The First Urban Societies Developed around 5,000 years ago Mesopotamia Egypt Mohenjo-daro and Harappa Shang Olmec Chavin

Mesopotamia Located in present-day Iraq in the Tigris and Euphrates River Valleys Sumer - region in the southern half of Mesopotamia Uruk - largest city with 50,000 people - ziggurat in the center - massive walls surrounding the city Irrigation helped foster an abundance of agriculture - required labor to build Social Classes Patriarchal society - men were heads of households Only boys attended schools Kings and Nobles at the top - kings were seen as DIVINE Priests and priestesses - bring good fortune to communities Free commoners - mostly worked on farms outside the city Dependent Clients - owned no property, worked for others Slaves - Those in debt, prisoners of war, and criminals - often worked as domestic servants

Mesopotamia Sumerian cities established governments that controlled life inside and outside (farming) city walls 2900 B.C.E. - Sumerians developed the writing system Cuneiform Used to record purchases and taxes Hammurabi’s Code - 1750s B.C.E. - based on class

Egypt Located in the Nile River Annual floods produced rich soil to grow crops Natural barriers (deserts and seas) helped prevent foreign invaders 3100 B.C.E. - Egypt was unified, with Memphis as its capital Pharaohs ruled - claimed to be divine Pyramids were built - served as tombs Khufu’s pyramid - took 20 years to build and over 84,000 people

Egypt Pharaohs hoped to take over neighboring Nubia to the South Valuables such as gold, ivory and ebony were there

Mohenjo-daro and Harappa Located along the Indus River Valley 2000 B.C.E. Multi-story houses with indoor plumbing Written language used pictographs No Rosetta Stone - can’t decipher Social Classes: Believed to exist - varying sized homes Many professions - jewelers, potters, etc. Rural areas outside of city was used for farming Abandoned around 19th Century B.C.E.

Shang Located in the Yellow (Huange He) River Valley 1700s - 1100s B.C.E. Agriculture dominated this region Social classes: Many were peasants Some skilled workers - pottery, wheels, tools, some bronze items - including weapons Scribes - language that was pictograph-based Strong military - bronze weapons and chariots

Shang Calendar with 12 months Religion - polytheistic Believed in ancestral spirits Oracle bones Questions were asked on animal bones (tortoises and oxen) Overthrown by the Zhou Dynasty - Mandate of Heaven

Olmec Located in present-day Mexico 1200 - 400 B.C.E. Agriculture - avocados, beans, squash Developed a calendar and the concept of 0 Society was believed to be hierarchical

Chavin Located in Andean South America 1000 - 200 B.C.E. Agriculture - maize and cotton Llamas provided meat Weak political structure

Quick Recap Mesopotamia - Cuneiform Egypt - pharaohs, hieroglyphics Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa Shang - bronze weapons, oracle bones Olmec - agriculture Chavin - weak political structure