1. River Valley Civilizations… the beginnings of a new era
The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
The Nile River
The Indus River
The Yellow River

2. Turn and Talk:
What do you think was going on in each of these places before their civilizations developed? For example, do you think there were people living in the Indus River Valley in 3000 BCE? If so, why wasn’t it considered a civilization yet?

3. Why 4,000 BCE?
Farming, in one form or another, had been around for between 5 and 6 thousand years. So why did civilization develop in 4,000 BCE (give or take a couple of centuries!)?
How does this feedback loop help answer the question above?

4. Flashback… What do you notice about the latitude of these civilizations? Why does this matter?

5. Tigris River Nile River Indus River Yellow River
Study these modern photographs of the four river valleys List the similarities you see.

6. Crops and Animal Domestication in the Fertile Crescent
Map of the Near East indicating the Fertile Crescent (according to ref. 23). Shaded areas indicate the approximate areas of domestication of pig, cattle, sheep, and goats with dates of initial domestication in calibrated years B.P. (after ref. 3). Colored lines enclose the wild ranges of Einkorn wheat, emmer wheat, and barley (after ref. 21). Green-shaded area in southern Levant indicates the region where all 3 grains were first domesticated 12,000 years B.P.
Driscoll C A et al. PNAS 2009;106:
©2009 by National Academy of Sciences

7. What does it show?
What do you think the green and yellow areas are?
Where do you think most people live in this area?
A delta is the area at the mouth of a river where the river flows into a larger body of water.
Due to erosion, the river carries dirt and material to the delta, where they are deposited, resulting in rich, fertile soil.

8. Which civilization is shown on this map?
Stop and Jot:
Which civilization is shown on this map?
What geographic features might have prevented this river valley from spreading northwest?
How about to the southeast?

9. Find the Yellow River on this map.
What do the different colors mean on this map?
Why did civilization develop along the Yellow River and not some of the others?

10. Defining and Describing Civilization:
The term “civilization” is used to describe larger groups of people living together in one place in more complex societies with social hierarchies and specialization of labor. During this era, between 4000 and 1000 BCE, this new way of living began to develop in different parts of the world.
A type of society characterized by all or most of the following features: dense population, agricultural economy, cities, complex social hierarchy, complex occupational specialization, centralized state, monumental building, a writing system, and a dominant belief system

11. Spiritual Beliefs and Laws
Characteristics of Civilizations
What this looked like in river valley civilizations:
Cities
Cities supported large populations of over 30,000 people
Specialization
Some people living in cities took full-time specialized jobs (artisan, merchant, soldier, priest) because they were supported by farmers from the surrounding community.
Hierarchy
A class system emerged where certain men (and sometimes women) held all the power. They were called elites. Men began to dominate in politics and women became more responsible for the life at home. This system is called patriarchy.
The State
One city usually ruled over all others in a civilization. A king or pharaoh with a small group of officials controlled the rest of society.
Networks of Trade
Many civilizations traded within and outside of their borders. Technology, food, and language spread from Mesopotamia outward to Egypt, India, and China.
Technology
Technology changed much more rapidly than before. People developed metals like bronze and use those build things like wheeled carriages.
Monuments
Large buildings were constructed like city walls, temples, palaces, and tombs for powerful rulers.
Spiritual Beliefs and Laws
Spiritual beliefs and laws became richer and more complex.
Creativity
Individuals worked with the ruling class to study astronomy, mathematics, sciences, and engineering.

12. Pattern 1: Hierarchy/Specialization
Kingdoms of this period had these in common:
A monarch (a single, powerful leader)
Central control
Power through force and military leadership
Social hierarchy
Rigid (not easy to move up in)
Military leaders and elites at the top
Religious leaders (priests) also at the top and powerful
Workers and slaves at the bottom
Conflict with nomadic groups, especially in border areas
Growth of large cities as centers of power
Why do you think they all had this in common, despite differences in language/religion/etc?

