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The First Civilizations. How did it get started?. All civilizations arose from earlier competing chiefdoms A slow process which lasted centuries all civilizations need an agricultural surplus which Supports large populations Allows for the development of specialists and elites.
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How did it get started? • All civilizations arose from earlier competing chiefdoms • A slow process which lasted centuries • all civilizations need an agricultural surplus which • Supports large populations • Allows for the development of specialists and elites
How did it get started? • Competition for limited farmland (after population reaches certain level) leads to • Innovations in technology • The rise of states to protect against warfare • Winning states increasing their land-base • Enslavement of losing populations
How did it get started? • States organize • agriculture(irrigation, drainage, terracing, flood control) • Religion (priests, temples, give rulers often a divine status) • Warfare (class of warrior specialists under the ruler’s leadership)
How important were cities? What impact did they have on society and culture? • Cities concentrate economic and political power, lead to the rise of social inequalities (social class replaces kinship) • Examples: • Mesopotamia: Ur, Uruk (50,000 inhabitants around 2500 BCE), city walls, cities dominated by ziggurat (made from clay bricks)
How important were cities? What impact did they have on society and culture? • Mohenjo-Daro(2600-1900 BCE): indoor plumbing, sewage system, huge public baths, citadel, cities follow grid pattern • Teotihuacan (200 BCE): population of 200.000, two huge pyramids, dozens of temples, mansions for the wealthy
City planning in the Indus Valley Civilization Great Bath at Mohenjo-Daro Street drain in Harappa
Teotihuacan Pyramid of the Sun
How did society change? • Social classes and social hierarchies developed: • Urban societies continue and magnify this trend started in the Neolithic Age • Upper classes have great wealth in land, occupy top positions in government, the military, and religion • Peasant class, lower classes, slaves
How did society change? • Shang China (1600-1100 BCE): • Chinese kings give special clothing (silk), banners, chariots, weapons to government officials, value of gifts depends on rank • Most peasants worked on land owned by aristocratic landlord • Mesopotamia: • Code of Hammurabi (around 1700 BCE), punishment for a crime based on social class and gender • Slaves (frequent wars!) help with irrigation (males) or in weaving enterprises (females) or as domestic slaves • Slavery less common in Egypt and Indus Valley, children of slaves could become free, slavery not connected to race
How were gender relations affected by early civilizations? • Most civilizations saw the rise of patriarchy • Possible causes: Plow based agriculture • Plow based agriculture, heavy labor done by men (produce more food than women), but not all civilizations use plow • Women have more children, tied down with child rearing and secondary tasks, have less personal resources
How were gender relations affected by early civilizations? • Possible causes: Specialization • Societies became more specialist • Specialist work usually done by men (can leave home easier than women) • Priests, kings, merchants usually men (have higher status than women)
How were gender relations affected by early civilizations? • Possible causes: Warfare • Most civilizations lead large scale wars with a professional army • Military specialists were men • Many civilizations had a powerful warrior class (got rewarded with land)
How were gender relations affected by early civilizations? • Examples of Patriarchy: Mesopotamia • Laws in give women paternalistic protection, but under male guardianship • Laws punish female adultery harder than male adultery • Female deities replaced by male deities • Divorce much easier for husband than wife • All rulers were male • “respectable” women veiled in public (female slaves were not allowed to be veiled)
How were gender relations affected by early civilizations? • Examples of Patriarchy: Egypt • Most rulers male (exception Hatshepsut 1472-1457 BCE) • Government officials, officers, soldiers male • But women were allowed to own their own property, signed their own marriage contracts and could initiate divorce • Not veiled in public
Colossal kneeling statue of Hatshepsut, showing male attributes Hatshepsut is depicted in the clothing of a male king though with a feminine form. Inscriptions on the statue call her "Daughter of en:Re" and "Lady of the Two Lands."
Statue of Menkaura and Queen Khamerernebty II. What does this statue tell you about gender relations in Egypt?
