1. The Rise of Civilization

2. Essential Questions
What caused the shift in humans from hunting/gathering to settlements?
What are the characteristics of a civilization?

3. Stone Age Stone Age- 2 million BCE-3,000 BCE
Survived on hunting and fishing, and collecting berries, nuts, and roots.
Very few if any settlements, humans were migratory.

4. Stone Age The human brain began to develop and intelligence increased.
Spoken language evolved, groups settled together to pool resources
Primitive tools
Formation of art and religion

5. Rise of Early Civilization
Around 3,000 BCE, humans developed the first written language, and settle into the first major cities
Properties of these new city locations?

6. Characteristics of Civilization
Civilized societies developed certain characteristics which prehistoric Stone Age cultures did not have:
more leisure time
roads and harbors
temples, palaces, and monuments
trade routes
organized religions
a variety of metal tools and weapons
a system of education
the use of science and mathematics
bookkeeping and recordkeeping
a system of writing
cities and towns
states separated by definite boundary lines
organized governments
farmers, herdsmen, and fishermen who produced food for specialized workers
specialized workers—blacksmiths, carpenters, shopkeepers, priests, government officials—who furnished manufactured goods and a variety of services

7. Learning About Civilizations
First Civilizations:
-Fertile Crescent -Egypt
-Indus River Valley -Huang He River (China)
We know about the people of ancient times because of the work of anthropologists and archaeologists:
Anthropologists- study the culture and behavior of ancient humans
Archaeologists- collect and study artifacts (bones, tools, etc…)

8. Coin Analysis
Pretend that you are an archaeologist living in the year 5,000 CE. You have just found the coin pictured below. Assume you have never seen the coin before, that you have never heard of the United States, and that you know nothing at all about the people who made the coin. Pretend this coin is an artifact which was found at a site where people lived thousands of years earlier. The coin is the only source of information available about these people.
As an archaeologist, it is your job to draw conclusions about the people who made the coin. Briefly describe these people and their ways of living based on information found on the coin. Try to write at least 5 (5) conclusions and how you know this information.
List five (5) things that CANNOT be determined about these people from the information on the coin.

9. Coin Analysis

10. Debrief
Were the people who made this coin civilized or uncivilized? Explain your answer in words. Mention specific facts to support your opinion.