Period 1 8000 BCE 600 BCE Early Civilizations
Period 1 8000 BCE – 600 BCE Early Civilizations Edited by Mr. Barkhau Shamelessly stolen from http: //conaapwh. weebly. com/classpowerpoints. html
Mesopotamia: The Fertile Crescent
Fertile Crescent �Fertile Crescent = moon-shaped strip of land from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf that is excellent farm land Located in modern-day Middle East
Mesopotamia � Mesopotamia = located within the Fertile Crescent, between the Tigris & Euphrates Rivers were NOT a reliable source of water (unlike the Nile) Ran dry in summer; flooded in spring Villages joined together to build dams, canals, and ditches
The Sumerian Civilization �People from Asia arrived in Mesopotamia �Formed 12 city-states = the city and the land surrounding it Considered the world’s 1 st cities �Created ziggurats = stepped pyramids with a temple at the top
The Sumerian Civilization �Sumerians shared common culture, language, and religion �City-states governed themselves �Were theocracies = kings served as both government leaders AND high priests �Laws regulated the roles of women & men had far more rights
The Sumerian Civilization �Cuneiform = Sumerian system of writing The symbols represented complex ideas
The Sumerian Civilization �Scribes were trained to read & write documents and stories Epic of Gilgamesh = oldest story in the world
The Sumerian Civilization � Practiced polytheism = belief in more than one god Each city-state had its own god Negative outlook on life and the afterlife Believed gods were selfish and had no regard for humans
Sumerian Inventions Wagon Wheel Arch Potter’s Wheel Sundial 12 -month Calendar 6. Metal Plow 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
First Mesopotamian Empires The Akkadians �Empire under Sargon I �Kingdom was called Akkad �Conquered & united all of the Sumerian citystates �Empire fell apart after his & his grandson’s death
First Mesopotamian Empires Babylon � Ruled by Hammurabi � Strict Code of Laws = Hammurabi’s greatest achievement Rules and consequences that addressed daily life Law code covered entire region of Mesopotamia “Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” type of laws Government assumed the responsibility of protecting its citizens People now had laws to protect their rights & didn’t need to resort to violence
First Mesopotamian Empires Babylon �Social classes were similar to the Egyptians, but they had far more slaves �Hammurabi’s empire fell apart after his death
Trading Peoples
Trading Peoples � Civilizations of Egypt & Mesopotamia greatly influenced neighboring people in the Fertile Crescent = the Aramaeans and the Phoenicians Trading peoples Traveled by sailing ships & by caravan Spread languages, customs, and ideas as they traded around the Fertile Crescent
The Aramaeans � Settled in central Assyria around 1200 BCE � Capital = Damascus � Gained control over the trade between Egypt and Mesopotamia
The Aramaeans �Because their caravans crisscrossed the Fertile Crescent nonstop, people learned their language called Aramaic Main language of the region until the 800 s Closely related to Hebrew and Arabic Many parts of the Bible were written in this language
The Phoenicians � Canaan = land between ancient Egypt and Syria � Canaan = modern day Israel, Lebanon, and Jordan � Phoenicians settled in northern Canaan
The Phoenicians � Sailed the seas for trade Made strong, fast ships using timber in cedar forests � Built a string of towns & cities along their coast Grew to become city-states Built confederation (loose union) of city-states
The Phoenicians �Expert navigators Plotted voyages using the sun & stars �Took charge of Mediterranean shipping and trade
The Phoenicians �Created an alphabet = series of written symbols that represent sounds Only 22 characters Each character represented different consonant sound Basis for our alphabet we use today
The Phoenicians �To protect & re-supply their ships, the Phoenicians set up a network of trading posts and colonies along the coasts of the Mediterranean Colony = settlement of emigrants
The Lydians �Lived in Asia Minor �This area famous for its gold deposits �First group to develop a monetary system with set prices using coins Everybody else still bartering = exchanging goods Soon the concept of money traveled to other societies
Ancient Egypt & the Nile Valley
A River Valley & Its People � One of the world’s first civilizations developed along the banks of the Nile In northeastern Africa Nile = world’s longest river � People of the Nile relied on the river’s yearly floods to bring them water � Green Nile Valley = stark contrast to deserts surrounding it on either side
