Earliest Civilizations WHAP Earliest Civilizations

Characteristics of a civilization Reliable surplus (food) Specialized occupations Social class distinctions Growth of cities Complex governments Long distance trade Organized writing systems

Earliest Civilizations Centered around river valleys (fertile soil, abundant water) Earliest civilization (Mesopotamia, “land between 2 rivers- Tigris and Euphrates) Sumerians- take control, develop city-states Labor system includes slavery Sargon the Great conquers Sumerian city states (2300 BCE) founding Akkadian Empire

Map

Modern Map

Mesopotamia Early government – Theocracy (govt by gods and priests) Developed into rule by warrior kings (kingdoms) 1700 BCE- Babylonians conquer led by Hammurabi Hittites control 1500 BCE Assyrians 900 BCE New Babylonians 500 BCE

MESOPOTAMIA Hammurabi's code- first known written law code Cuneiform- first known system of writing (picture, symbol) 3500 BCE First recorded story “Epic of Gilgamesh” Recommended: be familiar with Gilgamesh story Believed gods (natural disasters) intervened in human affairs, each city has a god, ziggurat temple. Polytheism-belief in many gods

Ziggurat, reconstructed (Ur)

Mesopotamia Social classes- 1) free land owning class (royal, priest, warrior, govt, etc.) 2) dependent farmers and craftsmen 3) Slaves (as much as 40% of population) Slaves were prisoners of war or debtors Slavery would end after debt paid off

Mesopotamia Economy- long distance trade with Egypt, Persia. Sailed canoes through Persian Gulf and Arabian sea. Traded for gold, tin, beads, obsidian, wood, pearls, etc. Women- enjoy few freedoms (upper class own property) only boys attend school Cuneiform for record keeping- scribe Technology- metal plows, sundial, carts and 12 month calender. Number system (based on 60) still used today (60 seconds= 1 min)