Early River Valley Civilizations3500 B.C.-450 B.C.

What is the fertile crescent?• Between Persian Gulf

and Mediterranean sea in Southwest Asia

• Region is curved shaped and the land is rich

• Provided some of the best farming in Southwest Asia.

• Became known as Mesopotamia

MesopotamiaMeans “land between the rivers”The Tigris and Euphrates frame MesopotamiaFlow to the Persian Gulf

What environmental challenges existed in the area?

•Unpredictable flooding•Long periods of little to no rain•No natural barriers for protection•Limited natural resources•Building materials were scarce

How were these problems solved?• Dug irrigation ditches that

carried river water to their fields and allowed them to produce a surplus of crops.

• Built city walls with mud bricks for defense

• Traded with peoples of mountain an deserts to receive raw materials.

• KEY: ORGANIZATION, COOPERATION AND LEADERSHIP

Sumerian City-States• Functioned like an independent country• Center of all Sumerian cities was walled temple

with a ziggurat (city hall) in the middle• Priests had most control over the cities, because

citizens wanted the blessings of the Gods• City-states grew, because crop production

facilitated trade• Advanced cities, specialized workers, complex

institutions, record keeping and improved technology set Sumer apart from other city-states.

Sumerian Religion• Polytheistic: Believed

in many different Gods• Gods did many of the

same things that humans did-fell in love, had children, argued

• Gods were also immortal

• Humans were servants to the Gods

• Built alters to the Gods and made sacrifices

Life in Sumerian Society• Social classes existed• Women had many rights

that did not exist in other civilizations

• Technology greatly increased▫ Invented wheel, sail, plow▫ Used bronze▫ Developed measuring

system▫ Created their own system

of writing

What was Mesopotamia’s first empire?

• Led by Sargon from Akkad• Conquests helped spread

culture of Sumer• Brought together people

from across the Mediterranean Coast

• Lasted only about 200 years

• Declined because of internal fighting, invasions and famine

What was the most lasting empire?• The Babylonian Empire• Reached its peak during the

reign of Hammurabi• Developed his own code of

laws▫ Helped unify diverse groups▫ Affected everything within

the community▫ Tells about beliefs of

Mesopotamians▫ Different punishments for

rich and poor• Lasted for two centuries• Fell to neighboring Kassites

What were the geographical features of Egypt?• Africa• Most settlements were

along the Nile River, the longest River in the World

• When the Nile flooded, it left rich, fertile silt which was beneficial to farming

• Egyptians built irrigation ditches, from which to water crops year-round

• The desert was advantageous because it kept invaders from Egypt

Early Egyptian Villages• Farming villages• Each had its own rituals,

gods and chieftain• Under the rule of two

separate kingdoms, Lower and Upper Egypt

• Two kingdoms were eventually united

When was Egypt unified?• Around 3000 BC• Ruled by one Kingdom• Kings were representative of

the Gods and were called Pharaohs

• Government was a theocracy• Believed that King ruled,

even after death• Pyramids were constructed

to serve as “palaces” for dead kings▫ Reflected the strength of

Egyptian civilization and technology

Egyptian Culture and Life• Religion: Polytheistic

▫ Mummification, items used in afterlife.

• Class Structure: King, upper class, middle class, lower class, slaves▫ Not locked into social class▫ Women had same rights as men

• Writing: Hieroglyphics-Picture stood for an idea▫ Also invented papyrus, a form

of paper• Science and Technology:

Calendar(kept track of seasons), written numbers, geometry, medicine

How did the “Old & Middle Kingdoms” end?Power of Pharaohs declinedGroup from Palestine, called the Hyksos moved into Egypt and began their rule.

What was the geography of the Indian Subcontinent?• World’s tallest mountains

to the north• Largest desert to the east• Helped protect from

invasion• Two significant rivers:

Ganges and Indus▫ Carried water for

irrigation and silt for rich agriculture

• Southern part thrusts south into the Indian Ocean

• Monsoons dominated climate

How did civilization emerge on the Indus?• Not really sure, because

historical evidence is lacking

• Inhabitants did construct planned cities, with strong levees to keep out flooding

• Cities were laid out on a precise grid system, inside fortifications

• Had sophisticated plumbing and sewage systems

• Harappa was one of the more famous cities.

Harappan Culture• Language: Written

language, but impossible to decipher-over 400 symbols

• Religion: Theocracy-Gods and Goddesses

• Trade: Thriving trade due to location along the Indus river

Indus Valley Culture Ends• Fate of cities remained a

mystery until 1970• Satellite images revealed

that tectonic plates had shifted, possibly causing earthquakes and floods

• Many cities were destroyed

• Over-farming may have led to the destruction of other cities.

What was the geography of early China?• Natural barriers (oceans,

seas, mountains, deserts) isolated China from other parts of the world & limited trade

• Two major river systems (Yellow River & Chang Jiang) flow through China

• Only about 10% of China’s land was suitable for farming

Chinese Civilization Emerges• 2000 BC early Chinese

settlements grew into cities

• During the first dynasty, flood control and irrigation projects helped tame rivers so that settlements could grow.

• Shang Dynasty came to power in 1700 BC.▫ First to have written

records▫ Built elaborate palaces,

walled cities and tombs▫ Anyang was most

important cities

Chinese Culture• Family: Central to society,

respect for parents, greater rights for males, arranged marriages

• Social Classes: Sharply divided between nobles and peasants

• Religion: Believed spirits of ancestors could bring good or evil

• Writing: No links between written and spoken language, but did help unify the Chinese

Zhou and the Dynastic Cycle• 1027 BC Zhou overthrew Shang and created

their own dynasty• Said that their authority to do this came from a

“Mandate from Heaven” • Established feudalism, a political system in which

nobles could use the land of the king, in return for loyalty and military service

• During the dynasty, roads and canals were built, money was introduced and improved trade

• Towards the end of the Zhou reign chaos and defiance was commonplace in China