The First Civilizations Mesopotamia Sumer Babylonian Empire Phoenicia

The First Civilizations

Mesopotamia Sumer, Babylonian Empire, Phoenicia, Hebrews

Sumerians ● Tigris and Euphrates (between the ● ● rivers) Flooding, climate People settled, built cities, canals, dams (many city dwellers were farmers) City-states grew; wars led to stone walls, armies, powerful kings rose above status of priests. King seen as direct link to god Prayed and made offerings to win gods’ favor; temples, altars, ziggurats

Sumerians continued ● Agricultural surplus ● Division of labor ● Trade ● 7 person canoes ● Beads, wood, resin, lapis, obsidian, pearls copper, ivory (SE Africa and India) ● Wealth gap grew, social ● ● stratification Cuneiform (record keeping) Achievements include: Carts, metal plows, sundial, number system Epic of Gilgamesh Few natural barriers= invasions

Babylonians ● New weapon – compound or composite bow (stronger, more deadly) ● Hammurabi ● Tax system, maintained canals, law codes to protect rights (eye for an eye) ● Patriarchal society, women had some rights ● Astronomers

Phoenicians ● Present day Lebanon, Israel, Jordan ● Traders: cedar logs, colorful textiles, glass, pottery ● Carthage an important outpost ● 22 letter alphabet helped increase trade, modified by Greeks, basis of our alphabet

Hebrews ● Became known as Israelites, later Jews ● Hebrew Scriptures = Christian Old Testament ● Drought forced some to migrate to Egypt (Moses, Ten Commandments) ● Monotheism ● Division and Diaspora ● Divided into two kingdoms ● Many fled; beginning of the diaspora

Ancient Egypt ● Desertification caused by declining rainfall; people settled near ● ● ● Nile River – trade, flooding (irrigation canals) Wheat, barley, papyrus (paper, baskets, sandals, etc) Agriculture (gourds, watermelons, sorghum, donkeys, cattle) Mining – copper for jewelry, tools Trade spread ideas (wheel, plow, bronze-making, writing) King Menes united Lower Egypt (north) and Upper Egypt (south)

Ancient Egypt Kingdom - Old ● Strong central government – pharaohs (theocrats) owned all land. Granted some to nobles as payment. Challenged power, drought, famine, unrest, collapse. ● Pyramids built as tombs

Ancient Egypt ● Strong central govt Kingdom - Middle ● Monumental architecture – ● ● statues portraying pharaohs as wise and caring Renewal in art, religion, and literature Huge irrigation projects Expanded borders Hyskos invaded – horse drawn chariots and improved bows and arrows

Ancient Egypt – New Kingdom ● Strong govt – expand southward ● Akhenaton – one god, Aten ● Priests opposed, struggles weakened his power, after death, polytheism restored ● Ramses the Great (ruled 67 years) ● Temples and statues, wealth attracted invaders ● Hittites – iron tools and weapons. ● Long period of decline; repeated invasions

Overall - SPICE ● Complex social hierarchy. Rigid ● ● ● class system, women had more rights than most regions Polytheistic; Ra, Osiris, Isis, mummification Long periods of unity allowed stable culture to develop Hieroglyphics; papyrus Book of the Dead placed in coffins of pharaohs and some nobles Technology – surveying tools, ramps, math, engineering skills (think pyramids), number system, medicine.

Indus Valley Civilizations Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro Dravidians established two sophisticated cities

Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro ● Language not deciphered Advanced civilization – division of labor (jewelers, potters, architects, and artisans) ● Homes of varying sizes, toilets, urban planning ● Traded by sea and land with Sumer and Egypt ● Decline: environmental degradation? Indus river floods? Earthquakes? ●

Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro continued ● Aryan migrations and interactions; Hindu-Kush ● Brought first horses to India; warriors on horseback and chariots ● Clans; herders - intermarried ● Barter system ● Sanskrit – sacred language. Writing system developed ● Vedas (knowledge) ● Rig-Veda – discussed conflicts between Dravidian and Aryan peoples. Outlined behavior of Brahmin and responsibilities. ● Upanishads – brahma, dharma, karma, moksha ● Brahma – universal soul connects all ● Follow duties and deeds – dharma to escape endless cycle of rebirth ● Dharma determines karma (fate)

China’s First Civilizations Xia, Shang, Zhou

Geography and Resources ● Huang He (Yellow) River and Chiang Jiang (Yangtze) Rivers ● Loess ● Natural defenses ● Gobi Desert and Himalayas ● Agricultural – rice, soybeans, millet, chicken, pigs ● Silk – silkworms/mulberry trees ● Copper/jade

Early Dynasties Shang Xia ● Legend of Yu; son founded dynasty known ● much 400 years; not ● 600 years ● Primarily agricultural, some skilled crafts ● ● ● ● (pottery, jewelry from ivory and jade, weapons, tools, wheels) Rulers controlled bronze production Polytheistic; gods of sun, moon, cloud, wind Oracle bones Ancestor veneration began Pictographs Standard systems of measurement Calendar Music: drums, bells, stone chimes, wind

Zhou ● 900 years First Golden Age of China ● Mandate of Heaven ● Centralized power, expanded ● ● Divided (too large to control) w/regional leaders ● Regional leaders stopped sending money, formed own armies, weakened king ● Early concept of feudalism

Zhou continued ● First Chinese money – copper coins ● Iron tools ● Peasant built dikes, reservoirs, and irrigation canals ● Iron plows – more food ● Growth of towns and cities ● Achievements: crossbow, iron sword, mounted cavalry, iron tools, irrigation systems improved, roads improved ● Uprisings led to a weakened govt

Discussion Questions: ● 1. Analyze continuities and changes in beliefs systems before/after the Neolithic Revolution. ● 2. C/C how people in nomadic societies and people in the first settled societies interacted with the environment. ● 3. The Neolithic Revolution made government more important. Discuss why and how. ● 4. Plows, axles, textiles and iron were technological innovations in early societies. Assess the significance of each.