essential questions : how did ancient civilizations develop? what were similarities between various...
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Early CivilizationsEssential Questions :
How did ancient civilizations develop?What were similarities between various early
civilizations?
Civilizations began in certain parts of the world with many similarities even though vast distances separated them.Mesopotamia (present day Iraq)IndiaChinaAmericas
AZTECMAYAN
INCA
EGYPT
MESOPOTAMIA INDIA
CHINA
Geographic similaritiesCivilizations grew around areas where a stable
food source could be foundRiver 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
Characteristics of civilizationSocial 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
Example of Egyptian Social Structure
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 civilizationsPopulation expansion Specialization/trade Growth in wealth/expansion/conquests Sharing of ideas/technology/belief systems
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
Various sun gods
Government Several reasons for development of governments
Somebody needed to lead Rules have to be made Rules have to be enforced
Code of Hammurabi1st 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
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
Hieroglyphics
Ideograph
Cuneiform
Quipu
Culture Societies developed art, music, literature and other
forms of entertainment
Technology Inventions made life easier
wheel
Shaduf
plow
EmpiresCertain civilizations became powerful and
conquered others, creating empiresAkkadian 2340 BC (Present-day Iraq)
1st known empire Conquered their Sumerian neighbors in
MesopotamiaBabylon 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
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
After the fall of Egyptian and Hittite Empires Some independent kingdoms arose
Phoenician Kingdom Great sea-traders Influential alphabet that was adopted by the
GreeksThis 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 religionJudaism
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
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
AsiaMauryan 324 BC (India)
After retreat of Alexander’s forces from India, Candragupta Mauryan established India’s first empire
The empire really flourished under the leader Asoka Considered greatest Indian ruler
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