Early River Civilizations

Early River CivilizationsMesopotamia (Tigris and Euphrates)Egypt (Nile)India (Indus and Ganges)China (Yellow and Yangtze)CivilizationContributionsGeographyBELLWORK (Entry 6)In notebook, write down the question and answer:List three reasons why early civilizations settled near rivers.Also, send one person from your group to get two pieces of paper for each person (on front table)Neolithic RevolutionThe first agricultural revolution the shift from hunting and gathering to agriculture and settlement.CivilizationAdvanced citiesSpecialized workersComplex institutionsRecord keepingImproved technologyMesopotamia

Also known as the Fertile Crescent or the Cradle of Civilization.People settled here in 4500 BCE.There were LOTS of disadvantages to living hereUnpredictable flooding and droughtsNo natural barriers for protection, defenseless against attackLimited natural resources, building materials were scarcebut, they were problem solvers!Dug irrigation ditches that brought water to cropsBuilt city walls with mud bricksTraded their grain, cloth and crafted tools with people of the mountains and deserts and as a result, got the raw materials that they needed: stone, wood and metalMesopotamia - CIVILIZATION1st Civilization advanced cities, specialized workers, complex institutions, record keeping, and technology.4500 BCEMesopotamia - CONTRIBUTIONSHammurabis Code, Wheel, Sail, Plow, geometry, 60 seconds in a minute (units to measure time), 360 degrees in a circle, cuneiform (written language), architecture (arches, columns, ramps)

CHOOSE THREE TO WRITE DOWNMesopotamia - GEOGRAPHYPresent day IraqAwesome farmingLimited natural resourcesFlooding and droughtNo natural barriersNile River Yearly floods made the land surrounding the river fertile, predictableHowever, there were still risksLow river crops reduced and thousands of people starveHigh river floods destroyed homes, granaries, and seedsDeserts surrounding region isolated people, reduced interaction with other people

Egyptian CulturePolytheistic belief in many godsBelieved in ka, or eternal lifeTheocracy Pharoahs were rulers and were thought to be almost as powerful as gods themselvesSocial classesNile - CIVILIZATIONTheocracyPyramidsSocial ClassesNile - CONTRIBUTIONSHieroglyphics, papyrus, 365 day calendar, system of numbers used for counting, adding and subtracting, pyramids, measuring heart rate, first surgeries, set bonesCHOOSE THREE TO WRITE DOWN

Nile - GEOGRAPHYEgyptPredictable weatherisolatedBellwork:Please take out your foldable from Friday. Review the major contributions made by the Mesopotamian and Nile River civilizations.If you were absent, come to the front table to get two pieces of paper and set your foldable up by looking on with a neighbor.Indus and Ganges RiversArea between Himalayas and Arabian SeaMountains in the north and desert in the east help prevent invasion

Annual monsoons June-October - winds blow eastward from the southwest carrying massive amounts of rainEnvironmental challenges existedYearly floods deposit rich soil, but unpredictableRivers changed courseCycle of wet and dry seasons unpredictableIndus and Ganges - CIVILIZATIONIndus River was key trade routeTheocracy links to modern HinduismNo social divisionsHad excessPeacefulWritten language has not been deciphered Indus and Ganges - CONTRIBUTIONSDomesticated sheep and goats, bricks were oven-baked and uniform in size, plumbing and sewage systems, strong central government, three-story buildings.

CHOOSE THREE TO WRITE DOWNIndus and Ganges - GEOGRAPHYIndian subcontinent Natural barriers for protection mountains and desertsMonsoonsYellow and Yangtze RiversHuang He (Yellow River) and Chang Jiang (Yangtze River)Like all of the other river civilizations, they faced challenges as wellFloodingGeographic isolation had to provide everything for themselvesConsistent invasions from the west and north

DynastiesFamily was the center of culture respect for eldersWomen were considered inferior, but could boost their status by bearing sonsSocial divisionsBelieved in spirits of ancestors, a supreme God, and lesser godsWritten language characters consistent throughout ChinaFeudalism

Yellow and Yangtze - CIVILIZATIONDynastiesFeudalismSocial divisionsYellow and Yangtze - CONTRIBUTIONSHorse drawn chariot, coined money, blast furnaces produced cast iron and the emergence of weapons daggers, swords, farm tools, etc. Construction of roads and canals to stimulate trade.

CHOOSE THREE TO WRITE DOWNYellow and Yangtze - GEOGRAPHYChina10% China suitable for farmingGeographic isolationSusceptible to attackMapUse an atlas to complete the following:Label the seven rivers we discussedIndusGangesTigrisEuphratesNileYellowYangtzeHighlight/shade the four ancient river civilization regions and label them.Pages 90-91 and page 18