River Valley Civilizations

Most of History on a Single Slide Paleolithic era (250,000 to 12,000 years ago) The big idea: initial settlement of the earth Small, close-knit societies of hunter-gatherers Hit a population limit Small does not mean bad Neolithic revolution (12,000 to 4,000 years ago) Change from food gathering to food producing Pastoralism, then agriculture Big changes to human lifestyles Surplus  divisions of labor, population growth Need to organize  governments Cultural changes: inequalities, religion New knowledge of metals = Bronze Age Paleolithic era really starts around 200-250k years ago, with homo sapiens traveling out of eastern and southern Africa – earliest archaeology sees signs of human behavior there first – stone blades, bone tools, grindstones, hunting and fishing – and from there, people spread out, (first from Africa to Eurasia, then to Australia, then to North and South America Societies were small in Paleolithic – 25-50 people, intensely personal and based on kinship – nomads, moved around to follow patterns of wild plants and animals – transportation limited population growth, can’t really accumulate goods BUT it does mean society is very egalitarian – (equal) – most people had the same skills, men and women were usually more equal than in later societies -- To a certain extent, limited by nature (following plants, animal migrations, etc – not a style of living that lends itself to large population growth - “the most affluent society” (3-5 hours a day, versus common idea as violent/uncertain NEOLITHIC (new stone age) Agriculture – tending crops and livestock to produce food, horticulture – just hand-tools to cultivate crops, doesn’t use animals – pastoralists domesticate animals Pastoralists developed in areas like sub-Saharan and eastern Africa, tundras, grasslands --- what do these have in common? Can’t farm there – it’s harder – traveled around to follow crops When you settle down and start growing your own crops, a bunch of stuff happens: You stay in one spot, which means you can have stuff – private property If you grow enough crops, not everyone has to farm  you can do what you’re best at – tool-makers make tools, etc. – everything is more efficient, you can start supporting higher population More regular food supplies mean people eat more, population grows higher As society gets bigger and more complicated, you need someone to run it – so we start creating governments Social and gender inequalities – private property means some people can have more than others, specialization = some professions are more respected; also, women get sidelined to domestic chores, less linked to survival Polytheism – sun gods, rain gods, harvest – different aspects of farming life Bronze is made by smelting copper and tin – helps create tools and weapons

Jericho & Catal Huyuk 4000 bce – villages had grown into towns – these aren’t quite cities, but they are foreshadowing what’s to come Jericho on Jordan river – mud/brick houses surrounded by a big wall Catal Huyuk, in Turkey – joined houses together so that people couldn’t invade them Organized – start trading from other towns, as far as Sinai for Turquoise (Jericho)

What makes it a civilization? (and not just a bunch of people) Surplus of food Specialization Social classes Cities Governments Long-distance trade (between civs) Organized writing systems Exception: the Inca Look at the social, the political, the economic “Civilized” versus “uncivilized” Inca date into post-classical era without a writing system – but they’re the exception that proves the rule Early urban dwellers thought of nomads poorly – you see Ammianus Marcellus talking about the Huns as “abnormally savage – they utter war cries, none of them even use a plow handle”

The Emergence of Civilizations First civilizations develop in river valleys Rivers help civilization grow: nutrients, animal & plant life, transportation Cultural hearths Four river valley civilizations between 3000-2000 bce Mesopotamia Egypt India China

TIGRIS-EUPHRATES Mesopotamia (land between rivers) People in area must Harsh heat, drought; unpredictable floods Few natural resources; no wood No natural defensive areas such as hills Area open to invasion by nomads People in area must Provide permanent food supply Regulate, provide permanent water supply Provide defense against invaders Acquire materials such as timber, minerals Modern-day Tigris-Euphrates runs through Turkey, Syria, Iraq – empties into the Persian gulf

TIGRIS-EUPHRATES “Necessity is the mother of invention” Sumer in S. Iraq: first civilization (5000 bce) Create cuneiform, the first writing City-states ruled by priests and kings Wars over irrigated farmland Land-owning aristocracy dominate; most of the population were farmers or slaves Polytheistic religion tied to nature Cuneiform = wedges in clay tablets; helps laws, treaties, religious customs Mathematics – twelve-month calendar Religion – gods for certain city-states (plus a bunch that everyone shared)

LATER MESOPOTAMIANS Epic of Gilgamesh Cycle of Civilization Nomads come in and conquer sedentary people Conquerors assimilate local sedentary culture New civilization blends cultures, thrives for a while “New” civilization grows old, invaded by nomads Akkadian “First” First Empire Sargon conquered all of Sumer Babylonian “First” City at junction of Tigris-Euphrates Hammurabi’s Law Code Epic of Gilgamesh Sargon of Akkad founds the Akkadian empire in 2300bce --- helps spread Sumerian ways throughout the area Then the Babylonians come in – King Hammurabbi develops Code of Hammu – very egalitarian (then the Hittites, and the Persians….they each kinda form empires here) Gilgamesh is basically a bromance between him and Enkidu – goes searching for eternal life and doesn’t find it

