (3 of 4)
2C New Kingdom (4 of 4)
3 Ancient India and Ancient China (1 of 3)
3A Indus River Valley Civilization, 2500–1700 B.C. (2 of 3)
3B Shang Dynasty, 1700–1000 B.C. (3 of 3)
Section Focus Transparency 2-1 (1 of 2)
1. Khufu
2. Washington
Monument
3. 346’ (105m)
Section Focus Transparency 2-1 (2 of 2)
Section Focus Transparency 2-2 (1 of 2)
1. bricks
2. There was no
wood in the area;
steel had not yet
been invented.
3. at the top of the
structure
4. to get it as close
as possible to
the sky, where
the people
believed the
gods lived
Section Focus Transparency 2-2 (2 of 2)
Section Focus Transparency 2-3 (1 of 2)
1. July
2. June through
August or
September
3. about 20”
(51 cm)
Section Focus Transparency 2-3 (2 of 2)
Section Focus Transparency 2-4 (1 of 2)
1. Wu
2. c. 1700 B.C.
3. Xia
Section Focus Transparency 2-4 (2 of 2)
Early Civilizations
Chapter Time Line
c. 5000 B.C.
Hunter-gatherers migrate to the
Nile River valley.

c. 3100 B.C.
The Sumerians invent
cuneiform.

c. 2500 B.C.
Harappan civilization begins.
c. 1700 B.C.
Shang dynasty begins.

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Early Civilizations
Section 1 Time Line
c. 3000 B.C.
King Narmer unifies Egypt.
c. 1700s B.C.
The Hyksos invade Egypt.


c. 1480 B.C. Queen Hatshepsut comes to
power.
c. 945 B.C.

Egypt enters long period of
foreign rule.
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Early Civilizations
Section 2 Time Line
c. 3000 B.C.
Sumerians set up city-states.
c. 2300 B.C.
Akkadian king Sargon I
begins conquests.
c. 1700 B.C.


Hammurabi develops code of
laws.
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Early Civilizations
Section 3 Time Line
c. 2500 B.C.
c. 2300 B.C.
c. 1500 B.C.
Settlements develop in the
Indus River valley.

Harappan people trade with
Mesopotamia.

Indus Valley civilization
declines.
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Early Civilizations
Section 4 Time Line
c. 2500 B.C.
Lung-shan culture begins in
China.

c. 2000 B.C.
c. 1700 B.C.
c. 1000s B.C.
Yu founds the legendary Xia
dynasty.

Tang establishes the Shang,
the first historical dynasty.

The Zhou dynasty comes to
power.
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End of the Slide Show
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