1 2Topic: Early Civilizations

EQ: Why was the Neolithic Revolution significant in history?

Causes of the Neolithic Revolution

- Hunter and gathers scattered seeds = Crops grow

- Climate changes

- Rise in temperatures

- Longer growing seasons and drier land

Neolithic Revolution = Shift from gathering food to

producing food

Effects of Neolithic Revolution

-Created permanent settlements

- first cities

- Writing System

- record keeping

- farming and flooding of the rivers

- Settled Communities

- created common cultures

- populations grew

- close living = spread of disease

Why do we study the past?

Neolithic Revolution = the keeping of animals and the growing of food on a regular basis

Summarize impact

Changes Cause & Effect

3 4Topic: Early Civilizations

EQ: How did civilizations arise in early history??

Causes of Civilizations

- Farming and domestication (tame) of animals =

larger settlements

- Flooding of the rivers = rich fertile soil

- Food surplus = having more than you need

Effects of Civilizations

- Developed common political, economic and

cultural patterns

- Social divisions develop- Ownership of land = wealth

- Food Surplus = specialization of labor- Get really good at one task

- Religions developed- Polytheistic = believing in many gods

- Mathematics

- Time Keeping

- Metal Working

- Monumental Building

- Law codes-

Civilization – a complex culture

in which large numbers of

people share a number of

common elements such as

social structures, religion, and

art.

What is a civilizations?

Civilizations

Record Keeping

Complex institutions –government,

religion, economics

Specialized Workers

Cities

Advanced Technology

5 6EQ: What were the accomplishments of Mesopotamia?

Mesopotamia “land between two rivers” 3500 BC –

1600 BC

- Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

- flooding = fertile soil

- Sumerians arrived and begin irrigation

Agriculture

- Irrigation = water diverted to the land

- Farming and settlement flourished

- Food supply increased

- Allowed for activities other than farming

- Potters, weavers, metal workers,warriors

Religiom

- Polythestic = beliving in many gods

- 2000 gods

- World’s oldest faiths

- Sumerian rulers = faith

- Theocracy = society governed by religious

leaders

- Ziggurates = stepped-pyramid temple

- Temple to please the Gods

- Center of each city

Achievements Sumerians

- The wheel and sailboat

- Tools and weapons of copper and bronze

- 12 month calendar

- Cuneiforms = world’s earliest writing system

- Symbol writing on clay tablets

- The elite could read and write cuneiform

- Priest and scribes

Social Structure Pyramid

Mesopotamia

Symbols on clay tablets

Carts, Wheels,

Irrigation

Temple, WallMedicine,

King, Warriors

Religion. Monarchy

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Topic: Early CivilizationsEQ: What were the accomplishments of

Ancient Egypt?

Ancient Egypt “gift of the Nile” 3000 BC – 500 BC

- Farming in desert region

- Nile flooding = fertile soil

- Made communication easy

- Offered protection from invaders

- Developed irrigation = large amounts of food

Government and Society

- Pharaoh (God-King) = most powerful person in

Egypt

- Absolute ruler

- Owned all the land, army, and made laws

- Defended Egypt against invaders

Monarchy = a system of government where power

is inherited.

Also Theocracy = government ruled by a religious

ruler (God-King)

Religion

- Polytheistic = believing in many gods

- Mummification – preserve body after death for

afterlife

- Pyramids = built as tombs for Pharaohs

- Surrounded by gold, jewels, and other precious

objects

Achievements Egyptians

- Hieroglyphics = writing system, pictures &

symbols. Appeared on temples, pyramids, and

scrolls of paper (papyrus)

- Architecture = pyramids , palaces, temples of

stone columns

- Developed geometry to build pyramids

- Developed a calendar based on 365 days

- Performed surgical operations

Social Structure Pyramid

Ancient Egypt

Record Keeping

ComplexInstitutions

Government, Religion,

Economics

Specialized Workers

Cities

Advanced Technology

9 10

Topic: Early CivilizationsEQ: What were the important characteristics of the

civilization in the Indus River Valley?

