Ancient River Valley Civilizations

Pre-history Pre-historic = before written records Two periods of pre-history to know –Paleolithic –Neolithic

Pre-history Paleolithic –(Old) Stone age period Stone primary material for tools –Hunter-gathers –Nomadic lifestyle

Pre-history Neolithic Age –(New) stone age Stone still primary tool material Agriculture Domestication of animals Some settlement Some nomadic groups

Paleolithic Age Neolithic Age 1 st Agricultural Revolution

Neolithic Age Develop Civilization People Start to Settle

Civilization A form of culture, characterized by cities,specialized workers, complex institutions, record-keeping and advanced technology

Civilization To be a civilization, society must have a majority of these: –CitiesSpecialized labor –GovernmentScience & tech –ReligionArt –TaxesSocial classes –Written language

Tigris & Euphrates Located in modern Iraq Known as Mesopotamia (land between 2 rivers) Known as Fertile Crescent Look for the only green in the brownish Middle east on the map Rivers empty into Persian Gulf

Tigris & Euphrates The geography does not help –Unpredictable flooding –No natural barriers to invasion –Plenty of fresh water for farming and drinking –Access to trade/travel & cultural diffusion –Silt deposited by rivers

Tigris & Euphrates Geography does not help, but problems solved –For defense, walls of mud bricks were built –Trade of grain, cloth and tools brought in natural raw materials like stone, wood and metal

Tigris & Euphrates Main crops grown were barley & wheat Surpluses produced led to development of different civilizations in the region

Tigris & Euphrates Cities associated with Mesopotamia –Sumer –Akkad –Babylon –Ur –Assyrian

Tigris & Euphrates Sumererian –Polytheism –Run by soldiers –Temples called Ziggurats –Developed sailboat, used wheeled vehicles (chariots) –Developed geometry & arithmetic

Tigris & Euphrates Sumer –Developed arches, columns, ramps –Developed cuneiform (wedge writing in wet mud which was allowed to dry)

Assyrian Developed huge libraries Highly war-like, spread their culture and ideas by conquest

Tigris & Euphrates Akkad –Sargon of Akkad conquered Sumer –Created world’s first empire –Dynasty lasted 200 years

Tigris & Euphrates Babylon –Based on Euphrates river –Empire hit peak under Hammurabi –Hammurabi’s Code

Tigris & Euphrates Hammurabi’s Code –Needed single, unified code of law to unify people –Written in stone –Placed throughout the empire –“eye for an eye” –Law applied to everyone, but applied differently to men/women & rich/poor

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Written Law Codes 10 Commandments Hammurabi’s Code Draco’s Code 12 Tables Justinian’s Code Napoleonic Code

Nile River Valley Geographic Issues –Floods predictably (develop calendar) –River deposits silt on banks –Access to travel/trade –Grow papyrus (turn into paper) –River flows north into Mediterranean Sea –Egyptians forced to live close to river (little cultural diffusion)

Nile River Valley Egypt = “gift of the Nile” Without the river there is no Egyptian civilization Silt very fertile Desert very harsh Irrigation ditches to water crops Surpluses led to civilization

Nile River Valley Egypt –Polytheism Kings (pharaohs were god-kings) Egyptian government was theocracy (based on religious teaching/rules)

Nile River Valley Egypt –Pyramids were actually tombs for pharaohs –Pharaohs were mummified –Bodies dried and preserved for use in the afterlife

Nile River Valley Egypt –Writing developed called hieroglyphics Glyphs are symbols/pictures First written on stone Hieroglyphics written on early paper made from papyrus Built boats made of papyrus, later wood planks

Nile River Valley Egypt –Developed very accurate calendar –Developed arithmetic & geometry –First to use stone columns –Developed early medical procedures for broken bones, wounds & fevers

Indus River Valley Indus = India (you cannot forget this!!) Indus River starts in Himalaya mountains & flows to Arabian Sea Himalayas natural boundary Unpredictable flooding

Indus River Valley Indus sites not fully discovered yet No kings/queens known Few available records Was largest empire until Persia develops 1000 years later

Indus River Valley Two main cities of the Indus Valley Harappa Mohenjo-Daro Both carefully planned & laid out in a grid pattern Structures built of oven-fired bricks Homes had indoor plumbing

Indus River Valley Archaeologists believe the 2 cities had strong organized government Food seemed to be in good supply City planning indicates development of mathematical skills Indus first to cultivate cotton Polytheistic religious beliefs

Huang He River Valley China’s geography has isolated it Chinese developed belief that China was the center of the Earth & source of all civilization China to south & southwest hemmed in by Tien Shan & Himalaya mountains

Huang He River Valley China’s history began in Huang He Valley People learned to farm during the Neolithic Age The yellow soil particles in the river give it its name “Yellow” Also known as “China’s Sorrow” because of the unpredictable flooding

Huang He River Valley The flooding is due in part to the loess in the water that raises the level of the river Flooding has often been disastrous First Chinese in the valley to develop were the Shang Zhou overthrew the Shang Developed Mandate of Heaven idea

Huang He River Valley Mandate of Heaven says that the gods allowed a dynasty to rule until that dynasty got old & corrupt New dynasty was given new Mandate of Heaven to over throw old This changing of dynasties is called the Dynastic Cycle

Dynastic Cycle New Dynasty Brings peace Builds roads Land to peasants Protects people Too many taxes No protection Unfair treatment No building Old Dynasty Floods Quakes Revolts Invaders Problems

Huang He River Valley By 1000 BC Chinese had develop silk production Chinese also produced first books under the Zhou Also produced porcelain, writing, coined money and cast iron Developed Cartography (mapmaking)