Early Civilizations

Dongjun KimPd. F

5/21/08

River Valley Civilizations Euphrates, Tigris River – Mesopotamia.

Travel, trade, farming, irrigation.

Huang He (Yellow River) – China. Farming, irrigation.

Nile River – Egypt. Agriculture, farming villages -> cities

Indus River – India. Provide food. Surplus let people do art, craft, writing.

Technical Advance – (Farming)

Mesopotamia – Irrigation basins to hold water supplies.

Sumer Inventions – Wheel, plow pulled by oxen.

Kush – Trade network improves farming conditions

Egypt – Irrigation systems , canals direct river’s flow, carry water.

Egyptian Social Rankings Pharaoh – Ruler of Egypt

Nobles – Officials/Priests run government and temples

Soldiers – Fight for country

Scribes/Craftspeople/Merchants – Wrote and produced goods

Farmers/Servants/Slaves – More than 80% of the population were farmers

Hammurabi’s Code

282 laws to abide by in daily life

Specific crimes, specific penalties

Trade, loans, theft, marriage, injury. murder

Influence ideas found in laws today

Egyptian Art & Architecture Artisans work for temple/government. Made

statues, furniture, jewelry, pottery, shoes. Paid for job.

Architects design temples, pyramids, royal tombs.

Temples – Sphinxes protect the gate, Obelisk pillars.

Artists – Painted on canvas, papyrus, pottery, plaster, wood.

Make necklaces, collars, bracelets made out of jewelry.

Egyptian Trade Trade expands with empire EX) Sinai Peninsula had turq

uoise and copper.

Trade with Kingdom of Punt, Asia Minor, Greece. Imported gold, copper, timber.

Queen Hatshepsut contributed to Egyptian Trade

Trade with Kush brings in lots of raw materials

Queen Hatshepsut, & Ramses the Great

Queen Hatshepsut – Increase Egyptian trade, Support art and architecture, monuments, temples.

Ramses – Fought Hittites (Asian Minor), Tehenu. Series of forts strengthening western frontier. Last great Egyptian Pharaoh.

Kush’s Location & Relation with Egypt

Kush – Give supply of slaves, raw materials, gold, copper, stone, ebony, ivory.

Was conquered by Egypt around 1500 BC. Egyptian Influence

850 BC. Regain independence. King Kashta conquer Upper Egypt. His son Piankhi conquers Lower Egypt as well. This was known as the Kushite Dynasty

Language & Writing Phoenicians – Develop one of world’s first alphabets

Sumerians – Pictographs, Cuneiform, world’s first system of writing.

Egyptians – Hieroglyphics, papyrus

Kush – Develop own writing, Meroitic.

Questions 1. What was the Hammurabi’s Code?

2. More than how many % of Egyptian population were farmers?

3. Which Egyptian leader contributed greatly to Egyptian trade?

4. Who was known as the Last Great Pharaoh of Egypt?

5. What was the writing system of the Kush civilization called?

6. What was the world’s first writing system called?

7. The Kush regained independence from Egyptian rule at 850 BC; starting which dynasty?

Answers 1. Laws to abide by in a daily basis written by Hammurabi

2. 80 %

3. Queen Hatshepsut

4. Ramses the Great

5. Meroitic system

6. Cuneiform

7. Kushite Dynasty