1. Pre-History and Early River Civilizations

2. S.P.R.I.T.E.

3. (S)ociety Describe how each ERC’s society was set up.
What was life like for the people?
What was their religion like?

4. (P)olitical Describe how the government was set up.
What kind of government were they?

5. (R)esources Describe the natural resource of each ERC.
What resources did they have/not have?

6. (I)nteraction with other civilizations
Describe how each ERC interacted with other groups.
Did they trade, fight, or avoid?

7. (T)echnology Describe the types of technology each ERC had.
Did they invent anything?

8. (E)conomy Describe the economy for each ERC.
Was there a class structure?
How did people live?

9. Pre-History

10. Pre-History
This is the time before the invention of writing – about 5,000 years ago
Archaeologists – scientists who work like detectives to uncover the story of prehistoric peoples
They do this by excavating (or digging) and studying the traces of early settlements

11. Pre-History Cont’d Evidence such as bones and artifacts are examined
Bones can help reveal what they looked like, how tall they were, types of food they ate, diseases they might have had, and how long they lived
Artifacts – human-made objects, such as tools and jewelry
This can hint at how they might have dressed or worshipped

12. Culture

13. Culture Scientists called anthropologists study culture
Culture – a people’s unique way of life
Originally, people lived near to each other and would develop common ways of doing things
Dressing, hunting practices, food

14. Culture Cont’d Way of life of a group of people and includes
Common Practices
Shared Understandings
Social Organization

15. Shared Understandings
Components of Culture
Common Practices
Food
Clothing
Sports
Tools and Technology
Social Customs
Work
Shared Understandings
Language
Symbols
Religion
Values
Arts
Politics
Social Organization
Family
Class Structure
Relationships
Government
Economic System
View of Authority

16. Culture Cont’d How Culture is Learned Not born with it
Therefore, it is learned
Usually it is learned in one of two ways
1. observe and imitate behavior
2. taught directly to them by individuals
Mostly through spoken or written language

17. Media
Government
Religion
Family
School
Friends
Workplace

18. Technology
This is the way of applying knowledge, tools, and inventions to meet needs

19. Civilization

20. How Civilization Develops
Civilization – a complex culture with 5 characteristics;
1. Advanced Cities
2. Specialized Workers
3. Complex Institutions
4. Record Keeping
5. Advanced Technology

21. Advanced Cities A city is the center of trade for a large area
It was not just based on the population
Farmers, merchants, and traders all would bring goods to the market to sell and trade
They would usually exchange them with those who lived in the city

22. Specialized Workers
As population in the cities grew, so did the need for specialized workers.
This might include; traders, government officials, and priests
Since there was a surplus of food, people were able to develop specialized skills
Specialization – the development of skills in a specific kind of work
One example might be an artisan – skilled worker who makes goods by hand such as jewelry, tools, weapons, clothing, or pottery

23. Complex Institutions
Since cities were growing larger, the need for a government was necessary
This meant that leaders would need to emerge in order to maintain order among the people and to establish laws
Institution – a long-lasting pattern of organization in a community such as a government and religion
Religion was a major part of life in most early civilizations and priests helped make major decisions for the people

24. Record Keeping
Since government, religion, and the economy was becoming more complex, people realized they needed to be able to keep records
Government officials needed to be able to keep track of tax collections, the passage of laws, and the storage of food
Priests needed to keep track of the calendar for important rituals
Merchants needed to keep track of debts and payments
Scribes – professional record keepers
Cuneiform – means ‘wedge-shaped’ and was one of the earliest know forms of writing

25. Improved Technology
As cities grew, it was important to have new tools and techniques to solve the problems that might arise
Farmers would use animals or natures power
Use ox-drawn plows for the soil
Created irrigation systems to water fields
The potter’s wheel was also created to help make pottery such as bowls, plates, and jugs
Metal workers also started to mix tin and copper together – this made bronze and thus started the Bronze Age around 2500 B.C.

