Introduction to Impacts of Ancient Civilizations Mesopotamia India

Introduction to Impacts of Ancient Civilizations Mesopotamia India China Egypt

What does “impact” mean ? • Influence or effect • Lasting achievement • Foundation of knowledge we use TODAY • Articles/ideas that have “stood the test of time” • Contribution • Legacy

Lasting Civilizations

GEOGRAPHY of Mesopotamia • called Fertile Crescent • present day Iran & Iraq • between Tigris & Euphrates

Impacts of Mesopotamia • Hammurabi’s Laws – Eye for an Eye – Laws applied to everyone • Cuneiform – Recorded on clay tablets – Symbol writing – Scribes combined symbols (wedges and lines)

Impacts of Mesopotamia • Irrigation • Built ditches for watering crops • Plow • Pulled by an ox • Wheel • Calendar • Based on the moon and stars • Levee • Walls built to prevent flooding

Geography of Egypt • Along the Nile River • Corner of northeast Africa • Upper and Lower Egypt • West and East protected by desert • Cataracts to Mediterranean Sea

Impacts of Egypt • Science • Performed surgery • Used natural remedies • Architecture • Pyramids • Math • Used addition, multiplication, subtraction and division • Fractions • Geometry • Hieroglyphics – picture-like symbol writing on papyrus • translated by the Rosette Stone in 1799

Impacts of Egypt • Science • Surgery • Natural remedies • Architecture • Pyramids • Math • Addition • Multiplication • Subtraction • Division • Fractions • Geometry Hieroglyphics – picture symbols written on papyrus translated by the Rosette Stone in 1799

Achievements • Nile River and Delta • Unified Egypt • Created trade and wealth • Irrigation • Flood control • Shadouf • Bucket/weight system to lift water from Nile

Geography of Ancient India ØSubcontinent ØPeninsula ØHimalayas Divide ØSouth Western Asia Ø 2 Great Rivers ØGanges ØIndus

Impacts of Ancient India • Religions Hinduism Buddhism • Martial Arts • Arabic Numerals • Mathematics - Algebra - Decimals and ZERO - Negatives

Geography of Ancient China • Southeast Asia • 3 Rivers • Yangtze • Huang He • Xi

Impacts of Ancient China • Silk Road • 4000 Miles of trade routes between China / Europe • Silk • Developed by the Chinese; carried over Silk Road • Philosophy • Confucius taught: – respect for others, especially elders – family was key

Impacts of Ancient China • Technology • Paper (wood) • Iron plow • Boat Rudder (boat steer) • Compass • Wheel barrow • Seismograph – measured earthquakes • Arts • • • Porcelain Silk Weaving Jade Carving Block Printing Temples