13. Pattern 1: Hierarchy/Specialization
All 4 river valley civilizations had distinct different jobs and social class systems:
Mesopotamia had kings rule over city-states.
These kings had absolute power and also were religious leaders. Scribes assisted kings by keeping records
The Indus Valley also had kings
We don’t know the exact nature of their government though, due to not translating their writing
Their social structure eventually became the rigid caste system of India (we’ll learn more about it later)
Yellow River Valley developed “Dynasties”
A dynasty is the long-lasting rule by a single family of kings
Yellow River leadership revolved around different dynasties

14. Pattern 1: Hierarchy/Specialization
Egypt’s hierarchy is best known
Due to our knowledge of hieroglyphics
At the top was the Pharaoh
Absolute ruler and religious leader, also viewed as a living god
Mostly men, but some women were Pharaohs too
Next most important were scribes and other skilled craftsmen
Made things instead of farming, often were hired by the Pharaoh
Common farmers were the largest group
Lastly, slaves were used for a lot of manual labor
Temple construction, as well as pyramids
Treaty poorly, no rights

15. Pattern 1: Hierarchy/Specialization
The hierarchy allowed for and supported the creation of central governments
Egypt was most centralized, but all 4 had strong governmental systems
China would later be unified during the “Classical Age” and remains “unified” today (with some changes)
Also created patriarchy
Men began to have more power, leaving women with fewer rights and less of a voice in decisions
Question: Does patriarchy still exist today?

16. Pattern 2: Architecture
All 4 civilizations left behind massive architectural works
Egypt has the most remaining
Examples: Pyramids, the Sphinx, temples
Due to fewer environmental hazards
Less pollution, few earthquakes or floods, etc
Indus River cities are discovered occasionally
Often buried under mud, suggesting they were lost over time to floods and landslides
Mesopotamian ruins include ziggurats and ancient cities
Some have been lost to rising water levels
Yellow River has fewest ancient ruins
Due to many earthquakes and devastating floods

17. Sumer, in Mesopotamia, Tigris and Euphrates Ancient Egypt, Nile River
Yellow River, current day China
Mohenjo Daro, Indus River

18. Pattern 2: Architecture
Different architectural pieces had different purposes
Ziggurats
Pyramids
Found in Mesopotamia
Usually the center of cities
Had mythological origins
Said to be the home of each city’s most important god
Used as temples and symbols of a king’s power
Sometimes art, as with Hanging Gardens
Found in Egypt
Usually near, but not in, ancient cities
Used as tombs for pharaohs
Pharaohs oversaw the creation of their own pyramids
Not for all pharaohs
Many buried in “Valley of the Kings” in desert tombs

19. Pattern 3: Spirituality
All 4 civilizations had clear religious beliefs
Unfortunately, we don’t know a lot about the Indus River or Yellow River religions
Indus: Unable to translate their writing system
Yellow: Writing system not fully developed until later
Egypt and Mesopotamia provide a good chance to compare religions within these civilizations

20. Pattern 3: Spirituality
Mesopotamia
Egypt
Polytheistic
Means many gods
Each city-state had one key god
Other city-state gods were respected
Systems of gods changed over time
Sumerian different than Babylonia
Later religious beliefs borrowed heavily from earlier
Religion supported systems of government and kings
Kings served as religious leaders
Polytheistic
Means many gods
System of gods remained relatively unchanged over time
Minor tweaks at different periods
One pharaoh tried to make a monotheistic religion
Didn’t work, but his ideas were made a part of the overall religion
Religion supported system of government and pharaohs
Pharaoh seen as a living god, also highest priest in Egypt

21. Pattern 3: Spirituality
Mesopotamia
Egypt
Marduk: god of water and plants, #1 Babylonian god
Nergal: god of plague, war, destructiveness of the sun
Ishtar: goddess of love, fertility, and war
Ereshkrigal: goddess of the underworld
Osiris: god of plants and the underworld, green
Isis: goddess of motherhood, funerals
Horus: god of the sky, protection, kings, head of a falcon
Set: god of chaos, deserts, murderer of Osiris, head of a donkey
Hathor: goddess of agriculture and fertility, head of a cow

22. Pattern 3: Spirituality
Similar stories are found across different religions of the time
Focus on worship of deities that represent similar aspects of life
Plant, water, sky, sun, and fertility gods/goddesses are most important
Why do you think there was a focus on those deities?