1. Vocabulary Civilization Surplus Artisan Pictogram Scribe City-state
Empire
Cultural Diffusion
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2. Beginnings of Civilization
The Rise of Cities
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3. Objective
Describe development of early prehistoric people, their agriculture and settlements
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4. Pyramids
Pyramid building required a society more organized and advanced than Neolithic farmers.
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5. The Rise of Cities
A civilization is a complex, highly organized social order.
Cities are a main feature of a civilization
As farmers produced surplus of crops in the fertile land along rivers.
Populations began to expand
Farming Villages began to grow into cities
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6. River Valley Civilizations
Fertile Crescent
Tigris & Euphrates Rivers in Iraq
Nile River in Egypt
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7. River Valley Civilizations
Indus River in India
Yellow River in China
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8. River Valley Civilizations
Conditions favored farming
Flood waters spread silt which keeps land fertile.
Animals flocked to river for water – providing food
Rivers provided a regular water source and means of transportation.
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9. River Valley Civilizations
Rivers posed challenges
Had to control flooding and channel water to fields.
Cooperation was needed and required leadership and organized government.
Ancient cities required high walls for protection.
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10. Babylon’s walls were said to be so thick that chariots could turn around on top.
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11. Features of Civilization
Cities
Well-organized central governments
Complex religions
Job specialization
Social classes
Arts & architecture
Public works
Writing
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12. Organized Government
To provide for a growing population – new forms of government appeared to provide organization for projects
Warrior kings emerged as political leaders – setting themselves up as hereditary rulers
Claiming this right from their god
Government became more complex as rulers issued laws, collected taxes, and prepared defenses.
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13. Complex Religions Most ancient people were polytheistic.
People created gods that dealt with natural forces and human activities
Sun, rivers, sea, etc
Birth, trade, or war
Built temples and designed elaborate ceremonies to please the gods.
Mars – God of War, Poseidon – God of the Sea,
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15. Job Specialization Individuals began to specialize in certain jobs
Artisans, or skilled craftsmen, developed pottery, metalworking,
Construction – bricklayers built city walls
Soldiers – defended the city
Merchants – sold goods and
Teachers, entertainers, ……..
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16. Social Classes Social organization became complex Social Hierarchy
People ranked according to jobs
Social Hierarchy
Priests & Nobles
Wealthy merchants & artisans
Peasant farmers
Slaves
Debt bondage
Prisoners of war
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17. Arts and Architecture
Expressed the beliefs and values of the people that created them.
Temples and palaces dominated the scenery
Skilled workers built and decorated massive buildings.
Some still can be seen today
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18. Public Works Projects ordered built by rulers Roads Bridges Aqueducts
defensive walls
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19. Writing A critical new skill was the art of writing
Used to record harvest amounts, weather info, rituals & prayers
Earliest writing was in the form of pictograms, simple drawings that looked like objects they represented.
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20. Writing
As writing became more complex, only specially trained scribes learned to read and write.
Scribes were educated in special temple schools and worked for priest, rulers and merchants.
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21. Civilizations and Change
Ancient civilizations changed in many ways over the centuries.
Causes
Physical environment shifts
Interactions among people
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22. Environmental Changes
Early people dependent upon the physical environment.
Changes with water and other natural resources could be devastating.
Over farming could deplete soil – crops would fail
Survivors would move away.
Natural disasters – volcanoes, hurricanes, floods could destroy entire cities.
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23. Interactions among people
Cultural diffusion – the spread of ideas, customs, and technologies from one people to another.
Occurs through migration, trade, and warfare
People would share and adapt customs.
Trade introduced new goods or better methods of production.
Warfare – victors forced their way of life upon conquered people.
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24. Homework Questions
How did the conditions in some river valleys favor the rise of early civilizations?
How were governments and religion closely linked in early civilizations?
What are the three causes of cultural change?
Give three examples of cultural diffusion in today's world.
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