Ancient River ValleyCivilizations

Warm-up Activity Imagine you are archaeologists living many years in the future. In excavating a site, they have found a coin from an unknown society. Take a penny out of the box. Write down all you notice on both sides of the coin. Consider what this coin could tell future archaeologists about the unknown society, write this information on a piece of paper, and turn it in.

The Oldest River/Valley Civilizations Mesopotamia about 3500 B.C. Egypt about 3000 B.C. Ancient India about 2500 B.C. Ancient China about 1600 B.C.

Mesopotamia About 3500 B.C B.C.

Fertile Crescent Mesopotamia = “the land between the rivers.”

Mesopotamia Unpredictable flooding Unpredictable flooding Why a blessing? Why a blessing? Why a curse? Why a curse? No geographical No geographical barriers? barriers? Why is that a problem?

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The Sumerians Believed to be the oldest civilization on earth They are believed to be the first people on earth to invent a system of writing – cuneiform Most of the people were farmers but many were traders and artisans ziggurat

Sumerian Society The farming communities grew into 12 city –states with a god for each They were always in conflict Priest managed the gods’ land and were at the top of society Beneath the Priest were artisans and traders Slaves were at the bottom of society Ruler led army in war and enforced laws. Complex government with scribes to collect taxes and keep record Sumer was conquered by Hammurabi who created the “Code of Hammurabi” which was 282 laws The Code of Hammurabi became a model for other legal systems of the world

Sumerian Religion They were polytheistic ( worshipped many gods)They were polytheistic ( worshipped many gods) Believed gods controlled every aspect of life.Believed gods controlled every aspect of life. Saw afterlife as a grim place.Saw afterlife as a grim place. To keep the gods happy, each city built a ziggurat, or pyramid temple.To keep the gods happy, each city built a ziggurat, or pyramid temple.

Egypt Desert climate, but they had the Nile River with yearly floods They developed geometry and engineering so they could set up and irrigation system Pharaohs were the king of Egypt seen as gods and ruled in dynasties or ruling family Religion – polytheism Afterlife – Osiris, mummification, tombs Pyramids used as tombs Hieroglyphics written on papyrus

Egyptian Society Conquered neighbors but often absorbed ideas and customs from the people they conquered Pharaoh Amenhotep tried to convert the country to monotheism, to worship the god Aton. When he died, 9 year old Tutankhamen became the new ruler and they returned to polytheism They believe in an afterlife after death that you could have if you lived a good life. A bad life would = the devourer of souls for you

Egyptian Contributions System of writing – hieroglyphics, which was placed on paper or papyrus They had the first doctors in the world and studied anatomy

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Geography

India The subcontinent is divided into three major zones: The subcontinent is divided into three major zones: northern plain, northern plain, Deccan plateau, Deccan plateau, and coastal plains and coastal plains The Indus Valley is located on the subcontinent of India. The Indus Valley is located on the subcontinent of India. Surrounded by three major mountain ranges Surrounded by three major mountain ranges Isolation protected India from invasions Isolation protected India from invasions Ganges & Indus Rivers Ganges & Indus Rivers

India Grew around Indus River Valley The earliest Indian civilization flourished for about 1,000 years, then vanished without a trace The Indus Valley Civilization had: Well-organized government Carefully planned cities Carefully planned cities Most people were farmers and used irrigation canals to water their crops They were polytheistic They had a system of writing that used pictograms They were conquered by the Aryans

The Hindu Religion Began around 1500 B.C. It created a caste system separating people into social groups They wanted to keep themselves apart from the original inhabitants of India whom they believed were inferior

Aryans - Aryans - Vedas are Holy books which formed the basis for the four Aryan religious books – Hinduism They believed the god Brahma created the universe Reincarnation is also a part of their belief Only artifacts left by the Aryans. Their system of writing was Sanskrit

Indus River Valley – Early Innovation Clip

The Mahabharata celebrates battle and reflects important Indian beliefs about the immortality of the soul. The Ramayana celebrates a daring and adventurous hero and portrays the ideal woman as loyal and obedient to her husband. The Mahabharata and the Ramayana are about Aryan life and values Important Literature 2

China Grew around Huang He (Yellow) River Dynasties – Shang, Zhou Shang rulers ruled by the Mandate of Heaven – divine right to rule – governed via orders from the spirits until 1912 During the Zhou dynasty, China became the most populated place on earth Confucius lived during the Zhou dynasty He wanted the leaders to avoid un-necessary wars and to lower taxes He wanted people to develop personal morality and goodwill toward all Religion – polytheism, ancestor worship Feudal state Silk making Had a system of writing Agriculture

Chinese Feudalism Zhou to the Qin Dynasties were true feudal states Social organization that arose due to circumstances Characteristics Independent feudal states. The people needed to be loyal to the central ruler OrganizationRulerLordsKnightsPeasants