About 5,000 years ago something profound happened… Civilization

Where were these ancient civilizations? Most are in river valleys Location near the equator

What is Civilization? Civilizations have these five components: 1.Advanced Cities 2.Specialized Workers 3.Complex Institutions 4.Record Keeping 5.Advanced Technology

Advanced Cities Monuments Monuments Irrigation Irrigation Walls Walls

Specialized Workers & Complex Institutions Specialized Workers Bureaucrats Bureaucrats Soldiers Soldiers Priests Priests Merchants Merchants Complex Institution Government Government Armies Armies Religion Religion Trade Trade

Complex Institutions - Religion Animism – belief that forces of nature are inhabited by spirits. Animism – belief that forces of nature are inhabited by spirits. Myths – stories to explain the working of the world. Myths – stories to explain the working of the world. –Need to keep in mind that they didn’t view them as stories, but as facts. Polytheism – Religion with multiple deities. Polytheism – Religion with multiple deities. Monotheism – Religion with one deity. Monotheism – Religion with one deity.

Record Keeping - Writing Pictograph – symbols using pictures Pictograph – symbols using pictures Cuneiform – wedge shaped symbols Cuneiform – wedge shaped symbols Hieroglyph – combination of ideograms (represent things) and phonograms (represent sounds). Hieroglyph – combination of ideograms (represent things) and phonograms (represent sounds).

Record Keeping - Writing Benefits Bureaucracy Bureaucracy Trade Trade Communication Communication Preservation of Knowledge Preservation of Knowledge Keep in mind that VERY few people could read or write.

Advanced Technology Bronze Bronze –3,000 to 1,200 BCE –Combination of copper and tin. Wheel Wheel Sailboat Sailboat Calendar Calendar Plow Plow

Disadvantages of Civilization Writing laws formalized the inequality between men and women. Writing laws formalized the inequality between men and women. Trade increased divisions in social structure. Trade increased divisions in social structure. More people, new technology and government allowed the creation of armies. More people, new technology and government allowed the creation of armies.

The Development of Civilization... Belief Systems Belief Systems Rulers Rulers Culture Culture Laws Laws

Our goal for the first semester is to trace the early paths of “civilized” humans These are the early sources of “western civilization.” Mesopotamia Egypt

Greece Rome Mesopotamia and Egypt paved the way for: The United States is a product of western civilization. We can trace our religion, laws, and political ideas to these cultures. Also known as Greco-Roman.

The fall of Rome led to… The Middle Ages Here we’ll look at Judeo-Christian and Islamic Culture.

India China Finally, eastern civilizations will also be studied: