The Beginnings of Civilization

1. The Beginnings of Civilization The Foundations of Civilization

2. The Foundations of Civilization • Main Idea: As early settlements grew, they began to show the characteristics of major civilizations • By the end of the New Stone Age people had learned to: • Make tools and weapons • Use fire • Create works of Art • Tame Animals • Grow Food • Many had established permanent settlements

3. Characteristics of Civilization • Settlements in 4 specific regions were important for later human development • Nile River Valley in Africa • Valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Southwestern Asia • Indus river valley Southern Asia • The Huang, or Yellow, River Valley in Eastern Asia

4. Characteristics of Civilization • A civilization is a complex culture that has at least 3 characteristics • Surplus Food • Cities and Government • People perform different jobs

5. Surplus Food and Irrigation • The valleys of the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates, Indus and Huang Share a common feature • Flooding of the valleys during periods of heavy rain • Except for these periods of heavy rain there is little precipitation in these areas • During much of the year these areas have very hot climates

6. Surplus Food and Irrigation • Climate and flooding greatly influenced the development of civilizations in these river valleys • In order to get water to crops in the dry season ditches and canals were built for irrigation • Moving water from the rivers to the fields • Farmers also built dikes to keep rivers within their banks during the rainy season • Improved farming techniques lead to increased food production and increased population • As populations grew some settlements became cities

7. Cities, Government and Labor • Large numbers of people in cities provided the labor to build great palaces, temples and other public buildings • Also, improved farming techniques such as irrigation and flood-control systems required high levels of cooperation

8. Cities, Government and Labor • Different forms of leadership emerged to help societies run • These were the first governments • Made rules to help guide peoples behavior • Having rules helps people to plan, direct and regulate their work • Government leaders made and enforced the rules

9. Cities, Government and Labor • As farming methods improved fewer people had to work the fields • People could begin to specialize in other kinds of work • This created a division of labor • This lead to the development of a skilled class of workers known as artisans • Other people would become traders and merchants

10. Traders and Merchants • Made a living buying goods from farmers and artisans and selling them to others • Traders not only transported goods, but ideas as well • The spread of ideas and aspects of culture from one area to another is called cultural diffusion

11. Other Characteristics • In addition to: • Food Supply • Cities and Government • Division of Labor • Some historians consider two more accomplishments • A calendar • Some form of writing

12. Calendar • River valley civilizations developed calendars • Because people farmed they needed to know when the yearly floods would start and stop • Regarded the time between floods as one year • That year was then divided according to the phases of the moon • Major Problem • Months only lasted 29 ½ days • 354 days instead of 365 ¼ • 9 days short

13. Writing • Life in a civilized society is complex • Civilizations in the river valleys were trading goods and developing rules for living together • These developments required new forms of communication • People needed to a written language to keep and pass on information and ideas • What we now define as writing began around 3000 B.C. • It was a long and complex process

14. River Valley Civilizations • River Valley civilizations moved humans out of the Stone Age • People developed family roles and religious beliefs that related to their farming-based cultures

15. The use of metals • More than 6,000 years ago people in both the Nile and Tigris-Euphrates river valleys were using copper to make tools and jewelry • In time people learned to produce a more useful metal, bronze • A mixture of copper and tin • Harder than copper • Made objects of bronze as early as 5,000 years ago • Use of bronze tools marked the end of the Stone Age and the beginning of the Bronze Age

16. The use of metals • Iron is stronger than copper or bronze • It is made through a long, difficult process • May have been discovered independently in several areas • About 3,200 years ago people in southwestern Asia learned to make iron • The Iron Age began

17. Family • Women managed the family • Cared for children • Prepared food • Made clothing • Probably invented pottery and weaving • When agriculture was originally developed women did most of the farming • The rise of goddesses at this time suggests that women's responsibility for the food supply gave them increased their authority and power

18. Family • However, when the plow was invented and animals harnessed, men again became the primary food providers • This change shifted the power that women had gained back to men, who would continue to be the primary authorities in society

19. Religion • People believed in many gods and goddesses as well as unseen forces of nature • These controlled all aspects of human life • Sacrifices were made to the gods • Gave thanks when they believed their prayers had been answered

20. The End