1 / 62

Foundations of Civilization

Foundations of Civilization. The Neolithic Revolution. What was it? 8000 – 3500 BCE Why did it happen? Dwindling game? Why was it such a big deal?. Agricultural Growth. Led to permanent settlements (usually along rivers/lakes) Increased population. More people living in smaller spaces

truman
Download Presentation

Foundations of Civilization

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. Foundations of Civilization

  2. The Neolithic Revolution • What was it? • 8000 – 3500 BCE • Why did it happen? • Dwindling game? • Why was it such a big deal?

  3. Agricultural Growth • Led to permanent settlements (usually along rivers/lakes) • Increased population. • More people living in smaller spaces • Greater opportunity for conflict & growth. • Growth= language, religion, society • Conflict= crime, disease, disorder

  4. What makes a Civilization? • What are the primary elements of a civilization? • Come up with what you think are the primary elements of civilization. • Limit your list to 10 items • Consider why you feel those items should be recognized as primary elements of civilization

  5. Primary Elements of Civilization • Urban Focus • Cities become the center of CREPS* development 2) Distinct Religious Structure • Gods are crucial to success of civilization 3) New Political and Military Structures • Organized government bureaucracy rises to meet administrative needs of population • Armies organized to gain/maintain land and power *Cultural, Religious, Economic, Political, Social

  6. Primary Elements of Civilization (cont’d) • Social Structure based on economic power • Top: Kings, priests, warriors, political leaders • Free Common People: Artisans, farmers • Bottom: Slaves 5) Development of Communication/Writing • Used by upper class for record keeping 6) New and significant artistic and intellectual activity • For example, monumental architecture (religious) 7) Arable land and a good location • Allows for food surplus, population growth, and survival

  7. River Valley Civilizations

  8. Ancient Mesopotamia“Land between the Rivers” • Sumer—southern Fertile Crescent (4k-2k BCE) • Civilization of city-states bound together by a common culture

  9. A Hostile Land • Geography • Water—unpredictable flooding/drought (too much or not enough)

  10. Hostile Neighbors • Defense problems • open, flat land w/no natural barriers for protection

  11. Scarcity of Resources • Resources—limited • Lack of forests • = no wood • Few mineral/metal resources • WHAT DID THEY HAVE? • Dirt, rock and sand

  12. Perseverance • Solutions • Water---irrigation systems • Defense— walled cities and standing armies • Resources—broad trading networks with other regions

  13. Religion - Enter the Supernatural • Polytheistic • Gods had human qualities and emotions • Interference into human lives—hostile/care • Afterlife—”Land of No Return”; no joy or emotion, bleak dismal

  14. The Ziggurat

  15. Ziggurat

  16. Evolution of Religion in Sumer • Society ruled by kings & priests • In war, power put in hands of military leader • As wars became more common, more military leadership • King eventually a military leader & religious leader

  17. Social Classes • Upper Class • royal families, nobility, priesthood • Middle Classes • wealthy merchants, scribes • Lower Classes • laborers, farmers • Slaves • foreigners captured in war, family members sold into slavery, criminals; not a permanent situation

  18. Sumerian Accomplishments • Successful agriculture, river management • Writing, (cuneiform) • Use of wheel • 12 month calendar, geometry • Polytheistic • Ziggurats

  19. Decline and Fall • A millennium of war • (3000-2000 BC) • Power changes from on City-State to another

  20. Collapse • Overrun by the Amorites from the north in about 2000 BC • Amorites were Semitic (ancestors of modern Arabs and Jews) invaders from eastern Syria • Akkadians Overthrew Sumerians 1700 BCE • Babylonians overthrew Akkadians • Hammurabi, Code of Law • Fell to Kassites, then Hittites 1500 BCE • Hittites-iron, then fell to

  21. Collapse (cont’d) • Assyrians • organized, cruel, moved capital (Nineveh), exiles, cultural diffusion • Conquered by Medes, Chaldeans, rebuilt Babylon • Eventually becomes part of Persian empire • TRENDS OF MESOPOTAMIA • Difficulty maintaining power • City-state to Empire

  22. The Phoenicians

  23. The Phoenicians • “Purple People” • Famous for purple cloth and dye • Called “carriers of civilization” because they spread Middle Eastern civilization around the Mediterranean. • Trade via Ship mainly on the Mediterranean • Lacked good farmland (Lebanon) • Accomplishments • Sailing • Lebanon known for cedar trees, made strong ships • Trade • Most important contribution – Phoenician Alphabet – 22

