Early Civilizations

Civilization – complex society with the following

characteristics:

- cities

- organized government

- art

- religion

- class divisions

- writing system

Early Civilizations

- River valleys provided good farming conditions and

easy transportation to trade

- Populations and cities began to grow

- Governments formed

- Religions and arts developed

- Writing developed as a form of communication

Early Civilizations

- Mesopotamia - the earliest known civilization

- Greek word meaning “land between the rivers”

- Irrigation – the building of walls, waterways and

ditches to bring water to the fields

- Sumer – region in southern Mesopotamia

- City-states formed

- Gods and rulers rose to power

- Ziggurats (temples) were built

Early Civilizations

Sumerian Life

- Most people farmed

- Artisans – skilled workers who made metal products,

cloth, or pottery

- Others were merchants or traders

- Traded tools, wheat, and barley for copper, tin and

timber

Early Civilizations

Sumerian Life

- Three social classes:

- Upper class – kings, priests and government officials

- Middle class – artisans, merchants, farmers, and fishers

- Lower class – slaves

- Greatest invention was writing called cuneiform

- Developed to keep track of business deals and events

Early Civilizations

Sumerian Life

- Many advances in Science and Math

- Irrigation systems

- Wagon wheel

- Plow

- Sailboat

- Method of time-keeping

- 12 month calendar

Early Civilizations

Two important kings:

1) Sargon – conquered all of Mesopotamia and set up

the world’s first empire

Empire – a group of many different lands under one ruler

2) Hammurabi – king of Babylon, created the Babylonian

Empire

- best known for his law code or collection of laws