Characteristics of a civilization 1. Advanced technical skills
Approximately 3000BC ppl began making and using bronze tools and
weapons ppl began building permanent homes No longer nomads 2.
Formation of government Flooding was helpful and destructive In
order to develop & maintain irrigation systems there must be
organization and cooperation This could be where first gvts began:
to meet the needs of the people. There had to be laws about land
and water rights
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Characteristics of a civilization 3. Division of labor As
agricultural productivity increased (more food being produced) less
ppl were needed to work in the fields Some became artisans,
merchants, or traders Improvement in standard of living 4. Calendar
Were created to predict when flooding would occur Most based on the
cycle of the moon
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Characteristics of a civilization 5. Form of writing
(communication) Writing began as a way to Keep records Record rules
Pass on information (irrigation planning) Cuneiform Sumeria
Hieroglyphics Egypt
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Ancient Mesopotamia Location: between the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers
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Timeline of civilization About 3,000 BC city states begin
forming in Mesopotamia Geography of civilization Tigris and
Euphrates rivers form from water coming from Turkey, thorough Syria
and then through Iraq. Most of land in SW Asia is desert except for
the area between the Tigris and Euphrates Areas shape led to name,
The Fertile Crescent
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Geography of civilization Annual flooding provided fertile soil
& stable food supply Flooding was unpredictable Sumerians
thought their gods were angry with them when there were floods
Fertile Crescent easily invaded
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The Fertile Crescent, 2500 BC Sumer T E
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Accomplishments of civilization Sumer is the area of our focus
Ppl called Sumerians Developed system of writing called cuneiform
Writing symbols on clay tablets and letting it dry Built
ziggurats
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Ziggurats were not places for public worship or ceremonies.
They were believed to be dwelling places for the gods. Each city
had its own patron god. Only priests were permitted inside the
ziggurat was their responsibility to care for the gods and attend
to their needs. Priests were very powerful members of Sumerian
society.
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Interesting facts about Mesopotamian cultures? Practiced
polytheism (the belief in many gods) Had no concept of heaven or
salvation for the deceased
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Code of Hammurabi By 2000 BC the cities of Sumer had grown so
large that some like Ur, the capital city, had populations more
than 200,000 persons. Hammurabi (ca. 1792 - 1750 BC) united all of
Mesopotamia under his forty-three year reign of Babylon.
Hammurabi's Code is not the first code of laws (the first records
date four centuries earlier), it is the best preserved legal
document reflecting the social structure of Babylon during
Hammurabi's rule.
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Code of Hammurabi
http://www.phillipmartin.info/hammurabi/homepage.htm
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Nile River Valley
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Geography of Egypt Nile river provided predictable floods and a
stable food source River flows northward and empties into the
Mediterranean Winds blow south along the Nile Early ppl could use
current or winds to travel along the Nile Deserts surround the
valley and offered some protection from invasion
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Delta
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Quick history Egypt was divided into Upper Egypt, the area of
the delta and Lower Egypt, the area from the delta south Approx
2660 2180 BC what we think of Egypt began to develop Pharaoh, who
ruled over the land Was the King, but also viewed as a god A
Theocracy developed, a government in which the ruler is seen as a
divine figure Because pharaohs believed that they would rule even
after their deaths, huge tombs, or pyramids, were built for them.
Pharaoh=God=Religion is the law he was the only one who had direct
contact with the gods
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Pyramids, the burial tomb
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Religion in ancient Egypt Religious beliefs were the basis of
Egyptian art, medicine, astronomy, literature, and government.
Astronomy began as a way to determine the correct time for
religious rites and sacrifices. Earliest literature deals with
religious themes. Ancient Egyptians were willing to accept many
gods & goddesses If new lands were added to the empire, its
gods & goddesses were added to the ones who were already
worshipped.
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Taught the Egyptians farming Judged the dead Connected with the
Fertilizing pwr of Nile river Osiris wife Connected with the
fertile earth of Egypt One type of god of the sky
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The Egyptian temple was used strictly for religious purposes
Believed that after death they would appear before Osiris &
have to tell all the evil they had done in their lives. *They might
say, I have not done evil to men. I have not ill-treated animals
*Osiris would have their heart weighed to tell if the confession
was true or not. Believed in ka, part of the human spirit that
leaves @ death, but would return later. * mummified bodies so they
would be ready when ka returned
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Accomplishments of civilization technology and government
Hieroglyphics Written on sheets of dried papyrus plant Pictures
stood for sounds or ideas Pictures could be put together to make
words & sentences
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Accomplishments continued Used geometry to survey fields for
irrigation & planning of pyramids as tombs for the pharaoh.
Studied astronomy (the stars) Created a calendar with 12 months
& each month had 30 days Polytheistic religion Believed in life
after death Bodies were preserved through mummification to keep it
from decaying so the person could live in the afterlife
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1799 discovery on the bank of Nile Rvr.
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_image.aspx?image=an16456b.jpg&retpage=15633
3 levels of inscriptions Hieroglyphics Greek Common script Of Egypt
Took 14 years to translate from Greek to demotic to Hieroglyphics
demotic
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Society Rigid class structure Pharaoh Priests, wealthy
landowners, members of gvt, & the army Artisans & merchants
(middle class) Farmers (peasants) Eventually slaves People could
move from one social rank to another If you could read & write
you held a powerful position in society
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Indus Valley Civilizations
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Timelines of civilizations
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Advances of civilizations technology & government
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Why learn about these civilizations?
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Chinese river valley civilizations
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Civilizations timeline
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Advances of civilizations technology & government
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Why learn about the ancient Yellow River civilizations?