Ancient River Valley Civilizations SOL 3

River Valley Civilizations emerge… During the New Stone Age (Neolithic), permanent settlements appeared in river valleys and around the Fertile Crescent. River valleys provided rich soil for crops (silt), as well as protection from invasion.

Earliest River Civilizations (~3500-500 B.C.) Egypt (Africa) Nile River Valley and Delta Mesopotamia (South West Asia) Tigris and Euphrates River Valleys India (South Asia) Indus River Valley Ganges River Valley (*developed later) China (East Asia) Huang He Valley

Other River Valley Civilizations Phoenicians Settled along the Mediterranean coast (part of Fertile Crescent in Southwest Asia).

Other River Valley Civilizations Hebrews settled between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River Valley (part of Fertile Crescent in Southwest Asia). Kush was located on the upper (southern) Nile River in Africa.

Cradle of Civilization River valleys were the “Cradles of Civilization” Early civilizations made major contributions to social, political, and economic progress. Social Patterns: Hereditary rulers Dynasties of Kings Dynasty: power is inherited Pharaohs (*Egypt) Rigid class system; slavery was accepted

Political Patterns Government often based on religion Rulers were usually military and religious leaders World’s first states city-states – city & surrounding land kingdoms empires – formally independent peoples/states who come under one rule. Written law codes Ten Commandments Code of Hammurabi

Economic Patterns Metal tools and weapons Agricultural surplus bronze, iron Agricultural surplus better tools, plows, irrigation Increasing trade along rivers and by sea Phoenicians Development of the world’s first cities in river valleys Specialization of labor

Religion was important to the early civilizations Polytheism was practiced by most early civilizations. Monotheism was practiced by the Hebrews. First monotheistic religion *before Christianity and Islam

Origins of Judaism (first monotheists) Abraham – Founder Moses – Led Jews out of slavery, received 10 Commandments Jerusalem – Site of destroyed temple, now Western or Wailing Wall

Judaism | Beliefs Belief in one God (monotheism) Torah – Holy Book Ten Commandments – moral and religious rules

Spread of Judaism Some Hebrews lived in exile, or forced separation from their homeland. Jews settling outside of the Holy Land is called diaspora.

Language & writing were important cultural innovations… Pictograms | earliest written symbols (used in both Mesopotamia and China) Hieroglyphics | Egypt Cuneiform | Sumer (Mesopotamia) Alphabet | Phoenicians

Civilizations must have 5 characteristics: Growth of population (growth of cities) Specialization of workers Advanced technology Complex institutions—gov’t, religion, education, military System of writing or record-keeping The Four River Valleys had the characteristics. The three Other Civilizations (Phoenicians, Hebrews, and the Kush) also had these.