26. Mesopotamia

27. Geography of the Fertile Crescent
Between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea is predominately desert
There is an arc of land though that provides some of the best farming in SW Asia
Since the region is curved and it is very fertile, it is referred to as the Fertile Crescent
It is located in Mesopotamia, which means ‘land between the rivers’

28. Geography Cont’d The land is framed by two rivers
1. Tigris
2. Euphrates
The rivers would flood Mesopotamia at least once a year and as the waters receded, it left a thick bed of mud called silt.
Farmers would use this rich new soil and would irrigate the fields with the river water
They were able to produce excess amounts of food which allow populations to increase and cities to grow

30. Environmental Challenges
A group of people called the Sumerians started to settle the area around 3300 B.C.
Good soil helped with food, but there were 3 disadvantages to the area
1. Unpredictable flooding combined with little to no rain (either too much or not enough rain)
2. No natural barriers for protection (nearly defenseless)
3. Few natural resources (building materials, along with other items were scarce)

31. Solving Problems
The people of Sumer eventually created solutions to these problems
1. Dug irrigation ditches from the rivers to their fields (could grow a surplus of food)
2. Built city walls with mud bricks (defense)
3. Trade their grain, cloth, and tools for stone, wood, and metal (got the resources they lacked)

32. City-States
Sumerians built multiple cities, each was surrounded by fields
The cities all shared the same culture, but they developed their own forms of government, with their own rulers
Each city and the surrounding land it controlled was called a city-state
It functioned much like an independent country

33. City-States Cont’d
Over time military leaders took control of the city-states
They would pass their power to their sons who would in turn pass it to their sons and etc…
A series of rulers from a single family is called a dynasty

34. City-States Cont’d
Many cities started popping up all over the Fertile Crescent
The Sumerians exchanged products and ideas, such as living in cities, with the neighboring cultures
The process in which a new idea or a product spreads from one culture to another is called cultural diffusion

35. Culture
The Sumerians believed that many gods controlled the various forces in nature
The belief in more than one god is called polytheism
They worshipped in ziggurats and would offer sacrifices of animals, food, and wine to the gods

36. The First Empire Builders
From 3000 to 2000 B.C., a lot of the city-states were at war with each other
This weakened them and they could not fight off other people groups

37. Empire Cont’d Sumer was defeated by a conqueror known as Sargon
He led his armies from Akkad
He now controlled both the northern and the southern parts of Mesopotamia.
This was the worlds first Empire
Empire – the bringing together of several peoples, nations, or previously independent states under the control of one ruler

38. Empire Cont’d
Around 2000 B.C. the Amorites invaded and established their capital of Babylon, on the Euphrates River
This empire reached its peak under a man named Hammurabi
His most enduring legacy is the code of law he put together

40. Hammurabi’s Code Single, uniform code of law
Believed this would help unify the diverse groups within the empire
Collected existing rules, judgments, and laws into the Code of Hammurabi
It was engraved in stone and placed all over the empire

42. Hammurabi’s Code Cont’d
Had 282 specific laws
These dealt with everything that affected the community, including family relations, merchants, traders, or farmers
It also protected women and children from unfair treatment
Did have different punishments for rich or poor
Eye for an eye…a tooth for a tooth

43. Nile

44. Geography
From the highlands of East Africa to the Mediterranean Sea, the Nile River flows northward across Africa for over 4,100 miles
This is the longest river in the world
The land surrounding it was very fertile, but all around was desert
The change from fertile soil to desert, Black Land to Red Land, was so abrupt that a person could stand with one foot in each

46. Gift of the Nile
Just as in Mesopotamia, yearly flooding brought the water and rich soil that helped settlements grow
Every July, rains and melting snow from the mountains of east Africa would spill over the banks and when it receded in October, silt would be left behind

47. Gift of the Nile Cont’d
Peasants would plant crops before the sun could scorch the ground
During the fall and winter, they would irrigate their fields
The Nile was so great to the Egyptians that they worshipped it as a god

