Foundations of Civlization

I. From Villages to Cities  A. Advances in Farming  1. Irrigation systems: network of canals or ditches that links fields of crops to nearby streams OR to storage basins  Enabled people to farm more land  Enabled people to farm in drier conditions  2. Surpluses: could support larger populations  NOT everyone had to farm (specialization)  Surplus = barter opportunities

B. Changing Economies  1. Fewer farmers needed  2. Division of Labor: each worker specializes in a particular task/ job  a. weavers  b. potters  c. religious leaders

C. Characteristics of Cities  1. started as villages  2. populations rose  3. diversity increased  villages consisted of a few extended families  early cities usu. Included many unrelated people.  4. formal organization  Had a defined center  Palaces, Gov’t bldgs., Temples, Monuments, Marketplace  5. had defined boundaries  6. centers of trade

II. The First Civilizations: Shared Characteristics

A. Developed Cities Cities  Served as political, economic, and cultural centers for surrounding areas Examples  Ur and Uruk near the Tigris and Euphrates  Memphis on the Nile  Mohenjo Daro on the Indus  Anyang near the Huang He

B. Organized Gov’t.  Probably formed to meet the needs of planning, decision making, of such large projects – irrigation  CONTROL!!!!  Created laws  Established systems of justices  Supervised food production & bldg practices  Gathered taxes  Organized defense  Power base differed  Religious figures (priests)  Influential elders  Warriors  Families

C. Formalized Religion  Ceremonies & rituals to gain gods’ favor  Occupational: priests became powerful (divine influence)  Gov’t & religious institutions were closely related

D. Specialization of labor  Tax collectors  Engineers  Soldiers  Famers  Potters  Weavers  Construction work: roads, temples, palaces  Artisans: skilled craftspeople (basketry, carpentry, metalwork, pottery)  Merchants

E. Social Classes  Based on occupation, wealth, and influence  Highest ranking  Rulers  Priests  Nobles  ***followed by artisans & merchants  ***then farmers & unskilled workers  ***slaves

F. Record Keeping & Writing  Need for permanent records  Gov’t to track tax payments  Traders to track payment of goods  Sumerians used clay tokens  Incas used quipo  *Systems of writing developed c yrs ago  Calendar creation: to plan planting & harvesting AND adapt to flooding

G. The Arts  Statues  Paintings  Adorned city squares, public buildings, and royal tombs

How many shared characteristics are there in the earliest civilizations? & what are they?

SEVEN “prerequisites”  Cities  Gov’t  Religion  Specialization of Labor  Social Classes  Record keeping AND writing  Arts

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