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Period 1: Foundations
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Early Urban Societies
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Cities Urban centers with permanent building structures developed out of agricultural settlements “Civilization” Term used to describe societies that have cities First cities – Mesopotamia, Nile Valley – 6000 years ago Stone and mud-brick construction Use of arch
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Characteristics of Civilization
Advanced Cities Large buildings, population… Advanced Technology Specialized Workers Recordkeeping Arts and Entertainment Beauty not practicality Complex Institutions Organized government, religion, and economy
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Cities Elites Tall buildings of religious importance
Had palaces (monumental structures) Statues Carvings Tapestries and paintings Tall buildings of religious importance Mesopotamia – ziggurats Nile Valley – pyramids
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Political and Religious Leaders
Often worked together to maintain order Sometimes one person held both positions How do you question a leader who can speak to or is a god? Their responsibilities Pay for construction of city defense Keep records of grain supplies
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Early Writing Systems Mesopotamia Egypt Cuneiform
Roots of the English Alphabet Cuneiform Phoenicians Greeks Romans Egypt Hieroglyphics Undecipherable until 19th Century “Rosetta Stone”
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Rosetta Stone Egyptian Hieroglyphs Egyptian Demotic Greek
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Early Writing Hieroglyphs http://www.event12.com/babylonian/index.html
Cuneiform
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Legal Codes Written down (Codified) and enforced to maintain order among the growing populations Most well-known code Code of Hammurabi “eye for an eye” Based on social status
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Early Formation of Empires
Cities close together often shared language and religion Led by kings often who claimed their authority came from the gods Built and expanded by conquering peoples who lived beyond their borders
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Examples of Early Empires
Mesopotamia Babylon, Assyria, Egypt Shang (China) Harrappan & Mohenjo-Daro Indus River Olmecs -- Mexico Chavin -- Andes
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First Literature Emerged in early civilizations to explain creation, meaning of life, natural phenomena religious themes: Of life and death, human relationships, afterlife Mesopotamia Epic of Gilgamesh Indus Valley Rig Veda Egypt Book of the Dead
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Developing Religions Most polytheistic Two were monotheistic
Judaism faith of Southwest Asia Zoroastrianism of Central Asia
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Social Pyramids Ruling class
Social Pyramids looked basically the same in the early civilizations and empires Working class Slave class
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Social Pyramids Tend to be patriarchal
Men held power in government, religions and families Women gained power by marriage or supervising their young ruling sons
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