48. Environmental Challenges
The Nile was like clockwork, unlike the Tigris and the Euphrates in Mesopotamia, but there were still problems that one could face
1. If flood waters were just a few feet shorter, amount of silt and water for crops were reduced (thousands would starve)
2. If flood water were just a few feet higher, unwanted water destroyed houses and seeds needed for crops
3. Since the desert was on both sides, they were cut off from other people groups (good for defense, but not trade)

49. Upper and Lower Egypt Unites
The Egyptian River Valley was split into two parts
1. Upper Egypt – river area to the south (higher in elevation)
2. Lower Egypt – near the sea in the north (lower in elevation)

50. Unites Cont’d Contact between the 2 was easy
If you were heading north, just let the current take you
If you were heading south, the prevailing winds could take you against the current if you hoisted a large sail
This promoted trade and unified villages

51. Unites Cont’d
It is believed that around 3200 B.C., a man named Narmer unified the 2 parts of Egypt
Lower Egypt's king wore red crown and upper Egypt's king wore a tall white crown
The 2 crowns were combined to unify the 2 kingdoms

52. Crowns
Upper Egypt
Lower Egypt
Combined

53. Pharaohs Rule as Gods
In Mesopotamia, kings were viewed as representatives of the gods
In Egypt, kings were gods
These god-kings were called pharaohs
Thought to be almost as splendid and powerful as the gods of the heavens
This type of government, where rule is based on religious authority, is called theocracy
It was believed that the pharaoh was the one who caused the sun to rise, the Nile to flood, and the crops to grow

54. Builders of the Pyramids
Egyptians also believed that the pharaoh ruled even after his death
He had an eternal life force called, ka
Since he was expected to rule forever, his tomb was viewed as more important that his palace
The kings of the Old Kingdom were buried in pyramid – resting place of the Old Kingdom pharaoh
The Old Kingdom was the great age of pyramid building in ancient Egypt

55. Pyramids Cont’d
Built by people who had not even begun to use the wheel yet
The Great Pyramid of Giza
Each stone weighted at least 2 ½ tons and some weighted up to 15 tons
More than 2 million blocks were stacked with precision to a height of 481 feet
The entire structure covered more than 13 acres

58. Religion The Egyptians were polytheistic
The most important gods were Re, the sun god, and Osiris, the god of the dead
The most important goddess was Isis, who represented the ideal mother and wife
The Egyptians worshipped more than 2,000 gods and goddesses

59. Religion Cont’d The Egyptians did believe in an afterlife
They believed you would be judged for your deeds
Anubis, god and guide of the underworld, would weight your heart
If it was heavier than a feather (because of your sin) then the Devourer of Souls would eat your heart, but if you passed, you would live forever in the beautiful Other World

60. Religion Cont’d
Royal and elite Egyptians would be preserved by mummification, which involves embalming and drying the corpse to prevent decaying
Their important organs would be placed in Canopic jars
The tombs would be filled with items they thought they could use in the afterlife
Some even purchased scrolls that contained hymns, prayers, and magic spells intended to guide the soul in the afterlife
This collection is known as the Book of the Dead

63. Writing
The Egyptians developed a form of writing known as hieroglyphics – meaning sacred carving
A picture stood for an idea
A picture of a man stood for the idea of a man
Later, pictures stood for sounds as well
The picture of an owl could mean the idea of an owl or for an m
They also invented a writing surface know as papyrus

66. Invaders Control Egypt
The pharaohs power declined about 2180 B.C.
This marks the end of the Old Kingdom (3200 – 2180 B.C.)
Strong pharaohs gained control again during the Middle Kingdom and restored law and order (2040 – 1640 B.C.)
This did not last long

67. Invaders Con’t
The Hyksos (the rulers of foreign lands) gained and ruled most of Egypt from 1630 – 1523 B.C.
We will talk about the New Kingdom later

68. Indus Valley

69. Geography
The Indus River Valley civilization is found on the Indian subcontinent
This area was protected by natural boundaries
World’s tallest mountains to the north (Himalayas) and a large desert to the east (Thar)