  24. Egyptian Overview Rich soil, gentle flooding • 3 Kingdoms • water management, pyramids, astronomy, hieroglyphs, calendar, gold, spices • Polytheistic • Women rulers, buy, sell property, inherit, will property, dissolve marriages, still subservient to men • Hierarchy: pharaoh, priest, nobles, merchants, artisans, peasants, slaves • Conquered by (1100 BCE) Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Islam, Ottomans, Europeans

  25. Earliest Egypt • c. 6000 BCE • Agriculturally based • 3600 BCE – cities/economies along Nile • Little social stratification • Writing • Began around 3500 – 3000 (hieroglyphics…hieratic…demotic) • Nomes – administrative districts • Narmer or Menes unified Egypt…? • Polytheistic Society • No records of city-states • The Rosetta Stone • Did they make pyramids? • No, tombs! (mummified!) • Increasingly became more and more complex • Population, social strat., culture… • Irrigation(shaduf)

  26. Old Kingdom • Monumental Architecture • Step pyramids • Increased administrative and economic organization • Trade extends from North to South • Downfall • Weak central power and increasing nomarch power • 2181 BCE Old Kingdom falls and parts ruled by nomarchs • First Intermediate Period • 100 yrs of disunity

  27. MiddleKingdom • 2050 BCE - King Mentuhotpe reunites Egypt • Revived trade along Nile to Palestine and trade along the Mediterranean • Fine art and literature flourishes • More organization and power than ever before • Becomes an empire • Power spreads to Nubia and Middle East • Ends with invasion of the Hyksos and Nubian pushing Egyptians out

  28. New Kingdom • Established after the Second Intermediate Period (1650 – 1550 BCE) • 1550 BCE – 1050 BCE • Hyksos expelled • Rises and establishes an empire • Largest Egyptian empire ever • Parts of Mesopotamia • Colonies were more for revenue and less for governance/land holdings • Notable pharaohs • Ramses II – rebuilds parts (temples, palaces) • Hatshepsut – female ruler • Amenhotep – changes name to Akhenaten, adopts a monotheistic religion (never catches on) • Weakness allows them to be overtaken by outsiders in the future.

  29. Indus Valley

  30. Indus Valley: 2500-1500 BCE • Outside contact more limited • Kyber Pass connection to outside via trade • Harrappa, Mohenjo-Daro • Largest Cities (40K – 100K)

  31. Mohenjo-daro : aerial view

  32. Mohenjo-daro view of the “Citadel”

  33. The “Great Bath”

  34. another view of the “Great Bath”

  35. view of a small, side street

  36. looks like a small tower, but actually it is a neighborhood well

  37. A bathroom on a private residence

  38. A public well in Harappa, or perhaps an ancient laundromat...

  39. A large drain or sewer

  40. Characteristics • Literate society (writings on bricks and seals) • Master-planned cities as focal point • Water system • Strong central government • Polytheistic • Written language • Pottery, cotton, cloth • Standard weights and measurements • Grain storage

  41. Harappan granary

  42. Decline • Cities abandoned, reason unknown • domination of an indigenous people ? • who rebelled ? • foreign invasion? • gradual decline ? • climate shift: the monsoon patterns • flooding • destruction of the forests • migrations of new peoples: the Aryans

  43. Possible route of the Aryan invasions

  44. Aryans arrive 1500 BCE • From Caucasus Mtns. Black/Caspian Sea • Aryans – Lighter Skinned • Dravidians - Darker • Nomads who settled • Vedas, Upanashads • Sacred/historical texts of Aryans • basis for Hinduism • Caste system • warriors, priests, peasants • later re-ordered: Brahmins (priests), warriors, landowners-merchants, peasants, untouchables (out castes)

  45. Caste System, 1000 BC • skin color • ritual purity • “Us--Them” feelings • divine order of four castes

  46. Caste System (“Varnas”) • Brahmins: the priests • Kshatriyas: the warriors • Vaisyas: merchants and peasants • Sudras: non-Aryans

  47. Caste system, con’t • produced by Brahmins • literature emphasized the divine order • hierarchical relationship • inheritance and marriage • the most powerful organizer of Indian society • thousand of castes today

  48. Castes • define a person’s social universe • define a person’s standard of conduct • define a person’s expectations • define a person’s future • define how a person deals with others

More Related