Riverine Cultures & Civilization, 3500 - 2000BCE

I. Emergence of CivilizationII. Control of Civilizations

IDs: Gilgamesh, Standard of Ur, Horus

ArgumentIn the riverine cultures of Mesopotamia, Egypt, the

Indus River and China, civilization was based upon unions of kingship and religion and social hierarchies, in which elite groups controlled surplus production, building programs & writing.

I. Emergence of Civilization

A. 7000-3500 BCE: Village agriculture & pastoral nomadism

B. Six “First” Civilizations, 3500-1400 BCE

C. Riverine Cultures (River Valley Civilizations)

• Mesopotamia: 3500 BCE (Tigris & Euphrates)

• Egypt: 3000 BCE (Nile)• Indus Valley: 3000 BCE

(Indus)• China: 2200 BCE (Yellow

& Yangzi)

Why there?

Old argument – rivers

New argument – dense population

D. Characteristics of Civilization1. Cities

City walls & gates

BabylonIshtar Gate

2. Occupational Specialization

Highly productive agriculture

ArtMonumental Buildings

3. Complex Religious & Political Structures

a. Temples and palaces

Mesopotamian ziggurat

b. Bureaucracies of Priests & Specialized Officials

Writing

Mesopotamia: Cuneiform

Egypt: Hieroglyphics & Demotic Script

China: Oracle Bones

Divination

4. Distinct Social Classes & Social Hierarchy

ElitesReligion (priests)Kingship(kings, nobles)

Elites

Mesopotamian Social Hierarchy

Priests

Kings

Officers, Bureaucrats & Specialized Craftsmen (Patricians)

Dependent Workers (Plebeians)

Slaves

Standard of Ur (2600-2400 BCE)

Egyptian Social Hierarchy

Elites: High Priests & Nobles

Pharaoh

Local Officials, Lesser Priests & Nobles

Peasants

Slaves

II. Control of Civilizations

A. Mesopotamia

1. City-states (political organization)

2. Union of Religion & KingshipMesopotamian city gods

3. Divine legitimacy for king’s rule

GilgameshEnkiduEnlil

4. Building Programs

BabylonIshtar Gate

5. Writing

Cuneiform

Epic of Gilgamesh

Later: States

Sargon the Great of Akkad

(reigned 2334-2279 BCE)

B. Egypt

1. Union of Kingship & Religion

OsirisIsisHorusdead pharaoh =

Osirislive pharaoh =

Horus

2. Divine legitimacy

HorusKing as shepherd

3. Building Programs

4. WritingHieroglyphics & Demotic Script

Argument• In the riverine cultures of Mesopotamia, Egypt, the

Indus River and China, civilization was based upon unions of kingship and religion and social hierarchies, in which elite groups controlled surplus production, building programs & writing.