1. EARLY CIVILIZATIONS AND PASTORAL PEOPLES
Unit 3
ERA I:
BEGINNINGS TO 4000 BCE
ERA II:
EARLY CIVILIZATIONS AND PASTORAL PEOPLES
4000 BCE TO 1000 BCE

2. Lesson 1: What are Civilizations?
Lesson 2: The Early River Valley Civilizations
Lesson 3: What Were Early Civilizations Like?
Lesson 4: How did Intensification Lead to the Development of Writing, Laws, and Centralized Governments in Early Civilizations?
Lesson 5: Who Were the Nomadic Pastoralists and How Did They Live?
Lesson 6: The Technology of Era 2... Spinning the Wheels of the Bronze Age
Lesson 7: Interaction in Era 2 – Conflict and Cooperation

3. early civilizations… The why of the where
Lesson 1, Unit 3
early civilizations… The why of the where

5. What differences do you see between these places?
Catal Hoyuk (in present day Turkey)
The city of Ur, Sumer (Mesopotamia; present day Iraq)
What differences do you see between these places?
Which one lines up more with your idea of “civilization” ? Why?

6. Domestication of Plants and Animals
Farming
Population
Intensification
Surplus Food
Specialization
Complex Society,
also known as
CIVILIZATION

7. List the first several words or images that come to mind.
Brainstorming…. What words come to mind when you hear the word civilization?
List the first several words or images that come to mind.
Where do you think these ideas come from?
Where do we get our ideas of what is “civilized”?

8. Think-Pair-Share Does civilization mean better?
Were cavemen civilized?
Is being civilized the same thing as living in a civilization?
Are there communities of people today who are not civilized?

9. Civilization defined…
The term “civilization” is used to describe larger groups of people living together in one place in more complex societies with social hierarchies and specialization of labor.

11. Characteristics of a Civilization:
cities
social classes
job specialization
a centralized government
complex technologies
a writing system
highly organized religion

12. The Eras of Ancient History
ERA I:
BEGINNINGS TO 4000 BCE
ERA II:
EARLY CIVILIZATIONS AND PASTORAL PEOPLES
4000 BCE TO 1000 BCE

13. This year
500 BP
1500 CE
200,000 BP
This unit
4000 BCE
1000 BCE

14. The Industrial Era 250 years Agricultural Revolution
Our Place in Time
The Era of Foragers
200,000 years
The Agrarian Era
10,000 years
The Industrial Era 250 years
About 8000 BCE
The
Agricultural Revolution
Era 1
Era 2

15. Change over time….. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX
If one X = 1,000 years, then Era 1 lasted this long:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Era 2 only lasted this long:
XXX

16. CIVILIZATION
During this era, between 4000 and 1000 BCE, this new way of living began to develop in different parts of the world.

17. Why do you think civilization began in these places?

18. Take notes on the chart as we discuss the next few slides.

19. Why did civilizations grow along rivers?
Rivers provide fresh water, food and transportation
Soil in river valleys is usually very fertile.

21. Latitude and climate
Climate Zone: are divisions of the Earth's climates into general climate zones according to average temperatures and average rainfall. The three major climate zones on the Earth are the polar, temperate, and tropical zones. Temperatures in these three climate zones are determined mainly by the location, or latitude, of the zone.

22. What did latitude and climate have to do with the growth of civilization?
These areas were in or near the temperate zone.
Food crops grow well in temperate zones.
A temperate climate presents less challenges to humans than a polar or tropical climate.

23. Large-seeded grasses 33 6 4 11 2 Region
Number of large-seeded grasses (things like wheat, oats, etc.)
West Asia, Europe, North Africa 33
East Asia 6
Sub-Saharan Africa 4
Americas 11
Northern Australia 2

24. Why did large-seeded grasses matter for civilizations?
Because their seeds are large, they are easier to harvest, and people can also store their seeds for a longer time.
Civilization depends upon a stable food source and being able to grow and store more than what is consumed. In other words, in order for lots of people to live together in one place, they need to have lots of food, and they need extra food.

25. Large mammals for domestication
Domesticated Animal
Estimated time of domestication
Region where domesticated
Dog
10,000 BCE
Southwest Asia, China, North America
Sheep
8000 BCE
Southwest Asia
Goat
Pig
China, Southwest Asia
Cow
6000 BCE
Southwest Asia, India, North Africa
There are only 14 large mammals in the world suitable for domestication, and the majority of these originated in Eurasia.

26. Why did civilizations need large mammals that could be domesticated?
These large mammals can be used to carry things, pull things like wagons and plows, provide materials for clothing and tools, and to produce food.

27. Fresh water
Food
Transportation
Fertile soil nearby
Rivers
Latitude and climate
Food grows well
Easier to live in
Large-seeded grasses
Easy to harvest
Easy to store
Stable food source
Food
Can carry or pull things
Can be used for things like clothing
Large mammals

28. Do you agree with this theory? Why or why not?
Geographic Luck
Jared Diamond’s theory that some regions developed more rapidly and expanded quicker because the natural resources available to them, climate, and geography gave them an early advantage into agriculture before people in other places.
Do you agree with this theory? Why or why not?

29. Read pages 24 – 28 in your textbook.
Then, cut these strips out and place them in the correct order.

30. People changed from hunting and gathering to producing their own food.
Producing their own food often led to people having a surplus.
Food surpluses led to population growth.
As the population increased, small farming settlements grew into towns.
In the towns people began to switch from farming to other kinds of work.
Towns continued to grow and some became large cities.
Cities had large public buildings. In some grain was stored. In others people worshipped or traded goods.
As the population of cities grew, governments formed. These were designed to keep order in society, provide services, settle disputes and manage public projects like irrigation.
In addition to governments, social classes began to develop. This created a social hierarchy with leaders like kings at the top and common workers and farmers at the bottom.
Civilization rose out of these cities and was characterized by job specialization, large public buildings, a central government and a social hierarchy.

31. These factors came together in specific river valley areas in Afroeurasia and led to the development of civilization.
Suitable climate between 20 and 40 degrees North latitude
Large mammals that could be domesticated
An abundance of plants, including large seeded grasses, that could be domesticated