1. WHAP WARM UP: Look at the Mayan image below
WHAP WARM UP: Look at the Mayan image below. What can you infer about this civilization?

2. So, when you are studying for your exam:
Remember the characteristics of a civilization:
What did they have in common politically, economically, socially, religiously, culturally (architecture/ art/ literature)
How did they differ?
How did they fall?

3. Religions What do they have in common?
What are their fundamental beliefs?
Where did they originate?
How are they different?
What do the religions reveal about the civilizations where they emerged?

4. AFRICA Had no common cultural identity at this time
Environmental variation
Great size of continent
Africa is most tropical or the Worlds supercontinents
Climate means poor soil and less agriculture
More disease carrying insects and parasites

5. MERO: (A continuation of Nile Valley Civilization)
Nubian- almost as old as Egyptian
Nubian civilization flourished in Meroe
Ruled by all powerful sacred monarch (could be female)

6. Mero Had craft specialization
Herding/ farming – based on rainfall not irrigation- population less concentrated on the Nile, less controlled by the capitol
Long distance trade military power and wealth
Had contact with the Mediterranean and traded east and west with camel caravans
Less Egyptian influence then earlier times

7. DECLINE Deforestation (too much wood used in the iron industry)
Conquest by Axum (340’s CE
Influence of Coptic Christianity (1,000 years) then Islam 1300 CE

8. AXUM: present day Eritrea and Northern Ethiopia
Founded on highly productive agriculture: plow based farming/ wheat barely, millet, teff
50 CE substantial state emerged stimulated by Red Sea and Indian Ocean trade
Commerce taxes revenue

9. Culture/ characteristics
Stone obelisks/ monuments
Language was Geez- written in South Arabian script – rural areas spoke Agaw
Christianity (3CE) King Exana adopted Coptic Christianity is still the religion of half the region

10. Political/ economic development
Capitol had loose control- collected tributes
(both Meroe and Axum paralleled Eurasian developments/ had direct contact with Mediterranean civilizations
Niger River: Cities without states formed- no evidence of a state structure
Archeologists have not found evidence of despotic power, war, or deep social inequality

11. (Jene-jeno) clusters of economically specialized settlements
Iron smithing
Cotton weavers, potters, praise0 singers
Artisan communities
Specialized in fishing and rice cultivation

12. Civilizations in Mesoamerica
Lack of interaction with other cultures including within Americas
No large domesticated animals or ironworking
Civilizations developed before Aztec and Incas
Much Diversity
Shared agricultural technology
Economies based on market exchange
Similar religions
Frequent interaction

13. Mayan

14. Moche civilization 100-800 CE along Peru's north coast
Agriculture based on complex irrigation system
Relied on fishing

15. Civilization Ruled by warrior priests Some lived on huge pyramids
Rituals mediated between humans and gods
Used hallucinogenic drugs
Human sacrifice
Superb craftsmanship of elite objects