1. Early River Valley Civilizations

2. City-States of Mesopotamia

3. Geography of the Fertile Crescent
Fertile Crescent – land between Persian Gulf and Mediterranean
Mesopotamia – fertile “land between the rivers”
Tigris and Euphrates rivers flood once a year
Sumerians began farming area around 3300 B.C.
Created first complex society (civilization)
Challenges included: unpredictable floods, no natural barriers, few natural resources
Solutions included: irrigation, walled cities, trading

4. Fertile Crescent

5. Characteristics of Civilization
Advanced cities
Specialized workers
Complex institutions
Record keeping
Improved technology

6. Sumerians Create City-States
City-state – an independent, political unit
City-states had temple, ziggurat, priests
Priests controlled government
Patriarchal society
Economy build on division of labor, extensive trade
Religion was polytheistic and bleak
Social classes had kings, landowners, priests at top
Merchants, farmers in middle, slaves at the bottom
Women had many rights, could own property

7. Sumerian Culture

8. Advancements and Empire Building
Inventions included wheel, sail, plow, use of bronze
Advances in math, science, medicine, engineering
Cuneiform – complex writing system using wedge-shaped characters
Growth and military rule led to kingdoms
Epic of Gilgamesh based on real king
Sargon of Akkad created first empire c B.C.
Amorite warriors built Babylonian Empire c B.C.
Empire at it’s peak under rule of King Hammurabi

9. Hammurabi’s Code Law code for the Babylonian Empire
282 laws on all aspects of life
Engraved in stone and made public
Not equal, but based on social class and gender
Also known as “an eye for an eye”

10. The Nile River Valley

11. The Geography of Egypt Arose along the 4,100 mile Nile River
Called “The Gift of the Nile” (Herodotus)
Predictable, yearly floods leave fertile soil - silt
Challenges included light or heavy floods, desert isolation
Solutions included irrigation
Unification under King Menes was turning point
Upper and lower Egypt united from first cataract to delta

12. The Nile River Valley

13. Pharaohs Egyptian god-kings called pharaohs
Controlled all aspects of society
Government based on religious authority – theocracy
Believed to rule after death(ka)
Built elaborate tombs – pyramids
Kingdoms strong in leadership, government, economy

14. Egyptian Religion and Life
Polytheistic with gods of nature
Life after death, people judged by deeds
Mummification – process or preserving the body
Book of the Dead – prayers, spells guide the soul after death
Social classes with elites, commoners, slaves
Women have many rights
Trade along the Nile with Nubians and Kush
Picture writing system on papyrus called hieroglyphics
Accurate calendar, geometry, engineering, medicine

15. Egyptian Culture

16. The Indus River Valley

17. Geography of India
Subcontinent – landmass that includes India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh
Tallest mountain ranges, Himalaya, separate it from rest of Asia
Indus and Ganges rivers form fertile plain
Monsoons – seasonal winds – dominate climate
Challenges include unpredictable floods and rainfall

18. The Subcontinent

19. Civilization Emerges People farming on Indus River by 3200 B.C.
People building brick cities on grids by 2500 B.C.
Engineers create plumbing and sewage systems
Numerous cities in Harappan civilization – most important were Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
Began to decline about 1750 B.C.
Earthquakes, floods, soil depletion
About 1500 B.C., Aryans (Indo-Europeans) crossed passes, became dominant people

20. Culture and Religion Language had 400 symbols but not deciphered
Priests closely linked to rulers
Aryans brought what will be Hindu culture and religion
Caste system was a strict social system based on skin color
Over time castes will be associated with jobs and birth
There was no social mobility in the caste system
Thriving trade with others along Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, including Mesopotamia

21. Harappan Culture

22. River Dynasties in China

23. The Geography of China
Oceans, mountains, deserts were barriers that isolated China
Huang He (“Yellow River”) in north
Yangtze River in south
Loess – fertile silt from river flooding
Challenges include deadly floods, lack of trade due to isolation

24. River Systems in China

25. Early Civilization Organized and built flood control systems
Xia Dynasty brought order to region
Shang Dynasty was first to leave written records and use bronze for tools and weapons
Massive walls for military defense
Zhou Dynasty ruled through feudalism – system where kings give land to nobles in exchange for services
Over time, nobles became powerful and fought each other

26. Chinese Culture Believed China was the center of the world
Family is central social institution (respect and honor)
Patriarchal – elder males control family and property
Women expected to obey men – even sons
Religious beliefs based on ancestor veneration
Oracle bones used to consult gods
Advanced technology included silk production, metallurgy, plows, irrigation, crossbow, and mounted cavalry
Trade was regional due to isolation

27. Chinese Culture

28. The Dynastic Cycle
Mandate of Heaven – the belief that a just ruler had divine approval
Developed as justification for rise of Zhou to power
Dynastic Cycle – pattern of the rise and decline of dynasties
Zhou brings improvements – roads, canals, iron tools and weapons, use of coins in trade