A River Valley & Its People � Rich black soil in Valley = good for farming � 5000 BCE = farmers began to settle down in the Valley Grew cereal crops (wheat, barley) Hunted ducks & geese; fished � Early Egyptians harvested papyrus Used for rope, sandals, baskets, and paper
A River Valley & Its People �Early farming villages prospered --> WHY? ? Because they were protected from foreign invasions by deserts and cataracts (waterfalls) in the Nile �Strong leaders united the farming villages into kingdoms or monarchies ruled by a king
A River Valley & Its People �By 4000 BCE, Egypt had 2 large kingdoms Lower Egypt (in the north) Upper Egypt (in the south) 3000 BCE = Narmer (king of Upper Egypt) attacked Lower Egypt and united the 2 ▪ Capital = Memphis ▪ 1 st of the Egyptian dynasties ▪ Egyptian dynasties divided into 3 periods: Old, Middle, New
The Old Kingdom (2700 BCE to 2200 BCE) � People saw their kings as gods Called a theocracy = same person is the political AND religious leader King gave many responsibilities to a bureaucracy = groups of government officials King controlled trade & taxes King supervised building of canals, dams, grain storehouses
The Old Kingdom (2700 BCE to 2200 BCE) �Egyptians built pyramids as burial places for their kings Great Pyramids in Giza King’s bodies were mummified for preservation
Pyramids as Tombs
Mummification
The Middle Kingdom (2050 BCE to 1800 BCE) �Old Kingdom ended with violence & a new dynasty reunited Egypt �Capital moved to Thebes �Theben kings = seized new territory & added thousands of acres to their civilization �Built canals and irrigation systems
The Middle Kingdom (2050 BCE to 1800 BCE) � Local leaders began to challenge the kings’ power, which threatened peace At same time = 1 st real threat to Egypt = invasion by Hyksos (people from western Asia) Hyksos swept through with new tools for war --> bronze weapons & horse-drawn chariots Easily conquered the Egyptians & set up a new dynasty (for about 110 years)
The New Kingdom �Egyptian prince named Ahmose raised an army & drove the Hyksos out �Ahmose & those that came after him used the title pharaoh Rebuilt Egypt & conquered more land
The New Kingdom � 1480 BCE = Queen Hatshepsut came to power in Egypt = 1 st female pharaoh After her death, her stepson Thutmose III took over Thutmose III created an army, conquered neighboring Syria, and expanded the Egyptian empire Empire = many territories under one ruler Egyptian empire grew rich & benefited from cultural diffusion
The New Kingdom � 1370 BCE = ruler named Amenhotep = created new religion with just 1 god Changed his named to Akhenaton = “spirit of Aton” Aton = sun-disk god = only 1 to be worshipped Controversial, so after his death the priests went back to old religion King Tut took over for him
The New Kingdom � 1200 s BCE = Ramses II (Ramses the Great) Built large statues of himself, temples, and tombs After his death, Egypt weakened under attacks from invaders & was taken over by foreigners
Life in Ancient Egypt Social Order � Upper class = kings, nobles, priests � Middle class = artisans, scribes, merchants � Lower class (majority of Egyptians) = farmers, poor � Lowest of the low = slaves
Life in Ancient Egypt Families �In cities & upper class = husband, wife, children �Outside the city & poor families = also included grandparents & other relatives
Life in Ancient Egypt Women �In the beginning = property of their husbands �By the time of the Egyptian Empire = they could own property and divorce their husbands; had more rights
Life in Ancient Egypt Religion �Very important to early The ankh = symbol of life Egyptians �Polytheistic = believed in more than one god �Gods were often half human, half animal �Believed in an afterlife – burial rituals reflect this
Some Egyptian Gods Ra = Sun God Osiris = God of the Dead King of the Gods Horus = Son of Iris & Osiris Anubis = God of Embalming Iris = Queen of the Goddesses
Life in Ancient Egypt Writing � Used hieroglyphics (picture symbols) for writing � Few people could read or write � Language remained a mystery until discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799 (Greek writing matched the hieroglyphs on the Stone)
Life in Ancient Egypt Science �Developed a number system �Used geometry to calculate volume and area �Created a 365 -day calendar �Developed medical expertise used splints, bandages, etc.
