River Valley Civilizations

1. River Valley Civilizations

2. What is Civilization? A complex culture with these 5 characteristics: #1 – Advanced Cities (centers of trade for a larger area) #2 – Specialized Workers • specialization – skills in a specific type of work • artisans – skilled workers who make things by hand. #3 – Complex Institutions (example – government) #4 – Writing (Record Keeping) • scribes – professional record keepers • cuneiform – wedge-shaped symbols used by Sumerians #5 – Advanced Technology

3. River Valley Civilizations Mesopotamia Fertile Crescent

4. Sumerians One of the first groups of people to form a civilization. #1 – Advanced Cities – 1st to develop city-states #2 – Specialized Workers – mathematicians, architects, tool makers, etc. • #3 – Complex Institutions - • city-states (independent cities with different governments), dynasty • Religion – polytheism (3,000 gods), myths and legend #4 – Writing – Developed the first form of writing (cuneiform). #5 – Advanced Technology – Invented the wheel, the sail, and the plow. First to use bronze. Challenges – The rivers were unpredictable and often flooded. They had limited natural resources. They had no natural barrier for protection. How could the Sumerians deal with these challenges?

5. Sumerians Hammurabi's Code King of Babylon Empire (Amorites) who conquered the Sumerians and surrounding lands. Hammurabi established a strict code of laws. These laws set a precedent that the government was responsible for what occurred in society.

6. River Valley Civilizations Civilization in Ur • The city of Ur was one of the earliest cities in Sumer. • Ur had a complex system of agriculture and religion (ziggurat – huge pyramid shaped temple). • As the population grew, there became a need for a way to keep everyone organized. How could they do this? • They developed government to solve the problem of this rapid growth and the need for large public works.

7. Egyptians Nile Delta (Lower Egypt) Egypt was different than Mesopotamia because it united into a single kingdom (lower and upper) early on. #1 – Advanced Cities – many centers of trade along the Nile Nile River (Upper Egypt) #2 – Specialized Workers – many merchants and artisans • #3 – Complex Institutions - • Pharaohs – god-kings (Theocracy) • Religion – polytheism (Ra – sun god, Isis – ideal mother and wife) #4 – Writing – hieroglyphics, papyrus #5 – Advanced Technology – used mathematics, created a calendar, practiced medicine and charted the predictable flooding patterns of the Nile. (WHY?) Challenges – The Egyptians were surrounded by deserts on both sides of the Nile. Why would this be bad? Why would this be good?

8. Egyptians Pyramids The Egyptians believed that people lived an afterlife and were judged by the god Osiris and created a book for guidance in the afterlife called The Book of the Dead. They believed their kings ruled even after death. They built the pyramids as eternal palaces for their kings after mummification so that they could reign forever.

9. Indus Civilization • Indus was the longest lasting of the early civilizations and formed in the fertile Indus-Ganges Plain. • It was separated from the rest of Asia by the Himalaya Mountains (tallest in the world). Indus River #1 – Advanced Cities – laid out cities on a precise grid system. #2 – Specialized Workers – plumbing, homes built with oven baked-bricks, trade • #3 – Complex Institutions - • Religion – Early Hindu links #4 – Writing – We don’t know a great deal about this civilization because we have not been able to read their writings. Also it came to a mysterious end . #5 – Advanced Technology – had sophisticated plumbing (toilets)

10. Chinese River Civilizations Chinese isolation allowed the civilization to thrive and endure until today. #1 – Advanced Cities – cities made of wood surrounded by huge earthen walls. Why? #2 – Specialized Workers – skilled workers lived outside the cities and made weapons, jewelry, and religious items for the nobles. • #3 – Complex Institutions - • Dynastic Cycle – a pattern of successions of dynasties • Mandate of Heaven – rulers could justify taking over • Feudalism – King allows nobles use his land in exchange for loyalty. • Religion – revolved around family ancestry, oracle bones, and sacrifices. #4 – Writing – pictograph style (directly related to Chinese writing today), easy to read (picture style) even if you could not speak the language. #5 – Advanced Technology – silk cloth, roads and canals, began using iron (Europe would not use until the Middle Ages)