Download The Earliest Civilizations

The Earliest Civilizations
Who Studies the Past?
 Historians study the past, using mostly written records from civilizations. They use primary
sources, which were written at that time or secondary sources, which were written by other
historians.
 Anthropologist study people and their cultures.
 Archaeologists study artifacts to learn about the past.
The First Humans
 The first humans were hunters and gatherers
 They followed herds of animals and ripening fruits and berries
 Tools were simple and progress was slow.
The Paleolithic Age
 These first people were part of the Paleolithic Age.
 This means “Old Stone Age.”
 People did not stay in one place for extended periods of time.
 People lived in small hunting and food gathering bands of 20 to 30 people. They were nomads,
which means they did not stay in one place.
 They made some very important advances, like spoken language, clothing, and fire.
 This age has not official beginning date.
 This period ends about 10,000 years ago.
The Neolithic Age
 The Neolithic Age began around 10,000 years ago.
 The word Neolithic means “New Stone Age.”
 The key to the beginning of the Neolithic Age is the creation of FARMING.
 People can now stay in one place and stop wandering following food.
 Animals are domesticated and people learn how to grow crops.
 Tools become more advanced and people can stay in one place.
 Some people can focus on crafts, trade, and war.
Neolithic Society
 The growth of farming led to led to an increase in population.
 This led to more communication and interaction between groups of people.
 Leaders started to develop.
 Civilizations start to develop around 5000 years ago.
What does a Civilization need?
 Cities
 Well organized governments
 Complex religions
 Job specialization
 Social classes
 Art and architecture
 Public works
 Writing
Where did the first civilizations develop?
 The earliest civilizations developed in the fertile lands around rivers.
 They were in Asia and Africa.
 The rich soil and abundant water allowed people to make excess crops.
 This allowed people to take on jobs other than farming.
What caused governments to develop?
 People had to work together to control flood water, create irrigation, and build canals.
 Some of these projects required a leadership and from this leadership government developed.
 Social classes were also created.
Social Classes Develop
 Social classes develop based on people’s jobs.
 Priests and nobles were at the top.
 Artisans were below them.
 Then came peasant farmers.
 Slaves were at the bottom.
 Writing develops, probably so that priest could write. Early writing was made up of pictographs.
 Pictographs use pictures to express ideas.
Ancient Egypt
 Around 5000 years ago, a civilization developed in Egypt around the Nile River.
 Egyptian rulers were called Pharaohs and were very powerful.
 Ideas spread through cultural diffusion.
 They were polytheistic. (Believed in many gods.)
Ancient Sumer
 City states developed around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Asia around about 5000 years
ago.
 City states is a political unit made up of a city and the surrounding land.
 Sumerians built ziggurats, or large pyramid shaped temples in the center of their cities.
 Scribes created the earliest type of writing called Cuneiform.
Sargon the Great
 Sargon of Akkad conquers all of the city states of Sumer.
 He creates the world’s first empire.
 This happened around 2300 BC.
 An empire is a group of countries or states ruled by one person.
Hammurabi and his Code
 Hammurabi took over much of Mesopotamia around 1790 BC.
 He is famous for creating the first written system of laws.
 It is famous for the “eye for an eye” philosophy.
The Beginnings of Judaism
 The Hebrews came together as a people about 2000 BC.
 They were monotheistic (believed in one god).
 King Solomon created a Jewish kingdom around 1000BC.
 A series of invading armies conquered the Hebrews and the Jews were scattered across the globe
in something called the Diaspora.
Early Civilizations in India
 The first cities in India developed around 2600 BC.
 Around 500 BC, the Aryans created a civilization around the Ganges River.
 They created a class system that would later form the Hindu Caste system.
Hinduism begins in India
 Hinduism has no founder and no single sacred text.
 It grew from the beliefs of large groups of people in India.
 Hindus believe everything is part of a never changing force called Brahman.
Hinduism is Polytheistic
 Hindus believe in many gods.
 The most important are Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer.
 Hindus also believe in reincarnation and that people are born again after they die.
Buddhism develops in India
 Around 500 BC, Siddhartha Gautama starts Buddhism.
 It encourages people to find enlightenment through meditation.
 People are supposed to find enlightenment themselves instead of through priests and rituals.
 Gautama became known as “Buddha” or the Enlightened One.
Buddhism develops in India
 There is suffering.
 Suffering has an origin.
 Suffering can cease.
 There is a pass out of suffering.
Early Civilizations in China
 China was separated by mountains, deserts, and jungles from the rest of the world.
 About 1650, a cycle of dynasties began in China.
 A dynasty is a ruling family that passes its power down through the generations.
 They learned to work with bronze, silk, and how to make books.