1 / 15

Early Civilizations

LEQs : Why did humans switch from hunting and gathering to settled agriculture? Was this humanity’s BIGGEST mistake?. Early Civilizations. Today’s Warm Up. How would you define CIVILIZATION ? What criteria do you feel must be met for a group to be considered civilized?

Download Presentation

Early 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. LEQs: Why did humans switch from hunting and gathering to settled agriculture? Was this humanity’s BIGGEST mistake? Early Civilizations

  2. Today’s Warm Up • How would you define CIVILIZATION? What criteria do you feel must be met for a group to be considered civilized? • Answer in your notes & be ready to share

  3. Defining Civilization • Societies distinguished by reliance on sedentary agriculture, ability to produce food surpluses, and existence of nonfarming elites, as well as merchant and manufacturing groups

  4. Early Civilizations We’ll Study: • Mesopotamia in the Tigris and Euphrates River Valleys • Egypt in the Nile River Valley • Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa in the Indus River Valley • Shang in the Yellow River or Huang He Valley • Olmecsin Mesoamerica • Chavinin Andean South America

  5. Why Did Civilization Begin? • Agriculture & pastoralism led to increased populations • Family groups gave way to village life and eventually urban life • Led to new and more complex economic and social systems • Civilization began

  6. Innovation vs. Diffusion

  7. Cities Formed along River • Rivers provided: • Water supply • Transportation • Food supply from animals • Rivers provided Challenges • Flooding • Irrigation • Required organized, mass labor • Construction and repair of canals and irrigation ditches

  8. Social Hierarchies • WHY? Surpluses in food led to specialization of labor • Not everyone had to farm; others free to build, invent, etc. • Led to social stratification • Patriarchy– rule by males/women viewed as needing protection or control

  9. Organized Central Governments • First needed to control food surpluses • Labor, storage, dispersion • Needs become more complex: • Tax collecting • Law making • Handling public works projects • Organizing defense

  10. Jobs Specialization & the Arts • Artisans specialized in various jobs • Bricklayers • Blacksmiths • Production of luxuries (not related to survival) • Metal technology • i.e. weapons, tools • Great architecture and art created • i.e. pyramids

  11. Writing Developed • Pictograms first; symbols later added to represent words and then sounds • Scribes specially trained to read, write, record information • Religion, trade, gov’t

  12. Complex Religions • Generally polytheistic • Represented natural forces • Controlled human activities • Rituals and sacrifice used to gain gods’ favor • Rulers regarded as a god or gods’ agent • Temples often built to honor specific gods and goddesses

  13. Outside Contact • Trade intensified within and between civilizations, as well as with nomadic pastoralists • Walls indicate some were fearful; others more peaceful • Accumulation of wealth spurred warfare between communities and/or with pastoralists • Drove development of war technologies and urban defense

More Related