1. The First Urban Societies
Developed around 5,000 years ago
Mesopotamia
Egypt
Mohenjo-daro and Harappa
Shang
Olmec
Chavin

2. Mesopotamia
Located in present-day Iraq in the Tigris and Euphrates River Valleys
Sumer - region in the southern half of Mesopotamia
Uruk - largest city with 50,000 people - ziggurat in the center - massive walls surrounding the city
Irrigation helped foster an abundance of agriculture - required labor to build
Social Classes
Patriarchal society - men were heads of households
Only boys attended schools
Kings and Nobles at the top - kings were seen as DIVINE
Priests and priestesses - bring good fortune to communities
Free commoners - mostly worked on farms outside the city
Dependent Clients - owned no property, worked for others
Slaves - Those in debt, prisoners of war, and criminals - often worked as domestic servants

3. Mesopotamia
Sumerian cities established governments that controlled life inside and outside (farming) city walls
2900 B.C.E. - Sumerians developed the writing system Cuneiform
Used to record purchases and taxes
Hammurabi’s Code s B.C.E. - based on class

4. Egypt Located in the Nile River
Annual floods produced rich soil to grow crops
Natural barriers (deserts and seas) helped prevent foreign invaders
3100 B.C.E. - Egypt was unified, with Memphis as its capital
Pharaohs ruled - claimed to be divine
Pyramids were built - served as tombs
Khufu’s pyramid - took 20 years to build and over 84,000 people

5. Egypt Pharaohs hoped to take over neighboring Nubia to the South
Valuables such as gold, ivory and ebony were there

6. Mohenjo-daro and Harappa
Located along the Indus River Valley
2000 B.C.E.
Multi-story houses with indoor plumbing
Written language used pictographs
No Rosetta Stone - can’t decipher
Social Classes:
Believed to exist - varying sized homes
Many professions - jewelers, potters, etc.
Rural areas outside of city was used for farming
Abandoned around 19th Century B.C.E.

7. Shang Located in the Yellow (Huange He) River Valley
1700s s B.C.E.
Agriculture dominated this region
Social classes:
Many were peasants
Some skilled workers - pottery, wheels, tools, some bronze items - including weapons
Scribes - language that was pictograph-based
Strong military - bronze weapons and chariots

8. Shang Calendar with 12 months Religion - polytheistic
Believed in ancestral spirits
Oracle bones
Questions were asked on animal bones (tortoises and oxen)
Overthrown by the Zhou Dynasty - Mandate of Heaven

9. Olmec Located in present-day Mexico 1200 - 400 B.C.E.
Agriculture - avocados, beans, squash
Developed a calendar and the concept of 0
Society was believed to be hierarchical

10. Chavin Located in Andean South America 1000 - 200 B.C.E.
Agriculture - maize and cotton
Llamas provided meat
Weak political structure

11. Quick Recap Mesopotamia - Cuneiform Egypt - pharaohs, hieroglyphics
Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa
Shang - bronze weapons, oracle bones
Olmec - agriculture
Chavin - weak political structure