Indus River Valley 3000 BC – 1500 BC

- Located on the banks of the Indus and Ganges

River

- Developed irrigation = large amounts of food

Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

- More than 30,000 people in each city

- Developed on grid systems and had sophisticated

plumbing and sewage systems

Collapse

- Indus River changes courses – Cities were

abandoned

- Environment changes = no longer suitable for

agriculture

Aryans 1500 BC

- Indo-European settled in the Indus River Valley

- Caste system developed under Aryans to separate

Aryan from non-Aryan

- Sanskrit = the first writing system of the Aryans

Religion

- Hinduism created by the Aryans, sacred text the

Vedas

- Polytheistic = believing in many gods

Caste = determine social and economic elements

Reincarnation = living things have souls, upon

death souls transfer into new living creature

Karma = Force generated by a person’s action that

determines how the people will be reborn.

Dharma = Set of rules that need to be followed to

be reincarnated up a caste.

Social Structure Pyramid

Indus

Record Keeping

ComplexInstitutions

Government, Religion,

Economics

Specialized Workers

Cities

Advanced Technology

11 12

EQ: What were the important characteristics of the civilization of China?

Huang He (Yellow River) - China’s first

civilizations

- Flooding = fertile soil

Government

Dynasty = ruling family

- Shang Dynasty (2000 BC)

- Division of class

- Importance of family

- Shang Kings = military leaders and priests

- Offered sacrifices to their royal ancestors

Achievements

- Bronze work

- Weapons

- Silk from silkworm

- Coined money

- Ironworks

- Great Wall of China

- Characters = system of writing

- Each character represents an idea

- Still used today

-

Social Structure Pyramid

Ancient China

Record Keeping

ComplexInstitutions

Government, Religion,

Economics

Specialized Workers

Cities

Advanced Technology

How do the 4 River Civilizations compare to one another?

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What have I learned about early civilizations?

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19 20

Topic: Classical CivilizationsEQ: What were the accomplishments of Classical

China?

Zhou Dynasty (1027 BC-256 BC) – Nobles ruled through feudalism - 500 BC local nobles fought Zhou for power

Mandate of Heaven justifies royal authority and establishes dynastic cycles- Ruler was chosen by Heaven- Would continue to rule if good to people- Heaven would overthrow a bad ruler- Punish by brining floods, riots, or revolts

– Many early Chinese philosophies were established under the ZhouConfucianism – order to China’s social life and government- Traditional ways to achieve peace and harmony- Stressed obedience, order, good deeds, and harmony- Filial Piety – children should show devotion to their parentsDaoism – philosophy established by Laozi that addresses order and harmony

Qin Dynasty (256 BC-202 BC) – ruled by Shi Huangdi, who uses Legalist ideas to unify China through autocracy– Legalism – stressed punishment over rewards– Centralized system of highway and irrigation networks– Mass murder of Confucian scholars– Great Wall of China built

Han Dynasty (202 BC-9 AD) – centralized government, complex bureaucracy, civil service jobs, promotion of Confucianism, invention of paper- Examinations to select candidates for government jobs

InnovationsPorcelainMovable typeGunpowderMechanical clockPaper moneyMagnetic compassChinese Junks - large ships

Silk Road = trade routes connected China to the Roman Empire = Diffusion- Exported silk, iron, bronze,

Confucianism- Imported gold, linen, cloth,

glass, ivory, horses, cattle, Buddhism

Bureaucracy – Organization of government into agencies and departments.Autocracy – Government in which the ruler has unlimited power.

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Topic: Classical CivilizationsEQ: What were fundamental ideas that originated in

Classical China?

FACTORS THAT LED TO COLLAPSE OF HAN CHINAIncluding, but not limited to:1. Corrupt governments in empire2. Fighting among political elites (bureaucrats)3. Empire too large of an area to manage4. Invasions from hostile nomadic tribes5. Social inequality (not all social classes treated the same) among the

classes with tax burdens on lower classes. Poor had to pay most of the taxes.

6. Inequitable distribution of lands. Land was not even equally to everyone.7. Decline in traditional morals and values at the cultural core of each

civilization.8. Public health and urban decay. Too many people too close together lead

to diseases and pollution.9. Unemployment (people had no jobs) and inflation (rapid increase in

prices)

Fall of Han

Dynasty

Large area difficult to

govern

Corruption from within

High taxesinvasions

Large differences

between rich and poor classes

Confucianism

Daoism

Legalism

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Topic: Early CivilizationsEQ: What were the accomplishments of Classical

India?

