1. SOCIAL STRUCTURES - Mesopotamia – Egypt – Indus Valley –
- Shang – Olmec – Chavin – Aegean –

2. Similarities Across Civilizations
Ancient civilizations shared similar social structures
Hierarchy with king at top & slaves at bottom
Upper classes usually associated with war or religion
Role of slaves & intermediate classes depended on economy
Merchants appeared in hierarchy over time
Women subordinate to men
Patriarchy emerged
More intensive agriculture favored male labor over female
Natural role in reproduction may have played a role
Daily life revolved around religion

3. Mesopotamia Distinct social classes based on profession & gender
Upper class – defined by large amounts of land & wealth
Avoided physical labor
Enjoyed finest goods
Commoners – most of the population
Punished more harshly than those of superior rank
Slaves – bottom of class system
Pessimistic view on death
Gender division – divorce easier for men; women subjected by husbands & veiled in public
Hammurabi’s Code – law code reflected social structure
Punishments for crimes determined by class
Defined patriarchal family life

4. Egypt Social hierarchy permitted social mobility
Peasants & farmers could move up economic ladder
Lower class families could save money to send sons to learn a trade
Pharaohs – leaders thought to be gods in human form
Slaves – often POWs
Could be appointed into positions of government and palace
Had rights that were not in other ancient civ. – could regain freedom; children born free
Women – greater rights than in other regions
Own, sell, and inherit property
Allowed to work
Dissolve marriages
Men still superior – Cleopatra & Hatshepsut only two female pharaohs is an example

6. Indus Valley
Social structure is debated due to little archaeological evidence
Three classes
Warriors at top
Priests in middle
Peasants at bottom
Merchant class later added above peasants
Priests would move above warriors later
Social mobility allowed
Women had almost no rights
Became more complex & rigid over time
Later added sub-castes & social mobility ended

7. Shang Dynasty 1750-1045BCE King at top of social pyramid
Military nobility – elite warrior class fought with bronze weapons & horse-drawn chariots
Priests
Merchants & farmers
Distinguished in burials
Elite buried in elaborate tombs with objects of wealth for afterlife
Lesser classes buried in pits of varying size
Lowest classes sometimes tossed down well
Ancestor worship important in religion & life
Kinship structures based on clans gave way to multigenerational family units emerged in Zhou Period BCE
Fathers had absolute authority over women & children
Arranged marriages
Could sell labor of family members
Limited to one wife, but permitted additional sex partners
Women discouraged from remarrying, but men obligated to
Yin/yang concept complemented male & female roles in natural order
Yang- men – active, bright, shining
Yin – women – passive, shaded, reflective

8. Olmec Civilization 1200-250BCE
Little evidence
Two main groups
Common people
Worked on farms or irrigation systems, supplying food for the population
Elite
Rulers  shaman  skilled artisans & craftsmen
Lived in small religious centers or cities (La Venta & San Lorenzo)
Rulers often associated with different gods
Obtained control over trade & imports like jade & cacao
Not believed that the cities ruled over all rural areas
No military

9. Chavin Civilization 900-250BCE
Social distinctions increased over time in contrast to Olmec
Local chiefs & more powerful king dominated politics
Priest class ruled religious life
Military developed
Conquering lands important aspects of society
Influence depended on development of religious beliefs in conquered areas
Metallurgy became popular among highly skilled artisans

10. Minoan Civilization c.2000BCE
Early period – no evidence of social hierarchy, similar to Neolithic patriarchal communities
Men & women may have had near equal social status
Definite rich & poor class
Upper class Minoans had free standing houses aside from the palace
Some poor had multi-room dwellings in the city
Evidenced by later tombs
Social power affected by economic situation, historical position of family, religious caste
In general – simple population & workers  palatial elite  religious class

11. Mycenaean Civilization
Strict hierarchy indicated by graves
Powerful ruling monarchy
Adopted palatial states of Minoan & Near East civilizations
Political & religious leader at top
Lower administrative duties & powers given to local chiefs & controllers
Centralized political system based on land ownership
Military character – ruling class often gained wealth from booty in military operations

12. Resources
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