What is Civilization?

5 characteristics:

1) Advanced cities

2) Complex institutions

3) Advanced technology

4) Specialized workers

5) Record keeping

CIVILization

Cities; advanced

Institutions; complex

adVanced technology

Individual jobs (specialized workers)

Literate (record keeping)

The First Civilizations• The Neolithic revolution allowed people to

settle down in one place

• Villages grew into cities and complex societies emerged

• Religion developed

• People took on specific occupations (specialization)– Farmer– Priest– Craftsman– Administrator, etc.

UrUr

• Bronze Age Bronze Age civilizationcivilization

• Located in Located in MesopotamiaMesopotamia

• Modern day Modern day IraqIraq

• Population: Population: 30,00030,000

• Around 3000 Around 3000 B.C.E.B.C.E.Ur

Sumerian FirstsSumerian Firsts• 11stst irrigation system irrigation system

• 11stst libraries libraries

• 11stst written contract written contract

• 11stst written laws (Code of written laws (Code of Hammurabi)Hammurabi)

• 11stst literature (Epic of literature (Epic of Gilgamesh)Gilgamesh)

• 11stst effective use of wheel effective use of wheel

Ziggurat

farming

Lower & middle class homes

Central city (homes of priests & royalty)

The King

The Governors

The Aristocracy

The Peasantry

Social and political organization: • The King: had military powers.

• The Governors: governed the territories of the kingdom. Were generals and judges at the same time.

• The aristocracy: Were priests and traders.

• The peasants: People who work the land.

Life in Ur

• Irrigation & specialized agricultural workers lead to food surpluses

• Government officials supervised and planned irrigation and harvests

• Artisans such as bronze workers, potters, and textile workers produced items for trade

Trade in Ur• People in the city’s bazaar (marketplace),

bartered for different items {no Sumerian money}

• Scribes (people who could write) used cuneiform to record complex trades

Sumerian Religion• Polytheist

• Religious life centered around giant temple or ziggurat

• Animal sacrifices

• Each city focused on one particular god