CHAPTER 1 FIRST RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATIONS

PRE-CIVILIZATION Stability due to need to control water Small groups could not regulate waters Small groups could not defend area Predecessors to civilizations Small farming villages First appeared in S.W. Asia Catal Huyuk as example Self-sufficient agricultural village in Turkey Evidence of trade, tool making, artisans Evidence of complex religion Specialization of occupations: politics, military Evidence of metal working (Copper Age)

CIVILIZATION Civilization as Advanced Culture Population dependent on cities From Latin civitas Permanent institutions Politics, Religion; ability to make war Social, labor, gender divisions, inequality Clearly defined sense of other: barbarian, nomad Artisan, intellectual classes favoring technology Form of record keeping, specifically writing Do not confuse with “good” or “superior”

THE MAP OF 1 ST CIVILIZATIONS

ANCIENT HUMOR

ENVIRONMENT AS CATALYST Mesopotamia (land between rivers) Harsh heat, drought; unpredictable floods Few natural resources short of mud; no wood No natural defensive areas such as hills Area open to invasion by migrating nomads People in area must Provide permanent food supply Regulate, provide permanent water supply Provide defense against invaders Acquire materials such as timber, minerals

TIGRIS-EUPHRATES  “Necessity is the mother of invention”  Sumer in S. Iraq was first civilization Cuneiform, sciences, math aided farming Polytheistic religion Religion was to appease gods, control nature Art, architecture dedicated to gods, religion Priests, later kings rule city-states Land owning aristocracy dominate Warlike society with slavery Trade for needed materials

LATER MESOPOTAMIANS 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 Akkad “First” First Empire Sargon conquered all of Sumer Babylonian “First” City at junction of Tigris-Euphrates Hammurabi’s Law Code Laws included in Jewish Torah

MESOPOTAMIA AS A CHART

THE NILE RIVER Society very different from Sumer 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 Achievements Mathematics especially geometry; architecture Sciences, Medicine Art was both secular and sacred Religion was positive, egalitarian in many ways

INDUS VALLEY Arose around 2,500 BCE Mohenjo Daro, Harappa main cities Independent city-states, strong government Extremely well-planned, coordinated cities Elaborate writing system (undeciphered) Religion worshipped mother goddess Little evidence of warfare until end Devastated by environmental upheavals Destroyed by Indo-European (Aryan) nomads

HUANG-HE (YELLOW) RIVER Developed in isolation Compare with ancient Egypt Xia Dynasty (Mythical?) God-like kings Taught irrigation, sericulture Shang Dynasty Warlike kings, landed aristocracy; few priests Most people worked land as peasants Elaborate bronze workings; naturalistic art

CHINESE WRITING 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

DYNASTIC CYCLE One ruling family replaces another 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

MANDATE OF HEAVEN Chinese political idea 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

HOW THE CYCLE AND MANDATE WORK TOGETHER

HERITAGES First heritages passed on 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 City-states traded across Mediterranean Invented alphabet Lydians, Hittites in Asia Minor Introduced Iron, coinage to area Hebrews in Palestine Large Semitic migration in area Ethical monotheism Conduct determines salvation There is only one God speaking through prophets, priests God made a covenant with the Jews, his Chosen people

NOMADS: BARBARIANS? Pastoral herding on fringes 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