MESOPOTAMIA AS A CHART

HUANG-HE (YELLOW) RIVER Developed in isolation Along lower Yellow River Rich loess soil Constantly flooding First Dynasties Control of flooding critical Xia Dynasty (Mythical?) God-like kings Taught irrigation, silkmaking Shang Dynasty Warlike kings, landed aristocracy; few priests Most people worked land as peasants Elaborate bronze workings; naturalistic art

CHINESE WRITING Originated during Shang Ideographic Writing denotes ideas First used on Oracle Bones Priests asked gods questions Wrote questions on bones Tossed into fire Cracks read by priests (divination) Elitist technique = scholar-bureaucrats Extremely difficult to read Required well-educated class to use Only elite had time to learn Cuneiform, hieroglyphs had similar effects

MANDATE OF HEAVEN Chinese political idea Indicators of a Lost Mandate Rulers exercise power given by heaven Rulers continue to rule if heaven pleased Heaven will take back mandate to rule Heaven will replace ruling dynasty Indicators of a Lost Mandate Wars, invasions, military disasters Over-taxation, disgruntled peasants Social, moral decline of elite classes Increased crime, banditry

DYNASTIC CYCLE One ruling family replaces another Stages in Cycle The Dynasty Changes Due to the loss of the Mandate of Heaven Stages in Cycle New dynasty arises, takes control of China Strengthens rule, reestablishes prosperity, peace Weakens, becomes lazy, problems arise Invasions, revolts toss out reigning dynasty Shang replaces Xia, Zhou replaces Shang

HOW THE CYCLE AND MANDATE WORK TOGETHER

THE NILE RIVER Society very different from Sumer Achievements Nile flooded regularly, predictably Provided rich soil, Easy soil to farm Civilization regulated flooding, surveying Location isolated Pharaoh was considered god-king Theocracy, almost absolute Built pyramid tombs for dead Egypt unified for most of history Queen Hatsheput Achievements Mathematics especially geometry; architecture Astronomy and medicine Hieroglyphics The Nile is isolated – so you don’t have nomads showing up at your door every five minutes being like “hey we rule here now” Predictability of Nile = bigger surpluses Order of social structure: pharaoh, priests, nobles, peasants, slaves First pharaoh is supposedly Menes in 3100bce – but we’re not even sure if he’s real Religion very focused around the afterlife – you can take things with you Queen Hatsheput – 22 years rule during the New Kingdom, expanded trade greatly, generally Egyptian women had more rights/individuality than Mesopotamia (New Kingdom, could buy, sell, inherit property, dissolve marriages --- BUT still a patriarchy)

INDUS VALLEY Arose around 2,500 BCE Collapse Main Cities Mohenjo Daro Harappa Hundreds of other settlements Independent city-states, strong government Extremely well-planned, coordinated cities Elaborate writing system (undeciphered) Religion Worshipped mother goddess Evidence of priestly class and temples Collapse Little evidence of warfare until end Devastated by environmental upheavals Destroyed by Indo-European (Aryan) nomads Cities abandoned

MEANWHILE, IN AMERICAS Olmec around Gulf of Mexico, 1200bce Used rainfall for agriculture Cities are centers of trade, religion Priests and ruling class over others Giant stone heads (as tall as 2 Mr. Storcks!) Chavin off coast of Peru, 900bce Two major regions: mountains and coast Trade routes running through mountains CONTRAST: Neither are river valleys The Olmec traded things like salt, cacao, clay, and limestone – jade especially important

HERITAGES First heritages Passed thru children Writing systems inherited Intellectual systems, art copied Religious, philosophical systems copied Useful inventions rarely forgotten, easily spread River valley civilizations decline by 1000BCE All subject to nomadic invasions Indo-Europeans and Semites were strongest Geographical centers shifted (all except China) Political Structures often not continued

CIVILIZATION SPREADS Phoenician Sailors in Lebanon Asia Minor City-states traded across Mediterranean Invented 22-letter alphabet Asia Minor Hittites introduced Iron Lydians introduced coinage to area Hebrews in Palestine Large Semitic migration in area There is only one God speaking through prophets, priests God made a covenant with the Jews, his Chosen people Ethical monotheism Conduct determines salvation Man is not eternally damned if he follows God’s rules, repents

NOMADS: BARBARIANS? Pastoralism Seen as savages Domestication of animals Way of life based on herding Often on fringes Bordered settled areas Seen as savages Interaction vs. conflict Nomads traded, coexisted with settled areas Nomads warred on, conquered settled areas Often protected merchants, allowed trade Prior to 1500 BCE little major threat Chariot Peoples (Central Asian Indo-Europeans) Domesticated horse, invented chariot, iron weapons Pushed into SW Asia, S. Asia, E. Asia, Europe Responsible for spread of ideas, trade