Early CivilizationsEssential Questions :

How did ancient civilizations develop?What were similarities between various early

civilizations?

Civilizations began in certain parts of the world with many similarities even though vast distances separated them.Mesopotamia (present day Iraq)IndiaChinaAmericas

AZTECMAYAN

INCA

EGYPT

MESOPOTAMIA INDIA

CHINA

Geographic similaritiesCivilizations grew around areas where a stable

food source could be foundRiver valleys are common among these early

civilizations Annual flooding of the rivers left rich deposits on

the surrounding soil Agriculture flourished as a result

Surplus of food led to expansion of population

Characteristics of civilizationSocial structure

All societies have different classes of peoples Some people are considered more important than

others due to their wealth or job In ancient times, rulers, nobles and priests were

considered most powerful The next class was typically made of military, civil

workers, merchants, farmers, laborers, doctors, educators, etc.

The bottom class of people were slaves and outcasts

Example of Egyptian Social Structure

Stable food supply Before civilization, people hunted and gathered

their food These people tended to be nomadic, following herds

as they migrated Societies became more settled with the advent of

agriculture Crops were farmed and animals were domesticated

Cause and effect throughout all civilizationsPopulation expansion Specialization/trade Growth in wealth/expansion/conquests Sharing of ideas/technology/belief systems

Religion Societies developed polytheistic religions Nature and mystic notions were attributed to gods

who controlled these unseen forces Rising and setting sun, phases of the moon, rain,

drought, flooding, wind, natural disasters, etc. A few did develop monotheistic religions

Israelites developed Judaism Persians developed Zoroastrianism

Various sun gods

Government Several reasons for development of governments

Somebody needed to lead Rules have to be made Rules have to be enforced

Code of Hammurabi1st set of written laws

• Based on eye for an eye principle Societies have general welfare needs

Roads, water systems, protection from foreign invasions

Most early civilizations were theocratic and/or dynastic Leaders were seen to rule because of the will of the

gods or they were seen as demi-gods Some ruled because of wealth or military power

Writing systems Societies used forms of writing to record events,

keep records and transmit information Early forms of writing consisted of pictures and

symbols Egyptian hieroglyphics Chinese pictographs/ideographs Sumerian Cuneiform Incan Quipu

Hieroglyphics

Ideograph

Cuneiform

Quipu

Culture Societies developed art, music, literature and other

forms of entertainment

Technology Inventions made life easier

wheel

Shaduf

plow

EmpiresCertain civilizations became powerful and

conquered others, creating empiresAkkadian 2340 BC (Present-day Iraq)

1st known empire Conquered their Sumerian neighbors in

MesopotamiaBabylon 1792 BC (Present-day Iraq)

Under Hammurabi, the Babylonians took control of Mesopotamia

Hittites 1600 BC (Present-day Turkey) 1st Indo-Europeans to use iron

Egypt 1550 (New Kingdom period) Because of it’s wealth, became the richest and most

powerful state in the Middle East Existing at the same time as the Hittites, they were

also fighting against them for the area around present-day Syria They were both weakened and eventually their

empires were destroyed by peoples known only as the Sea Peoples Very little is known of these peoples

After the fall of Egyptian and Hittite Empires Some independent kingdoms arose

Phoenician Kingdom Great sea-traders Influential alphabet that was adopted by the

GreeksThis led to the Roman alphabet which our current

alphabet is based on Israelite Kingdom

Minor in the political arena of the area Major contribution to the world is their

monotheistic religionJudaism

Assyrian 700 BC (Present-day Iraq) Ruled by kings with absolute power Brutal conquerors Network of posts relayed information from across

the empire Established one of the world’s first libraries

Persian 539 BC (Present-day Iran) Cyrus the Great

Widely respected by those he ruled over Considered very wise and just

Darius 521-486 BC Created world’s largest empire to that time Divided empire into provinces to be managed more

easily

Greek 330 BC (Greece/Macedonia) Under Alexander the Great, Greece conquered the

Persian Empire After Alexander’s death, the Hellenistic period

followed Greek culture was spread throughout Southwest

AsiaMauryan 324 BC (India)

After retreat of Alexander’s forces from India, Candragupta Mauryan established India’s first empire

The empire really flourished under the leader Asoka Considered greatest Indian ruler

Qin 221 BC (China) Qin Shihuangdi defeated and unified the warring

Chinese dynasties, thus creating China’s first empire

He was very brutal though and his dynasty fell after his death