Early River Valley Civilizations Ancient Egypt Nile River

Early River Valley Civilizations

Ancient Egypt • Nile River Valley • Located in Egypt (on the African continent) • Known for the Pharaoh – head of the government • Pyramids – used for religious purposes • Papyrus- paper like material made from plants, used for writing hieroglyphics (writing system using pictures/images.

Ancient Egypt

Geography • Nile River Valley • Annual floods • Irrigation system • Fertile soil • Climate: hot and dry

Government • Pharaoh was the king of Egypt • Pharaoh was seen as a living god • Theocracy – system of government in which priests rule in the name of God or of a god. • Ruled dynasties • Rigid social classes. Slaves at the bottom of the social pyramid.

Religion • Polytheistic • Used mummification to preserve dead bodies for the afterlife

Social Life • Depended on agriculture • Farmers • Merchants/traders • Made cloth, pottery, jewelry

Contributions & Technology • Hieroglyphics- writing system • Rosetta Stone- used by archeologist to decipher hieroglyphics • Number system • Created a calendar • Geometry • Papyrus - paper

Ancient India Indus River Valley • Located on the sub continent of India • Known for the use of a grid-like pattern in designing their cities called Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro (similar to our Manhattan- shows that they are advanced • Sanskrit – language they invented

Ancient India

Geography • Indus River Valley • On the Indian subcontinent • Monsoons- strong winds that brought rain • Monsoons were important to bring needed crops • Irrigation systems

Government • May have been matriarchal (lead by women) • Council of businessmen, craftsmen, and farmers.

Religion • Polytheistic • Performed bathing ceremonies

Social Life • Based on agriculture • Specialization of jobs-merchants and traders • Made cloth, pottery, jewelry

Contributions & Technology • Sanskrit- written language • Well planned cities: Harappa and Mohenjo. Daro • Plumbing and drainage systems • Sewage systems • Use of a wheel • There is much about the Indus river civilization that remains a mystery.

Ancient China Yellow River/ Huang He • Located in China (continent of Asia) • Known as the river of sorrows because of annual flooding • Known for dynasties- ruling family, concepts of mandate of heaven • God chooses the Emperor or head of government

Ancient China

Geography • Huang-He and Yangzi Rivers • Fertile soil • Irrigation systems • Canals • Very isolated because of mountains, deserts, and Pacific Ocean. This isolation led to ethnocentric beliefs, and the name “The Middle Kingdom”

Government • Shang Dynasty -1 st ruling family in China • Kings were seen as gods • Use Oracle bones to make decisions about future events • Oracle bones- were usually made up from the shoulder blades of oxen, or sometimes the shell of a tortoise. They were used to divine (predict) the future. • Patriarchal society

Religion • Polytheistic • Worshipped ancestors • Yin-Yang the nature balance within nature and the universe

Social Life • Based on agriculture • Merchants and traders • Made cloth, silk, pottery, jewelry

Contributions & Technology • Chinese writing system of pictographs and ideographs (symbols)- form of writing • Bronze casting • Use of silk Made jewelry

Mesopotamia Tigris-Euphrates River Valley • • • Located in the Middle East (present day Iraq) Fertile crescent There are 2 sub-civilizations Babylon- King of Hammurabi – Hammurabi’s Code-1 st written code of law. Made laws readily available for people of Babylon to see and know. This code shows the division in social classes that exist in Babylon. You are not punished/treated the same way if you were wealthy or as if you were poor. Sumer: famous for the Ziggurat- flat top temple, used for religious purposes. Used Cuneiform – writing system that used a wedge shape tool and clay

Fertile Crescent

Geography • Fertile Crescent –(crescent shaped region containing moist and fertile areas in Western Asia) • Mesopotamia mean “The Land between the Rivers” Tigris and Euphrates) • Annual floods • Fertile soil • No natural barriers • Desert like conditions • Irrigation Systems

Government • Developed independent city-states with walls for protection • Temple priests are at the top of government • King ruled with power granted from gods • Patriarchal society

Religion • Built temples called ziggurats to worship gods • Polytheistic-believed in many gods • Religion was a central part of society

Social Life • Economy based on agriculture (Traditional Economy) • Farmers • Merchants/traders

Contributions & Technology • Cuneiform- first writing system • Invented the wheel • Calendar/clock • Irrigation systems • Calculated the 360 degree circle