Ancient Civilizations Egypt, Indus Valley, China, and Mesopotamia Resource: World History Encyclopedia Millennium Edition Clip art source: Broderbund’s PrintMaster Platinum 10

The Ancient World 4 million years ago to 500 AD B.C. or B.C.E.- before Christ or before the Christian Era A.D.- Anno Domini, in the year of the Lord 2.5 million years ago man’s earliest ancestors appeared in Africa 5000 B.C.- the world’s first civilizations began to appear

Big Advances 2.5-2 million years BC- tools are made 8000 BC- farming begins and first towns appear 5000 BC- world’s first civilizations appear Civilization Characteristics: cities, government, religion, social structure, writing and art/technology.

Location

Sequence of Civilizations 5000- 3100 B.C.- different cultures appear along the Nile River 3000 B.C.- farming settlements appear around the Indus River valley 2205 B.C.- families called dynasties rule China: Yellow River; Yangtze River 2000 B.C.- settlements along Indus River and the Ganges River.

Ancient Egypt Gift of the Nile Lower and Upper Egypt 3100 BC- King Menes united the two kingdoms 1554 BC- Pharaoh title is used.

Ancient Egypt Government Viziers- two appointed officials to help rule and collect taxes 42 nomes- governed by nomarchs Officials headed state departments like Royal Works

Egyptian Beliefs Life after death The soul had to pass several ordeals to make it to a better world. Body had to be intact for after world.

Indus Valley Civilization The Indus Valley Civilization was larger than Egypt. Harappa and Mohenjo Daro were major cities. Highly organized trade system Cities were laid out on a grid system. The houses were made of mud brick and had bathrooms and a drainage system.

Ancient China Located among three major rivers- Chang Jiang, Xi Jiang, and Huang He Irrigation was used. Ruled by a series of families (dynasties) 221 BC Shi Huangdi unites China and forms Qin dynasty Shi Huangdi is the first emperor of China.

Ancient China Shi Huangdi changed the government and standardized money, weights, and measures. The Great Wall of China was built between 214 and 204 BC in the north to keep out the Huns. The Wall areas more than 1,400 miles long.

Ancient Chinese Culture Chinese nobles watched the Great Wall being constructed. Convicted criminals and peasants constructed the wall. Chinese civil service was based on the beliefs of Confucius.

Mesopotamia Tigris River Euphrates River Fertile Crescent (land between two rivers) Theocracy City-States