Early Civilizations

Guided Lecture

Where:

• The first civilizations formed where Farming started.

• These locations provided several things needed to make a civilization successful.

Water:

• Fresh water• Rivers• Fishing,• Irrigation• Travel• Trade• protection

Protection:

• From climate, invaders• Walls• Big river• Mountains• Ditches• Lakes• Seas

Resources:

• Water• fertile soil• Fairly flat• Trees• Stone• Ore (metals)

• Some early civilizations were: Egypt, located along the Nile Valley,

• Sumeria and Babalonia, located in Mesopotamia (Tigris and Euphrates Valleys),

• In the Indus Valley,• and the Shang

civilization in China

When:

• People begin to become sedentary (Stay where they are).

• The earliest civilizations began around 7-9 KYA

Civilization:

• To have a successful civilization requires the following four ingredients:

1. Specialization of Labor:

• there are a variety of jobs and roles for men, women and children,

• some with more power and wealth than others.

Specialization of Labor:

• The ruling class – the most wealthy and powerful.

• Merchants, artisans and government officials – small, fairly well-off group.

Specialization of Labor:

• peasants or poor farmers. • Slaves,

– usually war captives, – also included children sold to cover

debts. • In some societies (Egypt, Sumeria)

women could own property and hold official jobs.