A cultural hearth is a source area from which new ideas radiate. Advances in agriculture lead to increased crop production. Not everyone in a given population needs grow their own crops - one farmer can produce enough crops to support more than one family. This then allows people to engage in other activities besides crop raising, animal husbandry, hunting or gathering. As a result of these other activities, new ideas develop and lead to advancements in science, astronomy, mathematics, religion, art, and political systems. These ideas then are spread to surrounding areas.

The white dashed line shows the extent of glacial activity. The original humans spread from Africa into the Middle East. From there, into Central Asia and then north into Europe and south into India. Humans then traveled south into the islands and Australia and north into China and eastern Russia. Humans then crossed the land bridge into North America and traveled east to the New England area and South into Middle and South America. culture hearths later culture hearths

Early Cultural Hearths Mesopotamia Indus River Valley Yellow River Valley Nile River Valley Ganges River Valley Middle America

Near a river in a temperate climate on arable land abundance of food

Mesopotamia is a region, not a country. Refers to the individual Peoples that made up Mesopotamia; the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, and to some degree the Hittites, Phoenicians and Persians Achievements: Code of Laws – Hammurabi’s Code Writing – Cuneiform System for calculating time and angles based on 60 – sexagesimal system

Harappa & Mohenjo Daro Civilizations make up the Indus River Valley Civilization Achievements: Town planning – grid system for roads sanitation system – covered drains water from wells grainaries, docks, and warehouses uniform weights and measurements copper, bronze, lead, and tin

Achievements: mathematic advances reliable farming with irrigation engineering, mining, and plumbing pyramids medical - cures for diarrhea, burns, indigestion, cataracts, surgery, and mummification papyrus paper and hieroglyphics

Achievements: wheel barrow, horse harness, row cultivation, and plow water chain pump (water goes up) metal casting Su Song’s mechanical clock – water-driven astronomical clock crossbow, rudder, gas lamp, block printing, abacus, paper, porcelain, silk, kites, playing cards

What other things spread? Disease Language Food Religion Ideas Inventions culture

5 Features of a Civilization Growth of Cities Complex Institutions Literacy Art Social Structure