1. Foundations of Civilization
Chapter 1 Section 3
Foundations of Civilization

2. The Main Idea
From farming villages arose cities, and with them, the first civilizations, marking the beginnings of recorded history.
Objectives
Why did some villages develop into cities?
What characterized the world’s first
civilizations, and where did they develop?
What factors cause civilizations to change
over time?

3. I. From Villages to Cities
Villages grew and the first cities appeared
City of Uruk, c BC

4. I. From Villages to Cities
Improved agriculture and irrigation resulted in
a food surplus
Shadouf Irrigation

5. I. From Villages to Cities
Fewer people needed to farm; others worked
in different tasks – division of labor
Egyptians artisans smelted copper and gold for artistic, architectural, and military purposes.

6. I. From Villages to Cities
Cities – larger/more densely populated
First known city - Uruk
Uruk, 3000 BC :
Population – 40,000 to 50,000
Size – 1000 acres

7. I. From Villages to Cities
City populations more diverse:
Village - families/clans; traditional economy
City - unrelated people; complex economy

8. I. From Villages to Cities
Formal organization in cities, were centers of
trade
Ancient Babylon, c. 600 BC

9. II. The First Civilizations

10. II. The First Civilizations
Civilizations - complex organized cultures
with common characteristics

11. A. Characteristics of Early Civilizations
Developed Cities – political, economic, and cultural centers
Organized Government – laws/systems of justice, food production, taxation
Harappa, Indus River Valley

12. A. Characteristics of Early Civilizations
Formalized religion – priests, ceremonies, rituals
Government and religion closely connected
Egyptians saw their pharaoh as a god, more specifically as the god Horus
Egyptian Gods Horus and Osiris and Pharaoh Seti I

13. A. Characteristics of Early Civilizations
Specialization of labor: farmers, soldiers, artisans, merchants, etc.
The earliest specializations were: baking, brewing, weaving, dyeing, carpentry, pottery-making, stone and metal-working; merchants, soldiers and artists; priests and healers; temple managers, bureaucrats, calendar-keepers, and scribes

14. A. Characteristics of Early Civilizations
Social classes - People became ranked according to job, wealth, or influence

15. A. Characteristics of Early Civilizations
Abstract writing for record keeping
Calendars to keep track of events
Cuneiform tablet

16. A. Characteristics of Early Civilizations
Arts and architecture reflected beliefs, values, strength, and culture
Mesopotamian Ziggurat
Temple of Hephaistos

17. III. Changes in Civilizations
Civilizations changed - some failed, others succeeded and grew

18. III. Changes in Civilizations
Forces of nature
Need for resources
Expanded trade for scarce resources
Salt mine in the Sahara Desert

19. III. Changes in Civilizations
Cultural Diffusion - spread of ideas, customs,
culture, and technology by migration, trade,
and warfare
Traders approaching Timbuktu in Mali
Diffusion of language

20. III. Changes in Civilizations
Warfare brought change: victors forced way
of life upon defeated