Notes from "Big History"

Chapter 6 on Early Cities

The first cities (10-50k people) arose "more or less simultaneously in about 3500 BCE in river valleys in four areas of Afro-Eurasia" -- Tigris/Euphrates, Nile, Indus, and Yellow River. p. 94 -- This marks the beginning of so-called "civilization." Issues with the term, defining characteristics of complex societies. (A)

p. 95 -- There were significant consequences to the fact that cities emerged in the Americas so much later (1300-900 BCE) (B) pp. 95-100: focusing on details about Sumerian society

cities surrounded by intensively irrigated farmland by 3800 BCE

religion = gods and goddesses

ziggurat temple architecture

state-formation (Sargon of Akkad) as separate cities joined into a centralized state (2350 BCE)

cuneiform written language (pictographic)

first literature: Epic of Gilgamesh

extensive trade network

beginnings of bronze, p. 98 (C)

law codes, bureaucracy

Sumerian inventions, p. 98 (D)

Why Sumer collapsed? environmental issues p. 98-99 (E)

Legacy of Sumer, p. 99: 12-base counting, unlucky 13, belief in spirits (F) pp. 100-106 on"Other Urban Cultures -- India, Egypt, and China" plus a little on Minoans, Phoenicians

Egyptian hieroglyphics (first appearing in 3300-3200 BCE)

the ideal conditions of the Nile River Valley, so much food! p. 101 (G)

Egyptian irrigation systems lasted 5,000 years, much longer than in Sumer or Harappa

a "maelstrom of warfare" in the Middle East, 2350-331 BCE, supported by innovations such as chariots, cheaper iron armor, p. 102 (H)

Phoenicians and the first alphabet, p. 104 (trade as impetus); Greek, Arabic = derivatives (I) On the impact of alphabetic writing:

democratized reading/writing

the end of local gods, more universal deities, p. 106 (J)

expansion of bureaucracy, p. 106 (K) Civilization and patriarchy, pp. 106-107: plows became too heavy as farming intensified? Defense became more important, and the role fell to men. (L) Final thoughts on the effects of Egypt on Greeks, and whether or not Egyptians were black (nobody knows), p. 109 (M)

(A) p. 94

(B) p. 95

(C) p. 98

(D) p. 98

(E) pp. 98-99

(F) p. 99

(G) p. 101

(H) p. 102

(I) p. 104

(J) p. 106

(K) p. 106

(L) pp. 106-107

(M) p. 109