70. Geography Cont’d
There is an enormous flat and fertile plain thanks to two rivers
1. Indus
2. Ganges
Theses two rivers make up 1,700 miles of land across northern India
They also produce silt for farming

71. Monsoons Seasonal winds dominate India’s climate
From October to February – winter monsoons from the northeast blow dry air westward across the country
From mid June to October – the winds shift – they blow eastward from the southwest carrying moisture from the ocean in rain clouds
Flooding usually happens a lot but if there is no summer monsoon, droughts tend to occur and crops don’t grow

73. Environmental Challenges
Yearly floods spread deposits of rich soil over a wide area but they were unpredictable
At times, the rivers would change course
Cycles of wet and dry seasons (monsoons) were also unpredictable
If too much rain, it would wash entire villages
If too little rain, crops would die and people would go hungry

74. Civilization People were farming the area by around 3,200 B.C.
In order to keep the floods out of the cities, they would build strong levees, or earthen walls
If this wasn’t enough, they would built human-made islands that would raise the cities above the flood levels

75. Civilization Cont’d
They also were very sophisticated with their city planning
They were made using a precise grid system
There was a fortified area called a citadel
This area held major buildings of the city
The cities also had a plumbing system and sewage system

76. The End
Around 1,750 B.C., the quality of the cities started to decline
It is believed that tectonic plates shifted and caused earthquakes and flooding that might have shifted the course of the Indus River
Cities began to die because there would be no fertile ground and therefore no food

77. China

78. Geography
Natural barriers isolate ancient China from all other civilizations
The Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean in the East
The Taklimakan Desert and the 15,000 foot Plateau of Tibet in the west
The Himalayas in the southwest
The Gobi Desert and the Mongolian Plateau in the north

79. River Systems
Two major river systems flow from the mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean
1. The Huang He (Yellow River) is in the north
This river leaves yellowish silt called loess
2. In central China, the Chang Jiang (Yangtze River)

81. Environmental Challenges
The Huang He would flood at times destroy entire villages (nickname: ‘China’s Sorrow’)
Because China is relatively isolated, settlers did not trade, they had to supply their own goods
They were invaded a lot from the west and north
Only about 10% of China was suitable for farming

82. The First Dynasties
Around 2,000 B.C., the first Chinese dynasty of Xia emerged
The leaders name was Yu
Eventually a group of people called the Shang rose up and took power in northern China
The Shang dynasty lasted from 1,700 to 1027 B.C.
They were the first Chinese rulers to leave written records

83. Shang Culture
Family – most important virtue was respect for one’s parents
Their was a division between nobles and peasants
Warrior-nobles headed by a king governed the people

84. Shang Culture Cont’d
Writing – each character generally stands for one syllable
There was no link between written and spoken language
One could read without being able to speak any of it
Not that strange (2 + 2 = 4 / deux et duex font quatre)
To be considered barely literate – 1,500 characters
To be considered a true scholar – 10,000 characters

85. Zhou and the Dynastic Cycle
Around 1027 B.C., a people called the Zhou overthrew the Shang and established their own dynasty
The Zhou said that the Shang ruler was so bad that the gods had taken it away and given it to the Zhou.
This justification developed over time into a broader view that royal authority came from heaven
A just ruler had divine approval – Mandate of Heaven
A wicked king could lose it and thus lose the right to rule

86. Dynastic Cycle Cont’d
The Chinese used this as a way to explain rebellions, civil wars, and the rise of new dynasties
The rise, decline, and replacement of dynasties became known as the dynastic cycle

87. New Dynasty Claims ‘Mandate of Heaven’
Restore Peace
Protects Citizens
Builds Infrastructures
New Dynasty Becomes Old Dynasty
Old Dynasty
Over Tax Citizens
Poor Protection
Decline in Infrastructure
Injustices
Old Dynasty Loses Mandate of Heaven
Disasters
Natural Disasters
Revolts
Invaders