Early River Valley Civilizations Unit 1, September 1st and 5th

River valley civilizations

1. Egypt It started at the northern most peak of the Nile River and each July the Nile flooded leaving behind new fertile soil It was protected by the water of the Nile and desert, allowing it to grow Produced a 365 day calendar based on astronomy, developed early geometry, and hieroglyphics was created for communication Polytheistic – belief in many gods – with 2,000 gods and goddesses They believe in life after death and developed mummification – preserve the body using linen and preservatives

Pharaohs were seen as gods –ruled as a theocracy Using math and engineering, Egyptians built magnificent monuments – pyramids (tombs) – to honor dead rulers Social classes: Pharaoh People of wealth (priests, army, govt.) Middle class (merchants & craftsman) Peasants Slaves Women had same rights as men Pharaoh = great house

2. Mesopotamia It was located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, which became the basis for its wealth Known as the ‘Fertile Crescent’ – arc of land between the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean – and in modern day Iraq One of their greatest accomplishments was the invention of the earliest known writing system - cuneiform Known for their metalwork, woolen textiles and pottery They invented the wheel, plow, sail & were first to use bronze Polytheistic Gods are thought to control forces of nature • Gods behave as humans do, but people are gods’ servants • Life after death is bleak and gloomy

Around 3300 BC the Sumerians began farming Mesopotamia Organization, leadership, and laws are the beginning of a civilization Social classes: Upper class – kings, priests, warriors Middle class – merchants, farmers, fisherman Lower class – slaves Women have many rights Environmental disadvantages Problem solving Floods are unpredictable; sometimes no rain They built ditches to control water and produce crops Land offers no barrier to invasions They built walled cities for defense Land has few natural resources, so building materials are scarce They traded grain, cloth and tools for raw materials – stone, wood, metal Sumerians have social classes —kings, landholders, priests at top • Wealthy merchants next; at lowest levels are slaves • Women have many rights; become priests, merchants, artisans

3. Indus/Harrapan The Indus Valley civilization started around 2500 BCE and built well-planned cities – known as Harrapan Civilization Naturally bordered by the Arabian Sea and the Himalaya Mountains Monsoons dominated their climate and floods along the river were unpredictable Developed irrigations systems and engineers created plumbing and sewage systems Economy depended on trade with other people, including Mesopotamia

Had a writing system of 400 symbols, which is still undeciphered Cities appeared uniform in culture with no social divisions – cities were built up to protect against floods and streets in a grid system Animals were important to society Priests were closely linked to rulers and religious artifacts show links to modern Hinduism They declined around 1750 BC due to earthquakes. Floods, & soil depletion

4. China Began around 2000 BCE along the Yellow River valley and Yangtze Rivers The two rivers merged to create a great food-procuring area, as China was isolated and lacked outside trade Family was very important in their culture– women expected to obey all men Social classes: King and warrior-nobles lead society Upper class lives inside city walls Poor people live outside city walls King ruled, but his kingdom was divided into different territories that were ruled by warlords

Iron metallurgy was used for farming tools, utensils and weapons because of its strength The Zhou Dynasty in 1000 BC built roads, canals, made coins They worshipped their dead ancestors and used Oracle Bones – inscribed animal bones – to consult gods Their writing system used symbols to represent syllables and the number of characters made it hard to learn Mandate of heaven – the belief that a just ruler had divine approval to rule