Hinduism – Religion and way of life

Caste System – provide social order in South Asia

- No social mobility

- Cant marry outside of your caste

- Based on birth

Buddhism

Siddartha Guatama = noblemen in Northern India

530 BC

- Left his family and wealth

- Became Buddha “the enlightened one”

- End suffering by no longer desiring what you

cannot have

Mauryan Empire (302 BC – 232 BC)

- King Chandragupta

- Established powerful empire

- Organized government

- Improved roads

- King Ashoka spread Buddhism

Gupta Empire (300AD)

- Chandra Gupta 1

- Literature

- Astronomy – earth is round

- Medicine – plastic surgery

- Math – zero, decimals, value of Pi to 4 decimal

places-

Hinduism Buddhism

1.Founder/ori

gins

Collection of religious beliefs that developed over time; no founder.

Siddhartha Gautama.

2. Key beliefs Interconnectedness of all life; distinction between atman, soul of individuals, and Brahman, world soul; reincarnation of soul or spirit; good and bad karma; ultimate goal of moksha, state of perfect understanding.

Four Noble Truths; an Eightfold Path to attain enlightenment; reincarnation, ultimate goal of nirvana, release from selfishness and pain.

3. Gods Many gods including Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the protector; Shiva, the destroyer; later, many forms of a great Mother Goddess.

Enlightenment in place of many gods.

4. Sacred literature

Upanishads, Vedas. Written teachings of Buddha, commentaries, rules about monastic life, how-to-meditate manuals, and Buddha legends.

5. Effect on society

Ideas of karma and reincarnation strengthened caste system. Hindu religion dominates daily activities.

Rejected caste system; created religious communities of monks and nuns within society.

6. Modern-day traditions

Freedom to choose among three paths for achieving moksha and the deity to worship.

Daily declaration of “Three Jewels of Buddhism,” pilgrimages to sites associated with Buddha’s life, performing of Buddhist worship rituals.

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Topic: Classical CivilizationsEQ: What were the accomplishments of Classical

Greece?

Geography- Large mountainous peninsula- Hilly terrain- Farming was difficult- Relied on trade in the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea

Rise of City-States- Mountains, sea cut off populations from one another- Isolation caused different communities to develop their own

ways of life.- Cities-States = city and surrounding villages, created a

government and system of laws- Polis = a town where people would meet to discuss political,

economic, social and religious activities

Religion = Polytheistic- Olympics games played every 4 years to honor Zeus- Honored athletes and competition- Pleased the Gods

Sparta- Important city-state- Large slave population = wealth- Controlled and disciplined lives- Large effective army- No arts or new ideas- Only war mattered = young boys left to train at age 7

Athens- Limited Democracy = government controlled by its citizens- “ruled of the people”- Only men over 30 years could participate- Women, foreigners, slaves = non-citizens- Oligarchy = ruled by small group of elite wealthy people.Rights = voting, passing laws, speaking at public meetingsResponsibilities = participation in government, paying taxes, following laws.

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Topic: Classical CivilizationsEQ: What were the accomplishments of Classical

Greece?

Athens Continued- Jury System = trial by a jury of your peers- Innocent until proven guilty- Equal justice to all- Patriarchal = men lead society- Women had little political life- Women ran household- Women shared in family business- Children were educated at home by mothers- Children help farm

Persian Wars (490 BC – 479 BC) = united all the Greek city-states against Persia- Greeks vs. Persian Empire - Greek victories at Marathon and Salamis- Barely bet the Persians- Faster Greek naval ship helped them win

Golden Age of Pericles- Era of peace and achievements after the Persian Wars- Freedom and confidence- Strengthening of navy and oversea trade

Direct Democracy = one person, one vote

Philosophy = “love of wisdom”- Human reasoning- Understand the world, solve problems- Socrates, Plato, Aristotle- Applied logic to science

Art = statues and buildings with balance and proportions- Painted with bright colors- True to life sculptures- Use of columns- Parthenon = marble temple for Athena, Acropolis = hilltop