Ancient River Valley Civilizations Mesopotamia Egypt the Indus

Ancient River Valley Civilizations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus River Valley and China

Location and Reasons Ø During Neolithic Era, permanent settlements began to develop around river valleys. Ø River valleys provided rich soil and irrigation for agriculture. Ø Valleys were also easily protected from invaders/nomadic peoples.

Mesopotamia/Sumer

Mesopotamia/Sumer Ø Cities (Catal Huyuk; Jericho) had existed earlier. Ø 1 st large scale civilizations developed between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers Ø Known as “Mesopotamia”=“land between the rivers. ”

Mesopotamia/Sumer Ø Location: Modern-day Iraq, called the “Fertile Crescent” Ø Life was hard: ØRivers were not reliable/steady (thus no stable water supply) ØDry summer season (no rain) ØSpring flood (sometimes wiping out towns)

Mesopotamia/Sumer • 1 st and largest city was Sumer • Sumerians are credited with numerous inventions, including the wheel, plow, sundial, large buildings, and a 12 month calendar.

The Nanna Ziggurat at Ur

Mesopotamia/Sumer Ø The 12 cities had similar culture, technology, languages, and traditions. Ø Constant fighting over resources. Ø Eventually, military leaders take control.

Mesopotamia/Sumer Government Ø Each city-state governed independently. Ø The king was both a military leader and a high priest (that represented each city’s god) Ø Theocracy: government based on religious authority

Mesopotamia/Sumer Religion Ø Polytheistic: belief in many gods Ø Gods represented natural forces (rain or air) as well as human activities Ø Gods and goddesses were selfish and angry (could cause flood or famine) Ø Sumerians believed they had little control over their lives and a grim underworld awaited them.

Mesopotamia/Sumer Writing and Law Ø Earliest form of writing: Cuneiform. Ø Wedge-shaped markings Ø Used for record-keeping and trade Ø Also used to record religious stories (Epic of Gilgamesh) Ø Hammurabi’s Code Ø Oldest codified law code Ø Punishment based on social class Ø Offenders subject to the same punishment