Early River Valley Civilizations ERVs ERVMesopotamia is Greek

Early River Valley Civilizations ERV’s

ERV--Mesopotamia is Greek for “between the rivers” The two main rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates Mesopotamia. co. uk

ERV--Mesopotamia Present-day Mesopotamia resides in the country of Iraq, which is in the Middle East

ERV--Mesopotamia This area is also know as the Fertile Crescent, why?

ERV--Mesopotamia Nap. edu

ERV--Mesopotamia History Sumerians formed city-states south of Mesopotamia around 3000 B. C. Sumerians lose control by 2000 B. C. to the Akkadians. The Akkadians, a Semitic people spoke Hebrew and Arabic. The Akkadians migrated from the Arabian Peninsula.

ERV--Mesopotamia Government Priest-King Priests served as a bureaucrat meaning they surveyed the land, assigned fields and distributed the crops. They also engaged in religious ceremonies. The king lead the army, administered trade and judged disputes.

ERV--Mesopotamia Law Hammurabi’s Code—one of the first written laws. Hammurabi was around from 1792 -1750 B. C.

ERV--Mesopotamia Law Lex Talionis Law of Exact Revenge An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life.

ERV--Mesopotamia Law Administration The law exacts retribution, not humans. The victim must bring the criminal to court. It was up to the victim or the victim’s family to enforce the sentence.

ERV--Mesopotamia Social Structure Kings/Priests Highest and most powerful

ERV--Mesopotamia Nobility Wealthy, they held large tracts of land

ERV--Mesopotamia Commoners Owned land but no representation

ERV--Mesopotamia Criminals/Debtors/Prisoners of War Many of whom were enslaved were allowed to trade

ERV--Mesopotamia Religion Polytheistic—belief in many gods Anthropomorphic—resembled humans

ERV--Mesopotamia Writing Used by bureaucrats to keep records Writing known as Cuneiform (wedge-shaped characters) They used a reed (stylus) to draw pictograms into a wet clay tablet.

ERV--Mesopotamia http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=wks. HEDg. BRn. M

Huang He River Valley

Huang He River Geography The Huang He (Yellow) River is located in northern China. It is called the Yellow River considering it carries a rich yellow soil called loess.

Huang He River

Huang He River China-tour. cn

Huang He River Geography Northern China --Semi-arid land --Long winters --Level plains in the Eastern half

huang He River Origins Lung Shan (Long Shan) Yang Shao Black Pottery Painted Pottery (Red and Black) They merged by 2000 BC to produce towns and the Shang Dynasty started in 1600 BC.

HUANG HE River Shang Dynasty Sdmuseum. com

HUANG HE River Shang Dynasty

HUANG HE River Shang Dynasty

HUANG HE River Shang Dynasty

HUANG HE River Shang Dynasty Artsmia. org

HUANG HE RIVER Shang Dynasty Government The Shang king descended from a god Shang Di. Decision by Divination --flat shoulder bone of a cattle or the lower tortoise shell --A question was written and either the bone or a metal rod was heated in a fire. --The shells or bones cracked and the answers were deciphered based on the length of the crack.

HUANG HE RIVER Shang Dynasty Social Structure King Nobles and aristocracy Commoners and artisans Slaves and war captives The Shang believed that slaves didn’t have souls or spirits and could safely be killed.

HUANG HE River Shang Dynasty Religion Ancestor worship has its origins with the Shang Dynasty Living relatives were to intercede on behalf of the deceased.

HUANG HE RIVER Shang Dynasty Architecture Cities were made of pounded earth walls with heavy gates. The city of Zhengzhou the earth wall was 20 feet high and a mile square.

HUANG HE RIVER Shang Dynasty Technology Bronze--a mixture of copper, tin, lead and zinc Calendars were used for agriculture Astronomy—records of sunspots and eclipses

HUANG HE RIVER Shang Dynasty—Minneapolis Institute of Arts http: //www. artsmia. org/art-ofasia/history/dynasty-shang. cfm

HUANG HE RIVER Shang Dynasty Website http: //www. asia. si. edu/exhibitions/online/chinatimelin e/dynasty 3. swf