Objectives:

•Discuss meaning of PERSIA G

•Discuss common PERSIA G characteristicsof the River Valley Civilizations

River Valley Civilizations

There were four primary river civilizations that developed between 3500 – 500 BCE

Geography: Why did the first civilizations begin in the river valleys?

1. Rich soil along the river banks was good for farming2. River water provided irrigation for crops3. Natural geographic features around the river valleys offered protection

What did the River Valley Civilizations have in common politically?

1. Usually governed as city-states and Empires

2. Usually ruled by a single ruler with religious authority(Priests were rulers in Mesopotamia, Pharaohs were rulers in Egypt.)

3. Usually had written law codes (Ten Commandments and Hammurabi’s Code)

What did the River Valley Civilizations have in common economically?

1. Metal (example: tools and weapons)

2. Agricultural surplus (Abundant grain from harvests)

3. Trade along rivers and by sea (The Nile in Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea for the Phoenicians)

4. Cities (Memphis, Ur, Anyang)

5. Slavery (Not based on race)

What was the impact on their economies?

Tigris River

1. Hereditary rulers: Dynasties of kings and pharaohs.Ruling power is passed to the son of the ruler.

2. Rigid class system where slavery was accepted. Social Inequality.

What did the River Civilizations have in common socially?

What did they have in common religiously?

Almost all were polytheistic meaning that they believed in many gods.

One exception – The Hebrews were the first monotheists, believing in only one god.

How were they similar Intellectually?

Each had a writing system:

•Cuneiform (Mesopotamia)•Hieroglyphics (Egypt)•India (has not been decoded)•China (Chinese characters) Cuneiform

Hieroglyphics

How were the River Valley Civilizations similar in their achievements?

•Job specialization in each civilization led toadvancements in farming technology and usefulinventions like the wheel.