Transcript First Civilizations

 You are going to work in groups of 3-4 to create your
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own civilization.
Describe the place that you would want to settle
What would you need? How would you get it?
What are the most important things?
How would you develop rules for your civilization?
What would your social structure be like?
Would you have a common religion? What?
Draw a picture to show your civilization
Mesopotamia, Egypt, Israelites, Assyrians, Persians, Aryans,
Mauryans, Chinese
 Mesopotamia literally means “between the rivers”
This was the land located between the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers in present day Iraq.
 Located in the eastern end of what is called the Fertile
Crescent.
land between the Mediterranean and the Persian
Gulf known for rich soil and abundant crops.
 City-states of Ur, Eridu, and Uruk
Temples, priests, eventually kings
 Akkadians- set up the first empire around 2340 BC.
Empire- large political unit or state, usually under
single leader that controls much land
 Hammurabi
To our knowledge, he set up the first set of rules or
laws to govern an empire.
Built temples, encouraged trade, brought
economics to his land.
 A collection of 282 laws etched into a stone that still
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exists today. Located in the Louvre Museum
“eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” comes from the code
Consumer protection. Held craftsman accountable
Marriage contracts
Patriarchal society- Men had the power
This code was used to govern business as well as the
everyday lives of men, women, and children
 Cuneiform- writing with wedge shaped tools on clay
tablets and dried
“The Epic of Gilgamesh” was a Sumerian story
 Tools & Technology
The wagon wheel, the sundial, arch, bronze,
potters wheel, charting constellations, math
system based on the number 60
 The Old Kingdom 2700 BC -2200 BC
 Kings or Pharaohs were divinely placed
The egyptians of the old kingdom looked at their
monarchs as gods.
 Pyramids
Burial chambers for the family of the monarch
 Great pyramids of Giza
Constructed around 2540 BC, still stands today
 Middle Kingdom 2050 BC-1652 BC
 This period is known for the Pharaoh doing things to
help the people, like draining swampland to make
farms for the people
 New Kingdom 1567 BC-1085 BC
 The warrior kingdom of Egypt. Using new technology,
they were able to drive out the Hyksos and create a
large empire.
 Hatshepsut- female Pharaoh
 Hieroglyphics- “sacred writings”
used both pictures and abstract writing- complex
 Architecture
Pyramids, temples, sphinx, obelisk
 Developed a 365 day calendar.
 Medical expertise. Treated wounds and disease
 Left Mesopotamia for the land known as Canaan.
 During drought, left Canaan for Egypt, where they
were captured and kept as slaves.
 Moses led them out of Egypt and wandered through
the desert for many years before they were returned to
Canaan.
 King Solomon built Temple in Jerusalem between 970930 BC
 Kingdom broke apart after Solomon’s death. Northern
became Israel, Southern became Judah
 One God, Yahweh, who created the world and
everything in it.
 Different than other religions of the time, because
they were monotheistic, meaning believing in only 1
God.
 Moses delivered the 10 commandments from God
while the Israelites were in Exodus between Egypt and
Canaan.
 Prophets- Messengers sent by God.
 Assyria was established around 700 BC
 Located in the upper part of the Tigris river
 Fell in 612 BC due to internal strife and attack
 Very aggressive people who destroyed what they
conquered
 Persia thrived in the mid 500’s BC under the
leadership of Cyrus.
 Lasted until 330 BC when Alexander the Great
conquered them
Many small civilizations
flourished in the Indus
River Valley. Much like as
in Mesopotamia, the land
was very fertile due to the
river that flowed through
it out of the Himalaya
Mountains. Civilizations
date in this area to 30001500 BC.
 The Aryans arrived in the Indus Valley sometime
around 1500 BC.
 They came from Europe, and were mostly nomadic
until they came upon this valley.
 Eventually they would have control throughout all of
India
 They introduced the Caste System to India
set of rigid social categories that determined a
person’s place in society
 Origins come from the Aryan people.
 Beliefs
a single force in the universe, a god, called
Brahman.
reincarnation- soul is reborn after death of
physical body into another form.
After many cycles, the soul would eventually
unite with Brahman.
 Idea of Karma comes from the Hindu religion
 Class system based from reincarnation
 Yoga “union” comes from Hindu practices.
 The hindu’s believe that their god can adapt to 3 forms
 Brahma- Creator
 Vishnu- Preserver
 Siva- Destroyer
 Hinduism is still the largest religion in the Indian sub
–continent today.
 600’s b.c.
 Siddhartha Gautama achieved “Nirvana” and was able
to leave his physical body behind becoming
“enlightened”
 Teaches that pain and sorrow occur because people are
attached to physical things. Once people can forget
about their worldly possessions, then pain and sorrow
will also leave.
 Goal is to achieve Nirvana, “ultimate reality”
 Gautama taught a message that most Buddhists follow
called the 4 noble truths
1. Ordinary life is full of suffering
2. Suffering is caused by our desire to satisfy ourselves
3. The way to end suffering is to end desire for selfish
goals and to see others as extensions of ourselves
4. The way to end desire is to follow the “middle path”
right view, right intention, right speech, right
action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfullness,
and right concentration.
 Mauryan Emperor Asoka built a network of trade
routes that connected all parts of the known world:
Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, and China,
 The Silk Road was a major route connecting the
Eastern part of China over 4,000 miles to
Mesopotamia.
 Shang Dynasty 1750-1045 BC
First chinese civilization. Developed writing
system, government, bronze vessels
 Zhou Dynasty 1045-256 BC
Mandate of Heaven- order was kept on Earth by the
Zhou king so he ruled over humanity.
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Ruled by the DAO, “the way”. Had to rule with compassion
to keep the gods happy.
 Qin Dynasty
growth of chinese empire. Building of the “Great
Wall” to keep out the Xiongnu
 Han Dynasty
 Great increase in population. Extending China’s
boundaries into what is now Vietnam
Chinese family
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Filial Piety- duty of family members to subordinate
their needs to the male head of the family
 Male supremacy occurred in China. Men worked,
governed, were warriors, scholars and ministers.
 Women raised the children and kept the home in order
 Philosopher who lived in the 600’s BC
 Best known for his short sayings that helped people
deal with life.
 Believed there were 5 relationships. Parent-child,
husband-wife, sibling-sibling, older friend- young
friend, and ruler-subject.
 Duty and Humanity were 2 key subjects he taught of.
 “measure the feelings of others by one’s own”