Early Civilizations

1. Early Civilizations Essential Questions : How did ancient civilizations develop? What were similarities between various early civilizations?

2. Civilizations began in certain parts of the world with many similarities even though vast distances separated them. • Mesopotamia (present day Iraq) • India • China • Americas

3. MESOPOTAMIA CHINA INDIA EGYPT AZTEC Mayan INCA

4. Geographic similarities • Civilizations grew around areas where a stable food source could be found • River valleys are common among these early civilizations • Annual flooding of the rivers left rich deposits on the surrounding soil • Agriculture flourished as a result • Surplus of food led to expansion of population

5. Characteristics of civilization • Social structure • All societies have different classes of peoples • Some people are considered more important than others due to their wealth or job • In ancient times, rulers, nobles and priests were considered most powerful • The next class was typically made of military, civil workers, merchants, farmers, laborers, doctors, educators, etc. • The bottom class of people were slaves and outcasts

6. Example of Egyptian Social Structure

7. Stable food supply • Before civilization, people hunted and gathered their food • These people tended to be nomadic, following herds as they migrated • Societies became more settled with the advent of agriculture • Crops were farmed and animals were domesticated • Cause and effect throughout all civilizations • Population expansion  • Specialization/trade  • Growth in wealth/expansion/conquests  • Sharing of ideas/technology/belief systems

9. Religion • Societies developed polytheistic religions • Nature and mystic notions were attributed to gods who controlled these unseen forces • Rising and setting sun, phases of the moon, rain, drought, flooding, wind, natural disasters, etc. • A few did develop monotheistic religions • Israelites developed Judaism • Persians developed Zoroastrianism

10. Various sun gods

11. Government • Several reasons for development of governments • Somebody needed to lead • Rules have to be made • Rules have to be enforced • Code of Hammurabi • 1st set of written laws • Based on eye for an eye principle • Societies have general welfare needs • Roads, water systems, protection from foreign invasions • Most early civilizations were theocratic and/or dynastic • Leaders were seen to rule because of the will of the gods or they were seen as demi-gods • Some ruled because of wealth or military power

13. Writing systems • Societies used forms of writing to record events, keep records and transmit information • Early forms of writing consisted of pictures and symbols • Egyptian hieroglyphics • Chinese pictographs/ideographs • Sumerian Cuneiform • Incan Quipu

14.  Hieroglyphics Ideograph   Cuneiform Quipu 

15. Culture • Societies developed art, music, literature and other forms of entertainment

16. wheel • Technology • Inventions made life easier Shaduf   plow

17. Empires • Certain civilizations became powerful and conquered others, creating empires • Akkadian 2340 BC (Present-day Iraq) • 1st known empire • Conquered their Sumerian neighbors in Mesopotamia • Babylon 1792 BC (Present-day Iraq) • Under Hammurabi, the Babylonians took control of Mesopotamia • Hittites 1600 BC (Present-day Turkey) • 1st Indo-Europeans to use iron

18. Egypt 1550 (New Kingdom period) • Because of it’s wealth, became the richest and most powerful state in the Middle East • Existing at the same time as the Hittites, they were also fighting against them for the area around present-day Syria • They were both weakened and eventually their empires were destroyed by peoples known only as the Sea Peoples • Very little is known of these peoples

19. After the fall of Egyptian and Hittite Empires • Some independent kingdoms arose • Phoenician Kingdom • Great sea-traders • Influential alphabet that was adopted by the Greeks • This led to the Roman alphabet which our current alphabet is based on • Israelite Kingdom • Minor in the political arena of the area • Major contribution to the world is their monotheistic religion • Judaism

20. Assyrian 700 BC (Present-day Iraq) • Ruled by kings with absolute power • Brutal conquerors • Network of posts relayed information from across the empire • Established one of the world’s first libraries • Persian 539 BC (Present-day Iran) • Cyrus the Great • Widely respected by those he ruled over • Considered very wise and just • Darius 521-486 BC • Created world’s largest empire to that time • Divided empire into provinces to be managed more easily

21. Greek 330 BC (Greece/Macedonia) • Under Alexander the Great, Greece conquered the Persian Empire • After Alexander’s death, the Hellenistic period followed • Greek culture was spread throughout Southwest Asia • Mauryan 324 BC (India) • After retreat of Alexander’s forces from India, CandraguptaMauryan established India’s first empire • The empire really flourished under the leader Asoka • Considered greatest Indian ruler

22. Qin 221 BC (China) • Qin Shihuangdi defeated and unified the warring Chinese dynasties, thus creating China’s first empire • He was very brutal though and his dynasty fell after his death