Download 4. River Valley Civilizations

Early River Valley Civilizations
4 River Valley Civilizations
• Mesopotamia
– Tigris
– Euphrates
• Egypt
– Nile River Valley (upper and lower Nile)
• Indus River
• Early China
– Huang He (Yellow River)
– later civilizations focused on both Yangtze and Yellow
Rivers
Mesopotamia:
The Land Between Two Rivers
Greek Name
The Middle East: “The Cradle of Civilization”
Natural Boundaries Unfavorable
• Both rivers overflow in an unpredictable
manner
– The time of year could not be predicted.
– The magnitude of turbulence of the flooding could not
be predicted.
• The area is called a "crossroad" because
everyone who traveled or traded between
Europe, Africa, and Asia traveled through this
region, sometimes taking what they wanted
Gave rise to multiple empires within the general region
that controlled different territory but had similar culture
Sumerians
“Necessity is the mother of invention”
• Developed the wagon wheel to help transport people
and goods from place to place.
• Sumerian achievements in mathematics and
astronomy formed the basis for concepts we use
today.
– number system based on 60.
– division of the modern hour into 60 minutes is a holdover
from Sumerian astronomy.
– geometry was used to measure fields and to erect buildings
in much the same fashion that it is used for those purposes
today.
Babylonian Math
Babylonian Numbers
Cuneiform: “Wedge-Shaped”
Writing
Cuneiform Writing
Hammurabi’s [r. 1792-1750 B. C. E.]
Code
Egypt:
“Gift of the Nile”
Nile River
Valley
• Because of its geography Egypt developed to
become a peaceful civilization with a higher
standard of living. People as individuals were
treated with more respect here than in other
civilizations of the time.
• The Nile River Valley is Surrounded on Four
Sides by Natural Barriers
–
–
–
–
Red Sea to the East
Desert to the West
Mediterranean to the North
Mountains to the South
A View of Egypt by Satellite
“Gifts of the Nile”
• Predictable flooding
• Mild flooding - able to use river for irrigation
• Prevailing winds made trade possible both north
and south on the river
• Rich deposits of clay, granite, sandstone &
limestone used for building
• Silt deposits rich for farming
• Papyrus used for mats, rope, sandals, baskets,
paper
The Fertile Nile Valley
The Annual Flooding of the
Nile
Ancient Egyptian History
Periods
Time Frame
Nile Culture Begins
Archaic
3900 B. C. E.
3100 – 2575 B. C. E.
Old Kingdom
First Intermediate
Middle Kingdom
2575 – 2134 B. C. E.
2134 – 2040 B. C. E.
2040 – 1640 B. C. E.
Second Intermediate
New Kingdom
Greek Ptolemaic Era
1640 – 1532 B. C. E.
1532 – 1070 B.C.E.
332 – 30 B. C. E.
Roman Period
30 B. C. E. – 395 C. E.
Champollion & the Rosetta
Stone
Mummification
- Remove Organs
- Fill with spices
- Wrap in linen strips
- Seal with honey/resin
Egyptian Mummies
Seti I
1291-1278 B. C. E.
Queen Tiye,
wife of
Amenhotep II
Ramses II
1279-1212 B. C. E.
Indus River Valley
• Harappa & MohenjoDaro 2600 - 1900 BCE
• subcontinent of Asia:
water on east and west,
mountain ranges on
north
– Hindu Kush and
Himalayas
• southwest monsoon
brings heavy rain and
flooding
Ancient Geographic Divisions in South Asia
Indus River Valley
• well-planned,
citadels, grid
of streets
• clay brick
houses,
plumbing
with sewer
system
• bronze and
copper tools,
gold and
silver jewels,
clay pots,
spun and
woven cloth
Drains & Sewer Systems
Development of Region
• Early Food Producing Era (7000 - 5000
BCE)
• Regionalization Era, (5500-2600 BCE)
– regional cultural development
– subdivided into various areas
– emergence of an Early Indus state 2800 BCE
and urbanization 2600 BCE
Aryan Invasion Theory
• Sometime between
2500 and 1800 BCE
– Aryans began moving
into India
– Apparently NOT the
cause of the fall of
Indus Civilization;
probably fell by
“systems failure”
– Farmers without
written language;
spoke Indo-European
languages
Huang He
Geography
• Himalayas, Kunlun Shan, Tian Shan
• Gobi desert
• Pacific Ocean to east
– Therefore travel, transport, and
communications are SLOW!
• Loess – winds deposit this yellowish soil in
the water which accumulates on the banks
to produce fertile soil
Xia (Cha) 2100 BCE – 1800 BCE
• The Xia were agrarian
people, with bronze
weapons and pottery.
• The ruling families used
elaborate and dramatic
rituals to confirm their
power to govern.
• The rulers often acted as
shamans, communicating
with spirits for help and
guidance
• Validity of what we know
of these peoples is
difficult because of myths.
Ancient Dynasties
• Xia (first)
2100 BCE – 1800 BCE
• Shang
1750 – 1027 BCE
Mandate of Heaven
• Zhou (longest)
1027 – 221 BCE
Confucianism during Axial Age (ca. 500 BCE)
• Qin
221 – 207 BCE
– China gets its name from
this dynasty
Shang:
1750-1027 BCE
•Made Silk and Bronze
•Warrior aristocracy
•Beginnings of feng shui
•Writing – pictograms
and phonetic symbols =
hundreds of signs
•King is intermediary
between people and
gods
•Used divination to
determine will of
gods
Zhou: 1027-221 BCE
•Defeated Shang king
•King is “son of heaven”
and ruled with a
“mandate of heaven”
•King maintained
rule as long as wise
and virtuous
•771 BCE – 481 BCE –
political fragmentation
•480 – 221 BCE –
Warring States Period
Zhou – 3 ideologies
• Beginnings of legalism – every aspect of
human society should be controlled
because people are wicked
• Beginnings of Confucianism – duty and
public service, veneration of ancestors,
hierarchy
• Beginnings of Daoism – follow the Dao, or
path, avoid useless struggle and violence,
simplicity