1. Early Civilizations Essential Questions :
How did ancient civilizations develop?
What were similarities between various early civilizations?

2. Civilizations began in certain parts of the world with many similarities even though vast distances separated them.
Mesopotamia (present day Iraq)
India
China
Egypt
The Americas

3. MESOPOTAMIA
CHINA
INDIA
EGYPT
AZTEC
Mayan
INCA

4. Geographic similarities
Civilizations grew around areas where a stable food source could be found
River valleys are common among these early civilizations
Annual flooding of the rivers left rich deposits on the surrounding soil
Tigris and Euphraties Rivers: aka the Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia)
Nile River (Egypt)
Indus River (India)
Yellow (Huang He) River (China)
Agriculture flourished as a result
Surplus of food led to expansion of population

6. C. Characteristics of civilizations
Social structure
All societies have different classes of peoples
Some people are considered more important than others due to their wealth or job
In ancient times, rulers, nobles and priests were considered most powerful
The next class was typically made of military, civil workers, merchants, farmers, laborers, doctors, educators, etc.
The bottom class of people were slaves and outcasts

7. Example of Egyptian Social Structure

8. Characteristics of Civilizations
Stable food supply
Before civilization, people hunted and gathered their food
These people tended to be nomadic, following herds as they migrated
Societies became more settled with the advent of agriculture
Crops were farmed and animals were domesticated
Cause and effect throughout all civilizations
Population expansion 
Specialization/trade 
Growth in wealth/expansion/conquests 
Sharing of ideas/technology/belief systems

10. Characteristics of Civilizations
Religion
Societies developed polytheistic religions
Nature and mystic notions were attributed to gods who controlled these unseen forces
Rising and setting sun, phases of the moon, rain, drought, flooding, wind, natural disasters, etc.
A few did develop monotheistic religions
Israelites developed Judaism
Persians developed Zoroastrianism

11. Various sun gods

12. Characteristics of Civilizations
Government
Several reasons for development of governments
Somebody needed to lead
Rules have to be made
Rules have to be enforced
Code of Hammurabi
1st set of written laws
Based on “eye for an eye” principle
Societies have general welfare needs
Roads, water systems, protection from foreign invasions

13. King of Ancient Babylon
Hammurabi
King of Ancient Babylon
Tutankhamen
Chinese Emperor Shun

14. 4. Government (continued)
Most early civilizations were theocratic and/or dynastic
Leaders were seen to rule because of the will of the gods or they were seen as demi-gods
Some ruled because of wealth or military power
Hammurabi’s Code

16. Characteristics of Civilizations
Writing systems
Societies used forms of writing to record events, keep records and transmit information
Early forms of writing consisted of pictures and symbols
Egyptian hieroglyphics
Chinese pictographs/ideographs
Sumerian Cuneiform
Incan Quipu

17.  Hieroglyphics
Ideograph 
 Cuneiform
Quipu 

18. Characteristics of Civilizations
Culture
Societies developed art, music, literature and other forms of entertainment

19. Characteristics of Civilizations
Technology
Inventions made life easier
Shaduf 
wheel
 plow

21. Empires

22. Certain civilizations became powerful and conquered others, creating empires
Akkadian 2340 BC (Present-day Iraq)
1st known empire
Conquered their Sumerian neighbors in Mesopotamia
Babylon 1792 BC (Present-day Iraq)
Under Hammurabi, the Babylonians took control of Mesopotamia
Hittites 1600 BC (Present-day Turkey)
1st Indo-Europeans to use iron

23. Egypt 1550 (New Kingdom period)
Because of it’s wealth, became the richest and most powerful state in the Middle East
Existing at the same time as the Hittites, they were also fighting against them for the area around present-day Syria
They were both weakened and eventually their empires were destroyed by peoples known only as the Sea Peoples
Very little is known of these peoples

24. After the fall of Egyptian and Hittite Empires
Some independent kingdoms arose
Phoenician Kingdom
Great sea-traders
Influential alphabet that was
adopted by the Greeks
This led to the Roman alphabet
which our current alphabet is
based on
Israelite Kingdom
Minor in the political arena of the
area
Major contribution to the world is
their monotheistic religion
Judaism

25. Assyrian 700 BC (Present-day Iraq)
Ruled by kings with absolute power
Brutal conquerors
Network of posts relayed information from across the empire
Established one of the world’s first libraries

26. Persian 539 BC (Present-day Iran)
Cyrus the Great
Widely respected by those he ruled over
Considered very wise and just
Darius BC
Created world’s largest empire to that time
Divided empire into provinces to be managed more easily

27. 9. Greek 330 BC (Greece/Macedonia)
Under Alexander the Great, Greece conquered the Persian Empire
After Alexander’s death, the Hellenistic period followed
Greek culture was spread throughout Southwest Asia

28. 10. Mauryan 324 BC (India)
After retreat of Alexander’s forces from India, Candragupta Mauryan established India’s first empire
The empire really flourished under the leader Asoka
Considered greatest Indian ruler

29. 11. Qin 221 BC (China)
Qin Shihuangdi defeated and unified the warring Chinese dynasties, thus creating China’s first empire
He was very brutal though and his dynasty fell after his death