Civilization Goals: Identify and explain the 5 characteristics of an advanced civilization. Evaluate Sumer as an example of an Advanced civilization.

Economic Changes Irrigation was developed to water the fields = more food with less work More food crops and animals = less time spent hunting and gathering More time = more people developing new skills and specialization (developing skills in one specific area) Artisans (skilled workers who make things by hand) began to offer their goods for trade, i.e. pottery, cloth & baskets

Economic Changes cont. Village Economy =centered on individuals providing their own food City Economy = centered on trade between farmers and artisans through bartering (trading for goods without the use of money) The invention of the wheel and sails for boats allowed for trade over greater distances

Those with more animals, foods and goods became more powerful Social Changes Social classes developed - some had bigger fields, more animals, better artisans traded more goods Those with more animals, foods and goods became more powerful Religions changed their focus from Sun and Hunting to deities (gods) who helped crops, (i.e. wind, rain) and artisans (i.e. weaver gods, pottery gods)

5 Characteristics of a Civilization (complex culture with advanced cities, specialized workers, complex institutions, record –keeping, and advanced technology) Advanced Cities- not just a large population, it should also be a trade center for smaller villages Specialized workers- people with specific skills (i.e. potters, farmers, priests, metalworkers, jewelry- makers etc.) Complex Institutions – (long-lasting methods of organization in a community) i.e. Government, religions, economic structures – temples were often the center of trade, government and religion

5 Characteristics cont. 4. Record-Keeping – Writing was developed c. 3000 B.C. by scribes (professional record keepers) to keep track of taxes, laws, food storage, calendars for rituals, accounts for trades etc. Cuneiform (Early writing from Sumer based on wedge shapes)

5 Characteristics cont. 5. Improved technology – technology should be growing and advancing over the years i.e. irrigation ditches, plows, building techniques, discovery of bronze Bronze Age - c. 3,500 B.C. time in history when people learned how to make bronze and used it instead of stone and copper)

Ur: A City in Sumer C. 3,000 B.C. in modern day Iraq Ur was a big city – approx. 30,000 people City had walls, houses and a ziggurat temple (a pyramid shaped monument with stepped sides)