Beginnings of Civilization

Mr. SzyzdekWorld Studies

Geography

• What influence does geography have on civilization?

• Land, weather, transportation, water etc.• It is no coincidence that almost all major

civilizations developed near bodies of water or rivers.

• Geography also had a major impact on trade• Fertile lands where conditions favored farming

Agricultural Revolution

• 10,000 years ago people began to:• Domesticate of animals– Man power to animal power– Domesticated animals provided meat, milk,

hide.• Farming – Domestication of plants– Population increase

First Civilizations

• Civilization- highly organized group of people with their own language and ways of living

• Most developed independently from one another.

• ALL shared certain features that we define as the basis for civilization

Government

• What are the basic needs for government?- Order vs. anarchy- laws and rules - Protection- Cooperation- Power structure

Religion

• Organized belief begins to surface.– Gives meaning and purpose, and often, a goal to

aspire to when life is complete.– Home, farming, relationships, marriage, birth and

death, these are all common events in cultures; needed guiding principals

• Often gives codes of behavior for society and culture.

Specialization

• Specialization- the separation of tasks within a system.

• Surplus = specialization• New technologies = new skills• Allowed for development of trade

economic systems

Social Class

• Beginning of class in a civilization: • Strong provided protection • General hierarchy– King or leader -> Priests and nobles (owned land)

-> government officials/ wealthy merchants -> artisans/ farmers (majority of people) -> slaves.

Record Keeping/ Alphabet

• Development of writing– Pictographs– Cuneiform

• Tax records and religious ceremonies

• Propelled trade• Credible laws

The end