1. Early River Valley Civilizations

2. Ancient Egypt Nile River Valley
Located in Egypt (on the African continent)
Known for the Pharaoh – head of the government
Pyramids – used for religious purposes
Papyrus- paper like material made from plants, used for writing hieroglyphics (writing system using pictures/images.

3. Ancient Egypt

4. Geography Nile River Valley Annual floods Irrigation system
Fertile soil
Climate:hot and dry

5. Government Pharaoh was the king of Egypt
Pharaoh was seen as a living god
Theocracy – system of government in which priests rule in the name of God or of a god.
Ruled dynasties
Rigid social classes. Slaves at the bottom of the social pyramid.

6. Religion Polytheistic
Used mummification to preserve dead bodies for the afterlife

7. Social Life Depended on agriculture Farmers Merchants/traders
Made cloth, pottery, jewelry

8. Contributions & Technology
Hieroglyphics- writing system
Rosetta Stone- used by archeologist to decipher hieroglyphics
Number system
Created a calendar
Geometry
Papyrus - paper

9. Ancient India Indus River Valley
Located on the sub continent of India
Known for the use of a grid-like pattern in designing their cities called Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro (similar to our Manhattan- shows that they are advanced
Sanskrit – language they invented

10. Ancient India

11. Geography Indus River Valley On the Indian subcontinent
Monsoons- strong winds that brought rain
Monsoons were important to bring needed crops
Irrigation systems

12. Government May have been matriarchal (lead by women)
Council of businessmen, craftsmen, and farmers.

13. Religion
Polytheistic
Performed bathing ceremonies

14. Social Life Based on agriculture
Specialization of jobs-merchants and traders
Made cloth, pottery, jewelry

15. Contributions & Technology
Sanskrit- written language
Well planned cities: Harappa and Mohenjo- Daro
Plumbing and drainage systems
Sewage systems
Use of a wheel
There is much about the Indus river civilization that remains a mystery.

16. Ancient China Yellow River/ Huang He
Located in China (continent of Asia)
Known as the river of sorrows because of annual flooding
Known for dynasties- ruling family, concepts of mandate of heaven
God chooses the Emperor or head of government

17. Ancient China

18. Geography Huang-He and Yangzi Rivers Fertile soil Irrigation systems
Canals
Very isolated because of mountains, deserts, and Pacific Ocean. This isolation led to ethnocentric beliefs, and the name “The Middle Kingdom”

19. Government Shang Dynasty -1st ruling family in China
Kings were seen as gods
Use Oracle bones to make decisions about future events
Oracle bones- were usually made up from the shoulder blades of oxen, or sometimes the shell of a tortoise. They were used to divine (predict) the future.
Patriarchal society

20. Religion Polytheistic Worshipped ancestors
Yin-Yang the nature balance within nature and the universe

21. Social Life Based on agriculture Merchants and traders
Made cloth, silk, pottery, jewelry

22. Contributions & Technology
Chinese writing system of pictographs and ideographs (symbols)- form of writing
Bronze casting
Use of silk Made jade jewelry

23. Mesopotamia Tigris-Euphrates River Valley
Located in the Middle East (present day Iraq)
Fertile crescent
There are 2 sub-civilizations
Babylon- King of Hammurabi –
Hammurabi’s Code-1st written code of law. Made laws readily available for people of Babylon to see and know.
This code shows the division in social classes that exist in Babylon.
You are not punished/treated the same way if you were wealthy or as if you were poor.
Sumer:
famous for the Ziggurat- flat top temple, used for religious purposes.
Used Cuneiform – writing system that used a wedge shape tool and clay

24. Fertile Crescent

25. Geography
Fertile Crescent –(crescent shaped region containing moist and fertile areas in Western Asia)
Mesopotamia mean “The Land between the Rivers” Tigris and Euphrates)
Annual floods
Fertile soil
No natural barriers
Desert like conditions
Irrigation Systems

26. Government Developed independent city-states with walls for protection
Temple priests are at the top of government
King ruled with power granted from gods
Patriarchal society

27. Religion
Built temples called ziggurats to worship gods
Polytheistic-believed in many gods
Religion was a central part of society

28. Social Life
Economy based on agriculture (Traditional Economy)
Farmers
Merchants/traders

29. Contributions & Technology
Cuneiform- first writing system
Invented the wheel
Calendar/clock
Irrigation systems
Calculated the 360 degree circle