1. Riverine Cultures & Civilization, 3500 - 2000BCE
Emergence of Civilization
Control of Civilizations
IDs: Gilgamesh, Standard of Ur, Horus

2. 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.

3. I. Emergence of Civilization
A BCE: Village agriculture & pastoral nomadism

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

5. 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)

6. Why there?
Old argument – rivers
New argument – dense population

7. D. Characteristics of Civilization 1. Cities

8. City walls & gates
Babylon
Ishtar Gate

10. 2. Occupational Specialization

11. Highly productive agriculture
Art
Monumental Buildings

12. 3. Complex Religious & Political Structures

13. a. Temples and palaces
Mesopotamian ziggurat

14. b. Bureaucracies of Priests & Specialized Officials
Writing
Mesopotamia: Cuneiform

15. Egypt: Hieroglyphics & Demotic Script

16. China: Oracle Bones
Divination

17. 4. Distinct Social Classes & Social Hierarchy
Elites
Religion (priests)
Kingship
(kings, nobles)
Elites

18. Mesopotamian Social Hierarchy
Kings
Priests
Officers, Bureaucrats & Specialized Craftsmen (Patricians)
Dependent Workers (Plebeians)
Slaves

19. Standard of Ur ( BCE)

21. Egyptian Social Hierarchy
Pharaoh
Elites: High Priests & Nobles
Local Officials, Lesser Priests & Nobles
Peasants
Slaves

22. II. Control of Civilizations
A. Mesopotamia
1. City-states (political organization)

23. 2. Union of Religion & Kingship Mesopotamian city gods

24. 3. Divine legitimacy for king’s rule
Gilgamesh
Enkidu
Enlil

25. 4. Building Programs
Babylon
Ishtar Gate

26. 5. Writing
Cuneiform Epic of Gilgamesh

27. Later: States
Sargon the Great of Akkad
(reigned BCE)

28. B. Egypt Union of Kingship & Religion Osiris Isis Horus
dead pharaoh = Osiris
live pharaoh = Horus

29. 2. Divine legitimacy
Horus
King as shepherd

30. 3. Building Programs

31. 4. Writing Hieroglyphics & Demotic Script

32. 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.