1. A cultural hearth is a source area from which new ideas radiate.
Advances in agriculture lead to increased crop production.
Not everyone in a given population needs grow their own crops - one farmer can produce enough crops to support more than one family.
This then allows people to engage in other activities besides crop raising, animal husbandry, hunting or gathering.
As a result of these other activities, new ideas develop and lead to advancements in science, astronomy, mathematics, religion, art, and political systems. These ideas then are spread to surrounding areas.

2. The white dashed line shows the extent of glacial activity.
later culture hearths
culture hearths
The original humans spread from Africa into the Middle East. From there, into Central Asia and then north into Europe and south into India. Humans then traveled south into the islands and Australia and north into China and eastern Russia. Humans then crossed the land bridge into North America and traveled east to the New England area and South into Middle and South America.

5. What did culture hearths have in common?
Near a river
in a temperate climate
on arable land
abundance of food

6. Mesopotamia

7. Mesopotamia Achievements: Code of Laws – Hammurabi’s Code
Mesopotamia is a region, not a country.
Refers to the individual Peoples that made up Mesopotamia; the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians,  Assyrians, Chaldeans, and to some degree the Hittites, Phoenicians and Persians
Achievements:
Code of Laws – Hammurabi’s Code
Writing – Cuneiform
System for calculating time and angles based on 60 – sexagesimal system

8. Indus River Valley

9. Indus River Valley Achievements: Town planning – grid system for roads
Harappa & Mohenjo Daro Civilizations make up the Indus River Valley Civilization
Achievements:
Town planning – grid system for roads
sanitation system – covered drains
water from wells
grainaries, docks, and warehouses
uniform weights and measurements
copper, bronze, lead, and tin

10. Nile River Valley

11. Nile River Valley Achievements: mathematic advances
reliable farming with irrigation
engineering, mining, and plumbing
pyramids
medical - cures for diarrhea, burns, indigestion, cataracts, surgery, and mummification
papyrus paper and hieroglyphics

12. Yellow River Civilization

13. Yellow River Civilization
Achievements:
wheel barrow, horse harness, row cultivation, and plow
water chain pump (water goes up)
metal casting
Su Song’s mechanical clock – water-driven astronomical clock
crossbow, rudder, gas lamp, block printing, abacus, paper, porcelain, silk, kites, playing cards

14. What other things spread?
Disease
Language
Food
Religion
Ideas
Inventions
culture