Early River Valley Civilizations

Vocabulary Arable – land that is good for farming Sedentary – to stay in one place (not nomadic) Surplus – to have excess or extra Fertile – capable of producing abundant agriculture Subsistence Farming – farming just enough to survive (no extra) Patriarchal – a system controlled by men Polytheistic –belief in many gods Hierarchy – system of organization in which people are ranked by power

Why do early civilizations begin in river valleys? Rivers are known as cradles of civilization because: Rivers are surrounded by fertile land which leads to an agricultural surplus which can support a large population. Rivers cause many challenges for civilizations which force them to adapt. Irrigation systems had to be built to move water from the rivers to fields and cities. Dams and Dikes had to be built to control flooding. Government were needed to organize these PUBLIC WORKS.

Features of Civilization 1) Central Governments 5) Written Records 2) Specialized Labor 6) Advanced Cities 3) Social Classes 7) Public Works 4) Religion/Philosophy 8) Art/Architecture

“The land between two rivers” ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA “The land between two rivers”

Mesopotamia is a “FERTILE CRESCENT” between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in modern day Iraq. The Sumerians were the first to form a Complex Civilization. Achievements of the Mesopotamians Include: 1. Written Records: Cuneiform (Pictographs) 2. Architecture: Ziggurats, City Walls 3. Inventions: Wheel, Irrigation 4. Law Code: Hammurabi’s Code

RIVERS PROVIDE LIFE TO DRY DESERT SOIL ALLOWING A CIVILIZATION TO FLOURISH

CUNEIFORM A SYSTEM OF WEDGE SHAPED SYMBOLS USED FOR RECORD KEEPING

ARCHITECTURE ZIGGURAT: stepped pyramid-temples devoted to religion and government

Hammurabi’s Code 1) The Code Reinforced Patriarchy Hammurabi is the Priest-King of the Babylonian Empire. An empire is: a group of cities/states under a single authority (ruler) Hammurabi is known for creating the world’s 1st written legal code. Hammurabi’s Code is based on the principle of Retaliation. In other words that means “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” There were 282 written laws in his code: 1) The Code Reinforced Patriarchy 2) Social classes were NOT equal 3) Created order and settled disputes

DAILY LIFE IN MESOPOTAMIA 1. Social Classes: a hierarchy (system of ranking) existed KINGS/ HIGH PRIESTS MERCHANTS/ ARTISANS FARMERS/ HUNTERS WHAT ABOUT WOMEN??? (only very limited rights) Sumerians also owned slaves (prisoners of war; or to pay a debt) 2. Cities became large centers for trade (UR)

Inventions WHEEL PLOW BRONZE TOOLS SAILBOATS CANALS ARCH ALGEBRA & GEOMETRY

HOW DID MESOPOTAMIA COME TO AN END? NO GEOGRAPHIC BARRIERS > Much of Mesopotamia was flat land or plains regions SO… YOU tell ME how Ancient Mesopotamia ended…

Egypt: Gift of the Nile 1) Egyptian civilization is built around the Nile River just west of the Sahara desert in North Africa. 2) The leader of Egypt was known as a Pharaoh, a leader with political and religious power that was believed to be part man and part god. 3) The Egyptians are famous for building spectacular Pyramids, which are elaborate tombs built for their rulers for the Afterlife. 4) The Egyptians had a clearly defined Hierarchical social structure. 5) We know a great deal about Egyptian civilization because they used an advanced system of written records known as Hieroglyphics that historians were able to decode using the Rosetta Stone.

The Indus Valley Civilization The Indus River is located in modern day Pakistan and India. The Indus boasted two great cities Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. These advanced cities both possessed Urban Planning (Precise Grid) City Walls Citadels (Fortresses) Modern Plumbing/Sewage Large Granaries (Grain Storage) Standardized Weights and Measures

The people of the Indus Valley had to deal with MONSOONS, which could bring extended periods of rain or drought.

China: The Yellow River China is Geographically Isolated: bordered by ocean, deserts and mountains. Isolation leads the Chinese to become Ethnocentric, which means they believe their culture is superior and call themselves Middle Kingdom. China has extremely fertile land and two major rivers Huang-He (Yellow River) and the Yangtze. Chinese rulers rule by the Mandate of Heaven which means that rulers have Divine Rule or authority to rule from God. This led to China becoming a civilization of Dynasties and the Dynastic Cycle.