Characteristics of a Civilization Global History

To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization. Toynbee, Arnold Toynbee, Arnold , British Economic Historian and Reformer

Self-actualization (self-knowledge, fulfillment of personal potential) Esteem (autonomy, achievement, recognition) Social (belonging, affection) Safety (security, protection from harm) Physiological (Hunger, thirst, shelter) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

What is a civilization? Civilization  a society with a complex culture Culture  a shared set of beliefs, values, and traditions; a way of life

Five Characteristics of Civilization Cities Specialized Workers Complex Institutions Record Keeping Advanced Technology

1. Cities Central feature of ancient civilizations Located in fertile river valleys Nile River

Early Cities Developed Along Rivers Rivers provided: water supply transportation food supply from animals Rivers provided challenges: flooding irrigation Euphrates River

2. Specialized Workers Not only farmers, but merchants, artisans, scribes. Why? Surplus of food. There was no need to have everybody farm. This led to bartering or an exchange of goods (basket or cart) for food.

What is an Artisan? Artisans specialized in various jobs, such as: Bricklayers Blacksmiths Created great architecture and art

3. Complex Institutions Formal governments & laws Religion/priests with religious duties and/or political power Education system (mostly for priests & scribes)

Complex Institution: Governments Early governments were first headed by priests Later controlled by warrior chiefs or kings These kings became hereditary rulers

Complex Institutions: Governments Continued Governments became more complex as new responsibilities arose such as: tax collecting law making handling public works projects organizing systems of defense

Complex Institution: Religion Generally polytheistic Many gods represented natural forces Others controlled human activities Priests and worshippers tried to gain gods’ favor through complex rituals and sacrifice

Temples often built to honor specific gods and goddesses Complex Institution: Religion Myan Temple Egyptian Temple Mesopotamian Ziggurat

Complex Institution: Social Structure People ranked according to their profession Chief Priests Nobles Wealthy merchants Artisans Peasants/farmers Slaves Egyptian Social Structure

Complex Institution: Social Structure Ruling classes: Based often on military prowess Originally elected, later hereditary Perceived as offspring of gods Religious classes: Role: intervention with gods to ensure fertility, safety Considerable landholdings, other economic activities

Complex Institution: Social Structure Free commoners: Peasant cultivators Some urban professionals Slaves: Prisoners of war, convicted criminals, debtors

Social Structure - Patriarchal Society Men as landowners, relationship to status Patriarchy: “rule of the father” Right to sell wives, children Double standard of sexual morality Women drowned for adultery Relaxed sexual mores for men

Social Structure - Patriarchal Society Yet some possibilities of social mobility for women Court advisers, temple priestesses, economic activity Introduction of the veil at least c BCE

4. Record Keeping System of Writing Cuneiform, hieroglyphics, & pictographs Quipu  series of strings used by the Inca to record statistics

Writing Continued Probably first used by priests Earliest writing used pictograms Chinese Calligraphy Egyptian Hieroglyphs Mesopotamian cuneiform

Development of Writing Sumerian writing systems form 3500 BCE Pictographs Cuneiform: “wedge-shaped” Preservation of documents on clay Declines from 400 BCE with spread of Greek alphabetic script

Writing Continued Symbols later added to represent words and then sounds Scribes were specially trained to read, write, and record information

5. Advanced Technology The wheel and the plow Bronze weapons The Sail

Bibliography Annenberg/CPB American Association for the Advancement of Science McGraw-Hill Co. Unitedstreaming.com