1. The River Valley Civilizations 4,000 BCE to 850 BCE
TERMS
Civilization
Irrigation
Transportation
Crossroads
Dynasty
Cuneiform
Hammurabi’s Code
Irrigation Canals
Pharaoh
Hieroglyphics
Papyrus
Great Giza
Cotton
Urbanization
Silk
The Rise of Early Human Civilization

2. Elements of Civilization (P - S - E)
Essential Questions necessary in gaining understanding of any civilization
Due to a Surplus of Food during the Neolithic Era, human populations explode
Some smaller settlements grow into full fledged Civilizations
Elements of Civilization (P - S - E)
Cities ____
Central Government ____
Traditional Economy ____
Organized Religion ____
Social Classes ____
Art & Architecture ____
Roads, Bridges, & other Public Works ____
System of Writing ____
Specialized Jobs ____
What is the civilization’s geography like?
Topography
Climate
Effects on the Civilization
How does the civilization structure it’s society?
What type of political system does the civilization depend on to govern and organize it’s people?
How does the government use and distribute its resources to meet the needs of its people?

3. Complex Human Civilization
The earliest complex civilizations develop in fertile River Valleys around the world for 3 major reasons
Access to water for Irrigation of Crops
Early humans do not have the technology to divert water long distances
Highly Fertile farmland
Rivers overflow yearly, naturally fertilizing the land
Early civilizations do not have the technology to fertilize themselves
Transportation for Trade
Easy farming creates large surpluses of Crops for trade
River provides an easy way to transport large quantities, long distances
The 1st River Valley Civilization develops in one of the major Crossroads of the world  The Middle East

4. Effects of Geography on Early Human Settlement

5. Check for Understanding
The Neolithic Revolution is often considered a turning point in history because
(1) city dwellers learned to control fire
(2) societies became more nomadic
(3) nuclear families evolved into extended families
(4) permanent settlements developed in river Valleys
One reason the Euphrates, Indus, Nile, and Tigris valleys became centers of early civilization is that these valleys had (1) borders and elevations that were easy to defend (2) rich deposits of coal and iron ore (3) the means for irrigation and transportation (4) locations in regions of moderate climate and abundant rainfall

6. Mesopotamia/Sumeria 3,500 – 1,700 BC
Location: Fertile Crescent- MIDDLE EAST
Rivers: The Tigris & Euphrates
Political: Local Rule/Military Dynasty
Social: Rigid Social Classes
Religion: Polytheistic
Economy: Traditional
Achievements:
Written Language
Cuneiform, 12 month calendar
System of Written Laws
Hammurabi’s Code
Advanced Architecture
City of Babylon, Ziggurats, Irrigation Canals

7. Egypt 3,200 – 500 BC Location: North Eastern AFRICA
Rivers: The Nile River Delta
Political: Dynasty (Pharaoh)
Social: Rigid Social Classes by occupation
Religion: Polytheistic
Economy: Traditional
Achievements:
Written Language
Hieroglyphics, Use of Papyrus
Advanced Medicine
Mummification, Brain Surgery
Advanced Architecture
Pyramids at Giza, Sphinx

8. Check for Understanding
Which geographic factor had a major influence on the development of both Egyptian and Babylonian civilizations? (1) river valleys (2) cool temperatures (3) locations near a strait (4) mountains
The Code of Hammurabi contained written laws that were designed to (1) create a stable society (2) promote peaceful relations with other cultures (3) provide a framework for the development of democracy (4) emphasize the importance of life after death

9. Indus Valley/Harappan Civilization (2,500 – 1750 B.C.E.)
Location: Southern Indian Peninsula
Rivers: The Indus & Ganges Rivers
Political: Highly Centralized/Unknown
Social: Unknown
Religion: Unknown
Economy: Traditional (trade heavy)
Achievements:
Written Language
Unknown
Developed Extensive Trade Networks
Cotton
Complex Urbanization
Sewage System & Public Baths
Grid Pattern Cities

10. Huang He Civilization (4,000 – 1,027 B.C.E.)
Location: NW China
Rivers: The Huang He & Yangtze Rivers
Political: Dynasty
Social: Unknown
Religion: Unknown
Economy: Traditional
Achievements:
Written Language
Unknown/Ideogram
Developed Calendar
Developed Extensive Trade Networks
Silk
Complex Irrigation Systems
“The River of Sorrows”
The Huang floods erratically

11. Check for Understanding
Which geographic factor had the greatest influence on the early history of South Asia and
China?
river valleys
vast coastlines
(3) island locations
(4) tropical rain forests
One way in which the ancient Sumerians, Egyptians, and Chinese are similar is that these civilizations developed
(1) irrigation systems
(2) iron weapons
(3) wheeled vehicles
(4) block printing systems