1. Early Civilizations

2. Agricultural vs. Nomadic
Most of the early civilizations were either agricultural or nomadic
Agricultural civilizations would stay in one area and grow and harvest plants and domesticate animals
Nomadic civilizations would follow herds of animals to hunt and would also gather wild fruits and grains. (60 or less people)
In order to be considered a civilization, a group of people must have division of labor and formal political units (Most also have a system of writing)

3. Early Civilizations
Mesopotamia

4. Tigris/Euphrates Civilization

5. Tigris/Euphrates Civilization
Known as Mesopotamia
Includes:
Sumerians (Iraq and Iran)
Babylonians (Kuwait, Iraq, Iran and Syria)
Phoenicians (Syria)
Israel

6. Tigris/Euphrates Civilization
Sumerians
Developed cuneiform (Wedge writing using reeds)
Was an agricultural society
Developed System of numbers using units of 10, 60 and 360
Developed ziggurats to be used as temples
Believed in a “divine force” that worked through nature.
Made up of city-states ruled by a king (usually a military leader)
Used silver as currency
Taken over by then Akkadians and then the Babylonians

7. Tigris/Euphrates Civilization
Babylonians
King Hammurabi instituted the Hammurabi Code
Laws were based on a precedent from previous cases
Were engraved on Stone Slabs
Conquered Israel
Conquered by the Assyrians

8. Tigris/Euphrates Civilization
Phoenicians
Were focused with trade on the Mediterranean
Traded wood, slaves, glass and Tyrian Purple (made from sea snails
Simplified alphabet
Only 22 letters
Set up a number of colonies including Carthage

9. Tigris/Euphrates Civilization
Israel
Monotheistic
One of the most influential religions
Made up of twelve nomadic tribes that eventually conquered and settled into the region that they now inhabit
Conquered by a number of empires
Babylon and Rome

10. Egyptian Civilization
Focused around the Nile River
Lower Egypt in North and Upper Egypt in South
Pyramids to entomb their pharaohs
Extensive gold use
Mummified their dead
Hieroglyphics- Picture writing
Contributions:
Advanced mathematics
24 hour day

12. Chinese Civilizations
Developed around the Huanghe (Yellow) River
Developed in almost total isolation
Traded some with India and the Middle East
Ruled by the Shang Dynasty
Contribution
Ideographic symbols
Iron working using coal