Ancient Civilizations (Cradles of Civilizations) Mesopotamia = Ancient Sumer and Babylon = Tigris and Euphrates River Valley (Middle East/Modern Day Iraq) Ancient Egypt = Nile River Valley = Nile River (Egypt) Harrapans = Indus River Valley = Indus River (Pakistan/India) Shang Dynasty = Yellow River Valley Civilization = Huang He/Yellow River (China)

Mesopotamia = Ancient Sumer & Babylon Geography: = Tigris Euphrates River (Modern Iraq) Unpredictable flooding Irrigation & used levees to control floods Religion: Polytheistic: Hundreds of gods, goddesses, demons & monsters, bulls ; Gods were based and revolved around nature. Ziggurats: - temples that had three functions: to hold grain, religious ceremonies governmental purposes Achievements: * Political Structure: Monarchy: kings or Ensi of each city Economy: Trade with Indus: ivory, lapis, timber, gold Social Hierarchy: Monarchs, priests and nobles, warriors, artisans and merchants, then peasants, slaves at the bottom Artisans, merchants, peasant farmers, herders WARRIORS SLAVES Nobles King Priests

Achievements (brain pop link): Sumer con’t.……. Achievements (brain pop link): Cuneiform -wedge shaped writing Ziggurats -temples Math: No. System based on 60 = Sun dried bricks for constructing buildings Literature: Epic of Gilgamesh First written laws = Hammurabi’s Code/Code of Hammurabi (Babylon) Bronze making & wheeled carts

Ancient Egypt Geography: “gift of the Nile” = silt, annual, predictable floods Delta: fan shaped mouth of a river Religion: Polytheistic: believed in many gods. Ra, Horace, Osiris, Achievements: * Political Structure: Pharaoh’s ruled as God kings Theocracy: religion and political leader same person Dynasty- family rule over time Economy: Social Hierarchy:

Social Structure Artisans Workers - Farmers Slaves Egypt: Pharaohs held the highest position in society, Vizier: advisor to pharaoh, then priests, nobles, artisans (skilled workers) and merchants, peasants (farmers), and slaves had no rights.

Ancient Egypt ACHIEVEMENTS Egyptians built Pyramids: tombs for the Pharaohs; believed in an afterlife Hieroglyphics: pictogram writing Papyrus: rough form of paper made from river reeds Rosetta Stone: Key to deciphering or translating hieroglyphics using Greek and demotic - abbreviated hieroglyphics for everyday use

Rosetta Stone Hieroglyphs Demotic Greek

EGYPTIAN Technology/advancements (brain pop Link): Advancements in astronomy Calendar: 365 days long. The year consisted of 12 months of 30 days each, plus five extra days at the end of the year. The process of mummification helped Egyptians learn about the human body, which led to diagnosing illnesses and performing surgeries. Mummification: wrapping a human body in order to preserve it for the afterlife. Monuments, temples, statues and paintings

INDUS/Harapan CIVILIZATION Geography: Indus river valley; monsoon climate Religion: Polytheistic: believed in many gods. Mother goddess Achievements: Grid patterned cities Sundried bricks for constructing buildings Sanskrit spoken & Seals: Written clay tablets we’re unable to read First indoor plumbing, baths & city sewers Political Structure: organized but unknown Economy: Trade w Sumer; Ships & docks; Every city had granaries (storage areas for grain) in the center. Social Hierarchy: unknown

Shang Dynasty Geography: Yellow river valley; Huang He; loess soil Religion: Polytheistic: believed in many gods. Di Achievements: Political Structure: Emperor & Dynasty- family rule - Dynastic cycle: explains the rise and fall of ruling families in China - Mandate of Heaven: The right to rule from the God’s - Families must have the Mandate of Heaven in order to rule. Economy: Social Hierarchy:

Shang Dynasty Achievements SHANG Technology/advancements (Crash Course Link -) APSummary Shang Dynasty Achievements Chinese characters (symbols) Bronze metal work such as: bells, urns, axe heads, pots, and jewelry Jade carvings Oracle bones: Use to ask the gods or ancestors for help or prophesize the future Answers came from the gods by priests’ interpretation of the cracks.