Cities, States and Unequal Societies

What is a civilization? Cities with populations in the 10’s of thousands Monumental Architecture Powerful states that demand obedience Much greater inequality - economic - social

First Civilizations Sumer (southern Mesopotamia) - first written language – cunieform Norte Chico (Peru) - smaller cities - less agriculture - no walls – less warfare? - quipus

Norte Chico (Peru)

First Civilizations Indus Valley (India) - planned cities, grid system - standardized weights and measures - caste system China (Xia, Shang, Zhou dynasties) - centralized - mandate of heaven - oracle bones (writing) Olmec (Mexico/Texas) - first written language in Americas 900BCE - eventually influenced the Maya

Oracle Bones (Shang China)

Olmec Heads

Origins of The First Civilizations The need for warfare, trade, large irrigation projects Competition led to warfare and innovation - the plow was developed - winners of war absorbed losers into their civilization as subordinate workers Features of the first civilizations - cities - job specialization - center of culture (arts), exchange, politics

Mesopotamia

The Erosion of Equality Upper Class - great wealth, no physical labor - distinguished by clothes, burial, government positions, special treatment under law Lower Class - majority of people, workers - slavery emerged with civilizations - slaves were conquered people, not race of skin color

Hierarchy of Gender Civilization undermined equality of gender - more intensive agriculture (plows, tech) - women associated with nature - war – men physically stronger Women activities restricted - couldn’t inherit property - exchange of female slaves - concubines - couldn’t initiate divorce

The Rise of the State Reasons for the emergence of civilization - irrigation, defense Rule by divine authority - In China “Mandate of Heaven” Writing - accounting, tax collection, propaganda, astronomy Kings - grand monuments, luxurious clothes, elaborate burials

Mandate of Heaven

Egypt and Mesopotamia – Environment and Culture Both depended on rivers - Nile in Egypt: more predictable - Tigris/Euphrates in Mesopotamia: erratic Mesopotamia less geographically isolated - more prone to invasion than Egypt - more pessimistic outlook on world b/c more threats Environmental Difficulties - in Mesopotamia, soil erosion, deforestation due to rising population. invasions - more continuities in Egypt due to more advanced agriculture

Mesopotamia and Egypt Mesopotamia - City-States each ruled by a king - 80% of pop. Lived in city-states for protection - Outside forces conquered city-states around 2300BCE Egypt - Around 3100BCE Egypt became unified - Egypt unified for 3000 years - travel along the Nile helped unification efforts

Old Kingdom – Pyramids at Giza

The Pharaoh God in human form – Son of Re Linked to flooding of the Nile Connected people to the afterlife - mummification Discredited around 2200BCE when Nile didn’t flood BCE – state of anarchy - Pharaohs restored 2000BCE but never regained the same clout

Interaction and Exchange Both Mesopotamia and Egypt frequently interacted Egypt benefited from Mesopotamia - agriculture: cereal grains - architecture: step pyramids - writing: cuneiform Interaction - Mesopotamian trade with Anatolia, Egypt, Iran, and Afghanistan - Egypt interacted w/ Nubia and African east coast

Cuneiform

Cultural Influences Along Trade Routes Hebrews migrated from Mesopotamia to Palestine and Egypt – monotheism eventually emerged. Phoenicians - adapted cuneiform into the first alphabet. 22 characters Nubia borrowed from Egypt - pyramids, hieroglyphics, gods Egyptian influence in Minoan art (Crete)

Hyksos Invade Egypt

Mesopotamia and Egypt were also influenced by their neighbors Hittites brought chariots to Mesopotamia and conquered the Babylonian Empire – 1595BCE Hyksos invade Egypt - used chariots to invade in ’sBCE - brought new armor and weapons, new metallurgy - new methods of spinning and weaving - olive and pomegranate trees By 1500BCE Egypt was an imperial state - rule over non-Egyptians in Africa and Middle East

Mummification and Civilization Video

Egypt and Mesopotamia Activity - Comparing Egypt and Mesopotamia - pairs – PERSIAN charts