How did states rise? How did they legitimize their power? How did they stay in control of power? • Common characteristics of states in all civilizations: • Almost all civilizations ruled by kings (monarchy) • Ranked government officials • Defended against enemies • Controlled society • Some groups benefit more than others
How did states rise? How did they legitimize their power? How did they stay in control of power? • Benefits of states: • Organize large scale irrigation • Solve conflicts among citizens (laws, judges) • Defend against enemies • Keep public order • Provide help in times of famine (granaries in Egypt, temples in Sumer)
How did states rise? How did they legitimize their power? How did they stay in control of power? • Coercion: • States have authority to coerce obedience • Collect taxes • Force common population to work on large scale projects (pyramids, irrigation)
How did states rise? How did they legitimize their power? How did they stay in control of power? • An Egyptian teacher describing to his students what happens to peasants not able to pay their taxes: “ Now the scribe lands on the shore. He surveys the harvest. Attendants are behind him with staffs, Nubians with clubs. One says: “Give grain.” There is none. He is beaten savagely. He is bound, thrown into a well, submerged head down. His wife is bound in his presence. His children are in fetters. His neighbors abandon him and flee.” What does this tell us about the power of the state? How credible is this account?
What was the relationship between kingship and religion? • Social and gender differences seen as natural, given by the gods • Shang China: Kings seen as Son of Heaven, only one who can perform rituals to keep the cosmic balance • Mesopotamia: Kings as stewards of their city’s patron god • Egypt: pharaohs seen as divine, their power ensures the yearly flooding of the Nile • Religion could also limit the power of the wealthy: • King Hammurabi rules so that “the strong will not harm the weak” • China during the Zhou dynasty follows the Mandate of Heaven -> a king’s bad behavior justifies him being overthrown
“T’ien Ming” The Mandate of Heaven • The leader must lead by ability and virtue. • The dynasty's leadership must be justified by succeeding generations. • The mandate could be revoked by negligence and abuse; the will of the people was important.
A new dynasty comes to power. The emperorreforms the govt.& makes it moreefficient. Start here Emperor isdefeated !! Lives of common people improved;taxes reduced;farming encouraged. TheDynasticCycle Rebel bands findstrong leader whounites them.Attack the emperor. Problems begin(extensive wars,invasions, etc.) Poor loserespect for govt.They join rebels& attack landlords. Taxes increase;men forced towork for army.Farming neglected. Droughts,floods,famines occur. Govt. increasesspending; corruption.
What role did writing play in the development of a civilization? • Writing in all ancient civilizations, except the Andes • Literacy sign of elite status • Some commoners who were taught writing could rise in status (scribes)
What role did writing play in the development of a civilization? • First use of writing: • to record economic transactions, keep inventory (Sumerian cuneiform around 3500 BCE) • Writing to stabilize and support the government: • Propaganda (on steles, temples, etc to celebrate military victories, other successes of the king) • Codify laws • Diplomatic treaties • Other bureaucratic uses such as recording harvests and taxes, correspondence between center and local officials, etc. (first royal libraries) • Other uses: - Literature (epic of Gilgamesh in Sumer, Mahabharta in India, Egyptian love poetry) - Religious (Hebrew Bible, Vedas in India, recording of myths of creation in Egypt, Book of the Dead in Egypt, Mesopotamia) - calendars
Cascajal Block, 900 BCE, first evidence of Olmec script, undeciphered
What art and architecture did early civilizations create? How did it help to strengthen the government? • Elites live lavish life styles (palaces, elaborate clothing such as silks in China, many servants) • Elaborate burial rituals: - Egypt: mummification, pyramids, murals in tombs, funerary goods • Shang China: tombs with funerary goods, sacrifice of servants and concubines • Sumer (Mesopotamia): tombs with funerary goods and human sacrifice
Abu Simbel:Monument to Ramses II 1279-1213 B. C. E.
Egyptian Gods & Goddesses:“The Sacred ‘Trinity’” Osiris Isis Horus
Axe Scepter – 1100 BCE - jade Ceremonial Dagger – 1028 BCE
