1 / 24

First Civilizations

First Civilizations. Cities, States and Unequal Societies. What is a civilization?. Cities with populations in the 10’s of thousands Monumental Architecture Powerful states that demand obedience Much greater inequality - economic - social. First Civilizations.

ataret
Download Presentation

First Civilizations

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. First Civilizations Cities, States and Unequal Societies

  2. What is a civilization? • Cities with populations in the 10’s of thousands • Monumental Architecture • Powerful states that demand obedience • Much greater inequality- economic- social

  3. First Civilizations • Sumer (southern Mesopotamia)- first written language – cunieform • Norte Chico (Peru)- smaller cities- less agriculture- no walls – less warfare?- quipus

  4. Norte Chico (Peru)

  5. First Civilizations • Indus Valley (India)- planned cities, grid system- standardized weights and measures- caste system • China (Xia, Shang, Zhou dynasties)- centralized- mandate of heaven- oracle bones (writing) • Olmec (Mexico/Texas)- first written language in Americas 900BCE- eventually influenced the Maya

  6. Oracle Bones (Shang China)

  7. Olmec Heads

  8. Origins of The First Civilizations • The need for warfare, trade, large irrigation projects • Competition led to warfare and innovation- the plow was developed- winners of war absorbed losers into their civilization as subordinate workers • Features of the first civilizations- cities- job specialization- center of culture (arts), exchange, politics

  9. Mesopotamia

  10. The Erosion of Equality • Upper Class- great wealth, no physical labor- distinguished by clothes, burial, government positions, special treatment under law • Lower Class- majority of people, workers- slavery emerged with civilizations- slaves were conquered people, not race of skin color

  11. Hierarchy of Gender • Civilization undermined equality of gender- more intensive agriculture (plows, tech)- women associated with nature- war – men physically stronger • Women activities restricted- couldn’t inherit property- exchange of female slaves- concubines- couldn’t initiate divorce

  12. The Rise of the State • Reasons for the emergence of civilization- irrigation, defense • Rule by divine authority- In China “Mandate of Heaven” • Writing- accounting, tax collection, propaganda, astronomy • Kings- grand monuments, luxurious clothes, elaborate burials

  13. Mandate of Heaven

  14. Egypt and Mesopotamia – Environment and Culture • Both depended on rivers- Nile in Egypt: more predictable - Tigris/Euphrates in Mesopotamia: erratic • Mesopotamia less geographically isolated- more prone to invasion than Egypt- more pessimistic outlook on world b/c more threats • Environmental Difficulties- in Mesopotamia, soil erosion, deforestation due to rising population. invasions- more continuities in Egypt due to more advanced agriculture

  15. Mesopotamia and Egypt • Mesopotamia- City-States each ruled by a king- 80% of pop. Lived in city-states for protection- Outside forces conquered city-states around 2300BCE • Egypt- Around 3100BCE Egypt became unified- Egypt unified for 3000 years- travel along the Nile helped unification efforts

  16. Old Kingdom – Pyramids at Giza

  17. The Pharaoh • God in human form – Son of Re • Linked to flooding of the Nile • Connected people to the afterlife- mummification • Discredited around 2200BCE when Nile didn’t flood- 2200-2000BCE – state of anarchy- Pharaohs restored 2000BCE but never regained the same clout

  18. Interaction and Exchange • Both Mesopotamia and Egypt frequently interacted • Egypt benefited from Mesopotamia- agriculture: cereal grains- architecture: step pyramids- writing: cuneiform • Interaction- Mesopotamian trade with Anatolia, Egypt, Iran, and Afghanistan- Egypt interacted w/ Nubia and African east coast

  19. Cuneiform

  20. Cultural Influences Along Trade Routes • Hebrews migrated from Mesopotamia to Palestine and Egypt – monotheism eventually emerged. • Phoenicians- adapted cuneiform into the first alphabet. 22 characters • Nubia borrowed from Egypt- pyramids, hieroglyphics, gods • Egyptian influence in Minoan art (Crete)

  21. Hyksos Invade Egypt

  22. Mesopotamia and Egypt were also influenced by their neighbors • Hittites brought chariots to Mesopotamia and conquered the Babylonian Empire – 1595BCE • Hyksos invade Egypt- used chariots to invade in 16-1500’sBCE- brought new armor and weapons, new metallurgy- new methods of spinning and weaving- olive and pomegranate trees • By 1500BCE Egypt was an imperial state- rule over non-Egyptians in Africa and Middle East

  23. Mummification and Civilization Video • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JqlAD7dn-E • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1g60SSGmeY

  24. Egypt and Mesopotamia • Activity- Comparing Egypt and Mesopotamia- pairs – PERSIAN charts

More Related