1. Cities, States, and Unequal Societies
First Civilizations
Cities, States, and Unequal Societies

2. First Civilizations
Civilization represents a new and particular type of human society, made possible by the immense productivity of the Agricultural Revolution.
Far larger populations, ten of thousands; Cities
Some used force to compel obedience
Differences in economic function, skill, wealth, status sharply divided civilizations.
End of egalitarianism
Subject to oppression
Pyramids, temples, palaces, elaborate sculptures, written literature, complex calendars, class, slavery, patriarchy, large- scale warfare. (Cultural products of civilization)

3. Emergence of Civilizations
Civilization was a global phenomenon, showing up independently in six major locations around the world during the several millennia after 3500 B.C.E.
Mesoamerica (Olmec)
South America (Norte Chico)
Mesopotamia (Sumer)
Nile River Valley (Nubia, Ancient Egypt)
Huang He River Valley
Indus River Valley (Harappa, Mahenjo-Daro)
What do they have in common?

5. Complex Society What is a complex society?
Cities lay at the heart of all the First Civilizations:
What could you find in those cities?
Political/administrative capitals
Art
Architecture
Literature
Ritual and ceremony
Marketplaces
Specialization and Inequality
Slavery
Patriarchy

6. The Erosion of Equality
Hierarchies of class
Inequalities in wealth, status, and power.
Upper classes:
Enjoyed great wealth
Avoided physical labor
Had the finest of everything
Occupied he top positions in political, military, and religious life.
Free Commoners
Lower-level officials, soldiers and police, servants, farmers.
Slaves
Slavery and civilization seemed to have emerged together.

7. Hierarchies of Gender
Patriarchy (men hold power) emerged in First Civilizations.
What was it about civilization that seemed to generate patriarchy?
Heavier work in agriculture.
Far away work.
More often pregnant
Men were less important in the household took on public roles.
Warfare

8. Hammurabi’s Code

9. Hammurabi’s Code
Read Hammurabi’s Code (one law for each category) and explain how the document illustrates the following themes:
Social- Development and Transformation of social structure
Political- State Building, Expansion and Conflict
Interaction- Interaction Between Humans and the Environment
Cultural- Development and Interaction of Cultures
Economic- Creation, Expansion and Interaction of Economic Systems