EARLY RIVER VALLEY

CIVILIZATIONS

UNIT ONE

EARLY MAN First People lived more than TWO million

years ago PREHISTORY: time before WRITING was

invented Prehistoric times – also known as: OLD

STONE AGE or PALEOLITHIC AGE People were known as NOMADS {people who

moved from place to place hunting/gathering food}

ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF PALEOLITHIC AGE Made TOOLS & WEAPONS

{sticks/spears from stone, bone, wood} Developed LANGUAGE

{able to communicate} Used FIRE

{cooking, warmth, protection} Made CLOTHING

{using animal skins}

PALEOLITHIC NOMADS Early man lived in EAST AFRICA {present

day Ethiopia/Tanzania} Man migrated north to Europe and east to

Asia Eventually separate cultures developed – as

cultures came in contact with one another CULTURAL DIFFUSION developed

CULTUREIn prehistoric times, bands of humans that lived near one another began to develop shared ways of doing things: common

ways of dressing, Similar hunting practices Favorite animals to eat. These shared traits were the first beginnings of

what anthropologists and historians call culture. Culture is the way of life of a group of people. Culture includes common practices of a society, its

shared understandings, and its social organization. By overcoming individual differences, culture

helps to unify the group.

CULTURAL DIFFUSION Exchange of IDEAS, CUSTOMS, and GOODS

among various cultures 3 ways cultural diffusion occurs:1. MIGRATION2. TRADE3. WAR

NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION Began about 10,000 years ago Environmental changes brought WARMER

WEATHER Transition from a lifestyle of hunting and

gathering to one of agriculture and settlement

Two Major Changes:1. FARMING – learned to grow land2. DOMESTICATION of ANIMALS

NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION People no longer had to wander for food –

led to:A. Permanent Settlements – people sheltered together in villages B. New Social Classes –divisions in powerC. New Technology –new tools, wheel, plow, metal

NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION Also known as the NEW STONE AGE Considered one of the greatest turning points

in history – changed the way people lived – from food gathering to food producing – this change is also known as the AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION

CIVILIZATIONS As people began to settle in one place –

growth of villages led to cities and then rise of civilizations

Civilization Characteristics:1. ADVANCED CITIES – centers of trade for large area2. SPECIALIZED WORKERS –skills for certain work {example: traders, priests, soldiers, gov’t officials}

3. COMPLEX INSTITUTIONS – long-lasting patterns of organization {gov’t system of ruling, religion, economics, education}

4. RECORD KEEPING – organized and accurate5. ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY –new tools/techniques

MESOPOTAMIA3500 BC – 1750 BC

FERTILE CRESCENT “Land Between Two Rivers”

TIGRIS and EUPHRATES RIVERS

EARLY SETTLERS 3300 B.C.

Sumerians

1.Dug irrigation ditches

2. Built City Walls

3. Traded

ZIGGURAT Pyramid shaped

monument “mountain of god” Conducted rituals

temple, sacrifices offerings to Gods

RELIGION POLYTHEISTIC Over 3000 Gods

example: ENLIL God of storms/air

Wanted Gods protection in life

EPICSEX: EPIC OF GILGAMESH

Long narrative poem celebrating deeds of heroes

SOCIAL CLASSES 1. Priests/Kings 2. Wealthy Merchants 3. Workers 4. Slaves Women- more rights than later

civilizations – hold property, pursue work, join priesthood, not allowed to attend schools – upper class could read & write

INVENTIONS WHEEL,SAIL,PLOW

WRITING, BRONZE WORKS,NUMBER SYSTEM (60)

Arithmetic 1.build city walls 2.plan irrigation systems 3.survey flooded fields

ARCHITECTURE ARCHES,

COLUMNS, RAMPS,ZIGGURAT

Writing – CUNEIFORM used clay tablets

HAMMURABI

Babylonian King 1792-1750 B.C.

Single code of laws 282 specific laws written in stone different punishments for rich/poor

EGYPT 3000 BC – 2000 BC River – NILE King Menes – united Upper/Lower

established first dynasty Egyptian God-Kings =Pharaohs Theocracy – type of govt rule is based

on religious authority

PYRAMIDS Tombs for Kings largest at Giza481 ft high 13 acres long*showed economic strength, Technology, organized govt

RELIGION POLYTHEISTIC more than

2000 gods

Ex: RE – sun god

OSIRIS – god of the dead

ISIS – goddess ideal mother & wife

MUMMIFICATION Embalming/drying

corpse to prevent decay, believed soul returns later

Buried with possessions

SOCIETY 1. King/Queen/Royal Family 2. Upper class – wealthy

landowners,gov’t officials, priests 3. Middle Class – merchants,artisans 4. Lower Class – farmers,peasants Women – many of same

rights,own/trade property,divorce

WRITING Hieroglyphics – pictures=ideas Rosetta Stone – used to decipher

writing surface - PAPYRUS

INVENTIONS/MEDICAL Calendar Geometry Cosmetics Heart/pulse rate Splints Surgery Treatment -fevers

INDUS 2500 BC – 1500 BC River – INDUS Climate –

monsoons seasonal winds; cycle of wet/dry seasons

Writing – not known have yet to decipher

HARAPPAN CIVILIZATION Planned cities –

precise grid system Citadel- protection,

temple, major buildings

PLUMBING SYSTEM

Private bathroom/toilet (brick w/wood seat)

Pipes connected carried wastewater to underground sewer system

CULTURE / TRADE Language impossible to decipher 400 symbols found on stamps/seals

Social Divisions not great Artifacts – clay/wooden toys, few weapons

Animals important part of culture Religion- link to Hinduism Traded with Mesopotamians

END OF CIVILIZATION Shifts Tectonic

Plates – earthquakes, Floods altered river

Trade-impossible

Agriculture – soil overused prevented large harvests

CHINA 2000 BC – 200 BC River – Huang He

(Yellow River) Isolation – natural

geographic barriers ex: Pacific Ocean, Himalaya Mts, Gobi Desert, Plateau of Tibet – cut off China from other civilizations

CULTURE Chinese – others

“Barbarians” Center of the world

– “MIDDLE KINGDOM”

FAMILY Family central to

society Respect for parents,

elders, men Men controlled

property Women had to obey

fathers/husbands arranged marriages

RELIGION POLYTHEISTIC Spirits of

ancestors had power

Gods were consulted through the use of “oracle bones” which predicted the future

WRITING Very complicated

10,000 characters hard to learn – time consuming – usually only the rich had time to memorize

Benefit – unified system throughout China

GOVERNMENT

Right to rule came from GODS “Mandate of Heaven” Dynastic Cycle

1st Dynasty – Shang 2nd Dynasty - Zhou

DYNASTIC CYCLE

TECHNOLOGY/TRADE Roads/Canals Coined Money Silk Tools – sickles,

knives, spades Blast furnaces –

cast iron