Early Civilizations UNIT 1

Unit 1 - Outline

• Birth of Civilizations

• Mesopotamian Civilizations

• Ancient Egypt

• Civilizations of Early India

• Early Chinese Civilization

• Mediterranean World

Birth of Civilizations

Essential Question:

What factors play a role in the beginning of civilizations?

Looking at History

• Primary Source

–Original, first-hand account of an event or time period

–Usually written or made during or close to the event or time period

–Original, creative writing or works of art

–Factual, not interpretive

Looking at History

• Secondary Source

–Analyzes and interprets primary sources

–Second-hand account of an historical event

–Interprets creative work

Q1: What is the

difference between

humans and

animals?

Old Stone Age

• This time period is known as the Paleolithic Era and is a time a of development

• Mankind is known as hominids

• The difference between animals and hominids:

– Animals adapt to the environment

– Hominids adapt environment to themselves

Migration

• As humans start to repopulate and they begin migrating

• Migration – moving from place to place

• These people are known as nomads

– Move in search of food

– Warmer weather

Life of Nomad

• Moving from place to place

• Hunters

–Men hunted (dangerous)

–Used stampeding tactics

• Small Activity

• Gatherers

–Women (safer)

–Looking for food (berries, mushrooms, nuts, etc.)

Paleolithic Feats

• Development of:

– Tools

– Fire

– Language

– Social Groups

• Major accomplishment of Paleolithic people was populating the Earth.

Paleolithic Shift

• People were hunter-gatherers until they discovered farming.

• When they shifted to farming this is known as the Neolithic Revolution

• Revolution = essentially means change

Neolithic Revolution

• Neolithic Revolution –is a change from hunting and gathering to farming and herding

• Leads to 2 big things:

1. Population growth

2. Creation of cities

Q2: How does

farming lead to

a civilization?

Settling Down

• Developing the ability to farm created a surplus of food

– Large supply

• Surplus of food = ability to settle down

• Early settlements started in the Fertile Crescent.

– Middle East

– Mesopotamia

Early Civilizations

• Developed along riverbanks for several reasons:

– Irrigation

– Trade

– Flooded Yearly

• As cities developed other things also did:

– Job Specialize

– Cultural Diffusion

– Social Classes

Recap

• Hunters & Gatherers Farming

• Farming Surplus

• Surplus Settlements

• Settlements Social Class, Jobs, Culture

Q3: What is a

civilization?

Characteristics of a Civilization

Mesopotamia

Essential Question:

Why are major water sources important for cities?

Mesopotamia

• Area in the Fertile Crescent where the first civilizations started

• Main Rivers

– Tigris

– Euphrates

• Also known as the land between two rivers

– Many advantages

Sumer

• Controlled the spring floods of the Tigris and Euphrates

• These rivers deposited silt in their fields – Soil with enriched nutrients and

minerals

• They developed levees to control floods that were sometimes unpredictable

Sumerian Influence

• Earliest form of writing – cuneiform

• Epic of Gilgamesh

• Worshipped many different gods (polytheism) depending on region

• Created ziggurats for priests to worship

Q4: What are some

fables/stories that

you heard as child

and their meaning?

Sumerian Turmoil

• Government – many different city-states with their own kings

• Conquered by Sargon of Akkad

• United Sumer and Akkad into an empire until Sargon’s death

Babylon

• United Sumer and Akkad into an empire

– Government that controls a large amount of land with many different peoples

• Hammurabi was Babylon’s most effective leader and created:

– Permanent Army

– Bureaucracy

– System of Laws

Hammurabi’s Code

• “Eye for and eye, and a tooth for a tooth”

• Collection of 282 Laws inscribed on a stele

• Laws help unify and bring people together effectively

• Gave women some rights in society

Q5: What is the

importance of laws

in society? Pros &

Cons?

Persians

• Nomadic Peoples

• Skilled in war and the use bows and horses

• Modern-day Iran

• Conquered much of the Fertile Crescent until Alexander the Great

Persian Rule

• Did not interfere with existing traditions and religions

• Merciful who cooperated with local rulers

• Standardized weights and coinage

• Expanded trade routes by creating roads

Persian Rule

• Broke up the empire into 20 provinces called satrapies

• These were ruled by local governors called satraps

• They carried out laws and were the eyes and ears of the empire

Zoroastrianism

• First monotheistic religion

• Founded by Zoroaster who’s teachings were put into their holy book called the Avesta

• Focused on the struggle between good and evil (dualism)

Q6: Do we still focus

on the difference

between good and

evil today?

Ancient EgyptEssential Question:

Why has Egyptian culture and history withstood the test of time?

The Nile

• Life source for all of Egypt– Food

– Trade

– Irrigation

– Predictable Flooding

• Surrounding area is a desert

• One of the only rivers that flows North

Government

• Centralized government around the Pharaoh of Egypt

• Pharaoh’s were more than a leader and seen as gods and had unlimited power

• Famous ones:–Hatshepsut

–Ramses II

–Tutankhamen

Q7: What contributions

from the Egyptians do

you know and their

importance?

Egyptian Advancements

• Pyramids

• Papyrus

• Hieroglyphics

• Calendar

Egyptian Religion

• Polytheistic

• Continued to culture a belief in the afterlife

• Your actions are weighed and it determines if you go to “heaven/hell”

• Religion integrated into government and the rule of the Pharaoh

Ancient India

Essential Question:

How has India developed like other River Valley Civilizations?

Geography

• Civilization based around the Indus River

• Society is based on the pastoral method of moving and herding animals

• Himalayan Mountains

• Monsoons

Early India

• People known as Aryans

• They created a social class system known as the Varnas

–Also known as a caste system

• Like other societies they based themselves off their religion and holy scriptures called the Vedas

Ancient China

Essential Question:

How did the Chinese influence early government styles?

Geography

• Early cities develop along the Yellow River

• Mountain ranges act as natural defense and provide fresh water

• Powerful dynasties are starting to emerge

Shang Dynasty

• Nomadic Warriors

• Feudalistic Government

• Social Classes

• Polytheistic with a heavy emphasis on family

Zhou Dynasty

• Created what is known as the “Mandate of Heaven”

– Gods gift the emperor the right to rule

• Developed iron in China

• Created a legal system that put laws in place

Q8: How could the

Mandate of Heaven

help leaders?

Mediterranean

Essential Question:

Why did the Mediterranean aid in the process of diffusion?

Phoenicians

• Greatest Sailors and Traders in the region

• Had many specialized good to sell (ex. Purple dye, pottery, etc.)

• Importance today – Created the alphabet we know and use

– Since the traded with everyone this alphabet spread

Hebrews

• Tribe originates in Canaan – nomadic

• These people start a new civilization known as Israelites

• Commonly known as Jews

• Leads to one of the most significant contributions in the world

Q9: What major

contribution did the

Jewish people give

the world?

Judaism - Monotheism

• The Hebrews believed in a single god named Yahweh

• Single god

• Omnipotent

• Creator of everything

• Written text in the Torah/Old Testament

Judaism Foundations

• Abraham – main prophet who spreads religion

• Moses – prophet who receives the 10 Commandments

• Commandments influence laws of the land

– Laws are building blocks of society

• Jerusalem as Holy City

Q10: What else did

Judaism have an

influence on in

current times?

Other Med. Civilizations

• Minoans & Mycenaean's

• Northern European Settlements

• Not much is known about these civilizations

– No written documents that we understand

• Stories & Monuments

– Atlantis

– Stonehenge