Transcript Geography and History

Chapter 1 Section 3
Foundations of Civilization
The Main Idea
From farming villages arose cities, and with
them, the first civilizations, marking the
beginnings of recorded history.
Focus
Why did some villages develop into cities?
What characterized the world’s first
civilizations, and where did they develop?
What factors cause civilizations to change
over time?
I. From Villages to Cities
Villages grew and the first cities appeared
City of Uruk, c. 3000 BC
I. From Villages to Cities
Improved agriculture and irrigation resulted in
a food surplus
Shadouf Irrigation
I. From Villages to Cities
Fewer people needed to farm; others worked
in different tasks – division of labor
Egyptians artisans smelted copper and gold for
artistic, architectural, and military purposes.
I. From Villages to Cities
Cities – larger/more densely populated
First known city - Uruk
Uruk, 3000 BC :
Population – 40,000 to 50,000
Size – 1000 acres
I. From Villages to Cities
City populations more diverse:
Village - families/clans; traditional economy
City - unrelated people; complex economy
I. From Villages to Cities
Formal organization in cities
Centers of trade
Ancient Babylon,
c. 600 BC
II. The First Civilizations
II. The First Civilizations
Civilizations - complex organized cultures
with common characteristics
Characteristics of Early Civilizations
Developed Cities – political, economic, and
cultural centers
Organized Government – laws/systems of
justice, food production, taxation
Harappa,
Indus River
Valley
Characteristics of Early Civilizations
Formalized religion – priests, ceremonies,
rituals
Government and religion closely connected
Egyptians saw their
pharaoh as a god, more
specifically as the god
Horus
Egyptian Gods Horus and
Osiris and Pharaoh Seti I
Characteristics of Early Civilizations
Specialization of labor: farmers, soldiers,
artisans, merchants, etc.
The earliest specializations
were: baking, brewing,
weaving, dyeing, carpentry,
pottery-making, stone and
metal-working; merchants,
soldiers and artists; priests
and healers; temple
managers, bureaucrats,
calendar-keepers, and
scribes
Characteristics of Early Civilizations
Social classes - People became ranked
according to job, wealth, or influence
Characteristics of Early Civilizations
Abstract writing for record keeping
Calendars to keep track of yearly events
Cuneiform tablet
Characteristics of Early Civilizations
Arts and architecture reflected beliefs, values,
strength, and culture
Mesopotamian Ziggurat
Temple of Hephaistos
III. Changes in Civilizations
Civilizations changed over time; some failed,
others succeeded and grew
III. Changes in Civilizations
Forces of nature
Need for resources
Expanded trade for scarce resources
Salt mine in the Sahara Desert
III. Changes in Civilizations
Cultural Diffusion - spread of ideas, customs,
culture, and technology by migration, trade,
warfare
Traders approaching
Timbuktu in Mali
Diffusion of language
III. Changes in Civilizations
Warfare brought change: victors forced way
of life upon defeated