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Early Civilizations. Agricultural vs. Nomadic . Most of the early civilizations were either agricultural or nomadic Agricultural civilizations would stay in one area and grow and harvest plants and domesticate animals
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Agricultural vs. Nomadic • Most of the early civilizations were either agricultural or nomadic • Agricultural civilizations would stay in one area and grow and harvest plants and domesticate animals • Nomadic civilizations would follow herds of animals to hunt and would also gather wild fruits and grains. (60 or less people) • In order to be considered a civilization, a group of people must have division of labor and formal political units (Most also have a system of writing)
Early Civilizations http://salenacastro7.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/cuneiform.jpg
Tigris/Euphrates Civilization http://www.glogster.com/media/3/7/20/80/7208071.jpg http://www.sitesatlas.com/Maps/Maps/MEast-pol.gif
Tigris/Euphrates Civilization • Known as Mesopotamia • Includes: • Sumerians (Iraq and Iran) • Babylonians (Kuwait, Iraq, Iran and Syria) • Phoenicians (Syria) • Israel
Tigris/Euphrates Civilization • Sumerians • Developed cuneiform (Wedge writing using reeds) • Was an agricultural society • Developed System of numbers using units of 10, 60 and 360 • Developed ziggurats to be used as temples • Believed in a “divine force” that worked through nature. • Made up of city-states ruled by a king (usually a military leader) • Used silver as currency • Taken over by then Akkadians and then the Babylonians
Tigris/Euphrates Civilization • Babylonians • King Hammurabi instituted the Hammurabi Code • Laws were based on a precedent from previous cases • Were engraved on Stone Slabs • Conquered Israel • Conquered by the Assyrians http://www.uncp.edu
Tigris/Euphrates Civilization • Phoenicians • Were focused with trade on the Mediterranean • Traded wood, slaves, glass and Tyrian Purple (made from sea snails • Simplified alphabet • Only 22 letters • Set up a number of colonies including Carthage
Tigris/Euphrates Civilization • Israel • Monotheistic • One of the most influential religions • Made up of twelve nomadic tribes that eventually conquered and settled into the region that they now inhabit • Conquered by a number of empires • Babylon and Rome
Egyptian Civilization • Focused around the Nile River • Lower Egypt in North and Upper Egypt in South • Pyramids to entomb their pharaohs • Extensive gold use • Mummified their dead • Hieroglyphics- Picture writing • Contributions: • Advanced mathematics • 24 hour day http://www.ancient-egypt-online.com/
Chinese Civilizations • Developed around the Huanghe (Yellow) River • Developed in almost total isolation • Traded some with India and the Middle East • Ruled by the Shang Dynasty • Contribution • Ideographic symbols • Iron working using coal