Early Civilizations in the Americas Sections 6.7 and 6.8

Early Civilizations in the Americas Reasons for later development Later development of agriculture Fewer domesticated animals North–south travel across climates Lack of metalwork, the wheel Limited archaeological remains Little evidence, like Harappa

FIGURE 2. 6 The origins of the Olmecs remain shrouded in mystery FIGURE 2.6 The origins of the Olmecs remain shrouded in mystery. Some of their enormous stone sculptures seem to have distinctively African features that indicate possible transatlantic contact. Similar features also have been found in early Khmer art from southeast Asia. FIGURE 2.6 The origins of the Olmecs remain shrouded in mystery. Some of their enormous stone sculptures seem to have distinctively African features that indicate possible transatlantic contact. Similar features also have been found in early Khmer art from southeast Asia.

Early Civilizations in the Americas The Olmecs c. 1500 B.C.E. Sculpture of giant stone heads Formal calendar Hereditary elite Chavin and the Andean World Difficult transportation Levels of agriculture encouraging trade

Early Civilizations in the Americas Chavin and the Andean World Chavin de Huantar 850–250 B.C.E. Large temple platforms Active craft population Influence unknown Continuing agriculture and population growth despite decline

The End of the River Valley Period River valley societies widely separated No single development as transition out of this period The Heritage of the River Valley Civilizations Lasting impact of the first civilizations Basic ideas about social structures

The End of the River Valley Period The Heritage of the River Valley Civilizations Basic tools of civilization Writing Mathematics Political forms Enduring divisions among global populations Legacy of Egypt and Mesopotamia

The End of the River Valley Period New States and Peoples around 1000 B.C.E. Phoenicians New alphabet from about 1300 B.C.E. Active as traders in the Mediterranean

The End of the River Valley Period Judaism Semitic peoples Settled in Eastern Mediterranean from 1200 B.C.E. Special relationship with their deity Hebrew bible Moral code Appropriate forms of worship Monotheism

A Sumerian clay tablet with cuneiform characters aimed at tallying numbers of sheep and goats as part of early agriculture. A Sumerian clay tablet with cuneiform characters aimed at tallying numbers of sheep and goats as part of early agriculture.