Chapter 1 – Early Civilizations 8000 BCE to 600 CE

Terms of Times B.C. : Before Christ B.C.E. : Before Common Era (non-Christian) A.D. : Anno Domini (After the year of our Lord) C.E. : Common Era

Paleolithic Age The “Old Stone Age” ICE AGE! Crude stone tools and weapons Nomads “Cave Man”

Neolithic Revolution. We move to about 8,000 BC when village life began in the New Stone Age. . . Also known as the Neolithic Revolution. NEW STONE AGE

A TOTALLY new way of living: From Hunter-Gatherers to Agriculture

INVENTION OF AGRICULTURE Mesopotamians first to engage in agriculture Around 8000 BC Cereal crops Wheat Barley Herd animals Sheep Goats Woman probably first farmer Grain-collecting then noticed that stored wild grain could be grown on purpose

Agriculture changed how people lived Agriculture (Farming) Growth of Cities Division of Labor (Specialization) Trade Writing and Mathematics

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Self-actualization (self-knowledge, fulfillment of personal potential) Esteem (autonomy, achievement, recognition) Social (belonging, affection) Safety (security, protection from harm) Physiological (Hunger, thirst, shelter) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

What does it mean to be civilized? Characteristics of a Civilization: Advanced Cities Complex institutions Government, Religion, Economy Specialized Occupations Record Keeping / Writing Advanced Technology

Cities Rivers provided: Rivers provided challenges: water supply transportation food supply from animals Rivers provided challenges: flooding irrigation Required organized, mass labor (corvee) Construction and repair of canals and irrigation ditches Euphrates River

Institutions: Government Central authority needed to control: Labor Storage of grain Dispersion of foodstuffs among population Early governments first led by priests Later controlled by warrior chiefs or kings

Institutions: Government Governments became more complex as new responsibilities arose such as: tax collecting law making handling public works projects organizing systems of defense

Complex Religions Generally polytheistic Many gods represented natural forces Others controlled human activities Priests and worshippers tried to gain gods’ favor through complex rituals and sacrifice Directed by unquestionable ruling class of priests King regarded as a god or as a god’s agent

Complex Religions Temples often built to honor specific gods and goddesses Mayan temple Egyptian temple Mesopotamian ziggurat

OCCUPATIONS Needs of agriculture and stability Clay pottery Woven baskets Woolen and linen clothing Sophisticated tools and weapons Plow

Job Specialization or Occupations Artisans specialized in various jobs, such as: Bricklayers Blacksmiths Production of luxuries (Things You Don’t Really Need) Metal technology

Writing Probably first used by priests Earliest writing used pictograms Chinese calligraphy Egyptian hieroglyphs Mesopotamian cuneiform

Writing Symbols later added to represent words and then sounds Scribes were specially trained to read, write, and record information Religion Trade Government Learning became cumulative

Social Classes People ranked according to their profession Chief Priests Nobles Wealthy merchants Artisans Peasants/farmers Slaves Egyptian social structure

Social Classes Priestly class is part of the beginning of social differentiation Class structure based on specialization of labor Generated class differences Priests (“We talk to god, you don’t.) Aristocrats/warriors (“We have weapons, you don’t.”) Common people (“I guess we work...?”) Slaves (“Uh, oh!!!”)

BRONZE AGE Around 3000 BC in Sumer Use bronze (not stone or copper) Gives people advantages in warfare

Mesopotamia – Fertile Crescent Sumer – The Earliest of the River Valley Civilizations Sumerian Civilization grew up along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in what is now Kuwait.

Sumer: City of Ur On the banks of the Euphrates River Religious: Polytheistic Agricultural Economy Irrigation System Bartered for goods

Sumerians invented: Brick technology Wheel Base 60 – using the circle . . . 360 degrees Time – 60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds in a minute 12 month lunar calendar arch ramp Ziggurat (pyramid shape)

Ziggurat – “Mountain of God” Click on the pictures for more information on ziggurats.

Sumerian Writing: Cuneiform Cuneiform is created by pressing a pointed stylus into a clay tablet.