Ancient River Valley Civilizations

1. Ancient River Valley Civilizations

2. Today’s Goal • Analyze the similarities and differences among the ancient river valley civilizations. • Essential Question: Why did the earliest civ’s begin around rivers, and how did they develop into distinct cultures?

3. The Ancient Fertile Crescent Area The Middle East: “The Cradle of Civilization”

4. Sumer Sumerians first arrived in 3300 BC Jordan River

5. Mesopotamia • Geography - Fertile Crescent - “Land Between Two Rivers” - Tigris & Euphrates flooded  silt - Surplus crops

6. Challenges Solutions Unpredictable flooding, little/no rain Dug irrigation ditches to carry water to fields No natural barriers for protection/defense Built city walls for defense Limited natural resources Traded surplus goods, cloth, & crafted tools with other people

7. Advanced Cities • 3,000 BC, Sumerians > 12 cities • City & surrounding land = city-state • Built out of sun-dried mud-brick

8. Trade important for Sumerian cities - Traded surplus crops for needed goods - Barter system • Cultural Diffusion = spread & exchange of ideas & products among cultures Ashur was a main trade center Artifacts from Ur

9. Record-Keeping • Cuneiform – Sumerian writing (“wedge-shaped”) • Stylus – Sharpened reed was used to press symbols into the clay tablets Sumerian relief sculpture ~ cuneiform writing

10. Specialized Workers • Artisans • Scribes • Prestigious position in Sumerian society • Years of training • Priests, shopkeepers, traders Scribe Edubba, school or “tablet house”

11. Technology • Wheel • Sail • Plow • Irrigation • Lunar calendar • Number system (geometry, trig) • Arch, post-and-lintel construction

12. Sumerian Wheel Used first for pottery making and later for transportation

13. Complex Institutions • 1st to develop governments w/officials & laws • Dynasty – ruling family - Theocracy – rule by gods or their priests - Priest-kings (“lugals”) • Tax system Sumerian votive figures Sumerian priest

14. Sumerian religion = polytheistic • gods represented forces of nature • gods acted like humans, but immortal & all-powerful • Humans were merely servants to gods • Offerings at ziggurats (temples) Ziggurat (temple) Demons (ugallu)

15. The gods protected Sumerians in life • No help in afterlife • Souls went to “land of no return” • The richest accounts of Mesopotamian myths and legends appear in a long poem known as the “Epic of Gilgamesh”

16. Sumerian Class Structure Kings, Priests, Wealthy Landowners Wealthy Merchants & Soldiers Artisans & Farmers Slaves

17. Become slave by… - Captured as prisoner of war - Sold by parents to pay debts • Slaves could earn their freedom • Sumerian women were…originally given many rights • Status decreased over time • Became dominated by men • No education Sumerian sculptures

18. Sargon of Akkad • Sumerians conquered by Sargon of Akkad • Sargon created kingdom-empire (Babylonian) • Culture was adopted & adapted by invaders

19. Hammurabi’s Code • Babylonian Empire reached its peak during the reign of Hammurabi • Written collection of laws • These laws regulated all aspects of life "Hammurabi is a ruler who is as a father to his subjects, who holds the wordsof Marduk in reverence, who has achieved conquest for Marduk over thenorth and south, who rejects the heart of Marduk, his lord, who has bestowedbenefits for ever and ever on his subjects, and has established order in the land."  Statue of Hammurabi

20. Principles of Hammurabi’s Code 1) Retaliation (eye for eye) 2) Applied to all (except different punishments) 3) Gov’t responsible for maintaining order (impartial referee)

21. EGYPT

22. Egyptians – EnvironmentNile River Challenges Solutions & Advantages Flooding Irrigation Fertile silt Predictable Deserts Defense Nile = transportation & contact • Flooding • Too little/much flooding = starvation (can’t farm) • Deserts • Could lead to isolation

23. Egyptians – Political Structure • Theocracy (religions & political ruler)  called a Pharaoh • Upper & Lower Egypt united by Narmer

24. Egyptians – Belief Systems/Religion • Polytheistic – gods of nature • Similar to Sumerians • Afterlife • Mummification • At first only for kings, wealthy • Pyramids • Buried w/possessions for afterlife

25. Egyptians – Social Structure • Similar hierarchy to Sumerians • Mobility – rose up in ranks if literate • Women = limited rights, dominated by men • Better than in Sumer or Shang Dynasty • Slavery existed • BUT…slaves did not necessarily build the pyramids

26. Egyptians – Economics/Trade • Based on agriculture & trade • Why not isolated? - Access to Mediterranean Sea - Access to Sinai peninsula

27. Egyptians – Science & Technology • Papyrus • Calendar • # system • Architecture  pyramids, obelisk • Medicine!

28. Egyptians – Art & Culture • Religion (polytheism) was big part of life • Jewelry • Pyramids • Architectural achievement • Valued truth & justice

29. Egyptians – Writing & Literature • Hieroglyphics • Pictographic (pictures to represent objects) • Primary Document • Book of the Dead (tells of afterlife)

30. India – EnvironmentIndus River & Ganges River Challenges Solutions & Advantages Irrigation – levees built to control water Citadels (fortified structures) for defense/divert flooding • Monsoons (wind storms) • Flooding • Unpredictable • Rivers changed course • Too little/much rain • Mountains/deserts = isolation

31. Earliest Civilization = Harappan 3300 BCE - 2400 BCE

32. Harappan (India) – Political Structure • Planned cities - Centralized & organized government • Theocracy (religious & political rule)

33. Harappan(India) Economics/Trade Belief Systems Social Structure No class divisions • Extensive trade • Brightly colored cloth, jewelry • Polytheistic • Priests, no temples • Fertility goddesses

34. Harappan (India) – Science & Tech • Organized cities (grid system) • Plumbing!

35. Harappan (India) – Art & Culture • Toys • Small statues & pottery • Animal figurines • Lacked weapons - No need for warfare?

36. Harappan (India) – Writing & Literature • Writing is not deciphered (decoded) • No known primary documents

37. Decline of Harappan Civ.??? • Cities fell into decay – but why? • Possible earthquakes & floods • Over-used soil • Invasion of Aryans

38. Shang & Zhou China – EnvironmentHuang He (Yellow) & Yangtze Rivers Challenges Solutions & Advantages Irrigation Supplied own goods Protective walls • Flooding • Mountains & deserts = isolation • Only 10% land farmable

39. Shang & Zhou China – Political Structure • Single ruler - dynasty

40. Shang & Zhou China – Belief Systems • Polytheistic • Spirits of ancestors • Oracle bones to interpret gods • Mandate of Heaven = approval of gods to rule (justified overthrow of dynasties)

41. Shang & Zhou China – Social Structure • Elder men superior • Women inferior • Divided btwn nobles & peasants

42. Shang & Zhou China – Economics/Trade • Roads & canals for transportation • Coined $ • Internal trade

43. Shang & Zhou China – Science & Tech • Irrigation • Roads & canals • Coined $ • Cast iron

44. Shang & Zhou China – Art & Culture • Saw selves as “center of civilization” – superior • Looked down on outsiders • Strong family bonds • Emphasized order & obedience

45. Shang & Zhou China – Writing • Pictographic characters • Not linked to spoken language • Unified the people • No known primary documents