Early South Asia & Early China
Early South Asia � 3 rd civilization on the rise = Indus River Valley in South Asia �Arose on the subcontinent of Asia = landmass that is part of a continent but is distinct from it
The Subcontinent � 3 modern nations there today = India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh �Mountains separate it from the rest of Asia = Himalayas & Hindu Kush �Indus River drains into the Arabian Sea
Climate & Seasonal Winds � Mountains block cold air & give the area a warm climate � Monsoons = seasonal winds that affect the climate and way of life � Summer monsoons bring heavy rains, causing flooding that helps the soil � People depended on monsoons to grow crops � Monsoons sometimes unpredictable - Unusually heavy rains drowned people, animals, whole villages - Late or light monsoons caused poor crops & starvation
The Indus Valley Civilization � Often called Harappan Civilization � Major cities: Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro � Cities were carefully planned – used a grid pattern � A fortress built on a brick platform overlooked each city – probably the center of government and religion
The Indus Valley Civilization � Houses were made of oven-baked bricks 1) Each house had at least one bathroom with plumbing to sewers 2) Houses rose to several stories and had enclosed courtyards
The Indus Valley Civilization � Most people farmed � Trade = bronze and copper tools; jewelry out of gold, shells, ivory; clay pots; woven cloth; silver containers � Used pictograms – still haven’t been deciphered � Not much is known due to a lack of written records � Collapsed around 1500 BCE
Early China � 4 th civilization on the rise = Yellow River Valley in China (Huang He River) �Oldest continuous civilization in the world
China’s Geography � 1/3 mountains � Vast deserts – Gobi Desert � These factors isolated China from other early civilizations � Prevented cultural diffusion � Promoted strong sense of national identity
Shang Dynasty (1700 -1000 BCE) � 1 st dynasty (line of rulers who belong to the same family) from which there are written records in China � Kings were also high priests Performed special ceremonies for good weather, crops, etc. Had special powers to call upon their ancestors Used oracle bones
Shang Dynasty �Had a writing system Characters represented objects, ideas, or sounds Had to memorize each character to understand script Few people could read & write in ancient China
Shang Dynasty �Produced some of the finest bronze objects ever made �Wove silk into beautiful colored cloth for the upper class � 7 capital cities Palace and temple stood at the center of each city
Shang Dynasty �Collapsed under attack Shang Dynasty lacked strong leaders 1000 BCE = ruler from the north named Wu marched in his armies and killed the Shang king Set up his own dynasty called the Zhou Dynasty that ruled China for 800 years
Shang Dynasty �Paved the way for many other dynasties to rule China Dynasties ruled China until the early 1900 s under the Mandate of Heaven ▪ If rulers were effective, they received the authority to rule from Heaven ▪ If not, they were overthrown & lost this mandate to someone else who started a new dynasty
The Olmec Civilization
Mesoamerica �Meso = means middle �Refers to any cultures that lived in present-day Mexico & Central America
Olmec Civilization �One of the earliest Mesoamerican civilizations �Located near Gulf of Mexico �Knowledge of them comes from excavations of 2 main sites = San Lorenzo and La Venta both discovered in the 1930 s
Olmec Civilization �Olmec = known for gigantic stone heads carved from basalt (volcanic rock) Some more than 9 feet tall Some weighed as much as 40 tons Heads of rulers Built without wheels or “beasts of burden” Olmec moved these heads about 60 miles from the mountains to the sites where they were found Think about the giant head from Legends of the Hidden Temple! His name was Olmec!
Olmec Civilization �Religion played an important role in the lives of the Olmec Many carvings found of the main Olmec god = a being with a human body and the catlike face of a jaguar Olmec believed the jaguar god controlled the harvests
Olmec Civilization � Early Olmec farmers used slash-and-burn farming = farmers cut down trees to clear land & burned whatever was left Planted maize and other crops among fertile ashes Problem = soil became exhausted after about 2 years Farmers then shifted fields & repeated the cycle
Olmec Civilization as the “Mother Civilization” in Mesoamerica �Because of the influence that the Olmec civilization had on future civilizations within Mesoamerica, it is often referred to as the “Mother Civilization” in Mesoamerica
Pok-a-tok � A ritual ball game = rubber balls were batted back and forth across a walled court Symbolized the back & forth struggle between this world and the next
Olmec Religion � Olmec rulers = BOTH political leaders AND spiritual leaders Performed rituals and ceremonies to satisfy the gods Temples and pyramids built where thousands could gather for special religious ceremonies and festivals
Religious Rituals of the Olmec �Bloodletting �Sacrifice of humans, animals, and valuable objects
Bloodletting �Tools used: Blades Stingray spines Sharks’ teeth Obsidian flakes Rope with thorns Jade “spears”
Decline of the Olmec �We don’t really know what happened to them, however the most popular theories are: Food Shortage– the Olmec’s relied on only a handful of crops and all of them were susceptible to climate change (Sever Drought/Volcanic Eruption etc) External conflict with neighboring tribes Internal conflict between Olmec cities led to a decline in their culture
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