Early Civilization and Rise of the State Flashcards
Civilization
REFERS TO SOCIETIES IN WHICH LARGE NUMBERS
OF PEOPLES LIVE IN THE CITIES
(ANTHROPOLOGIST)
A complex society that creates agricultural surpluses,
allowing for specialized labor, social hierarchy, and the
establishment of cities.
LATIN WORD WHICH REFERS TO A PERSON WHO LIVES IN THE CITY
Latin word “Civis”
LATIN WORD WHICH REFERS TO THE URBAN COMMUNITY IN WHICH ONE DWELLS.
“Civets”
appeared in major river valleys, where floodplains contained rich soil and the rivers provided irrigation for crops and a means of transportation. Foundational
civilizations developed urbanization and complexity without outside influence and without building on a pre-existing civilization, though they did not all develop simultaneously
First Civilization
The most known ancient civilization was in
Mesopotamia, in a region which lies in modern Iraq. It
is sometimes called the Fertile Crescent because it is a
crescent-shape area between Tigris and Euphrates
rive
Tigris-Euphrates Civilization of Mesapotamia
Egypt was known as the Gift of the Nile because the annual flooding of the Nile made possible for agriculture on which Egyptian civilizations was based.
Nile Valley Civilization of Egypt
In 3000 B.C. the _______________ was settled by farmers. Chinese
legends holds that Xia dynasty arose and flourished
during the prehistoric period.
The Yellow River Civilization of China
The ancient civilization of the ________ _________, located in modern Pakistan, is unique because unlike the continuously existing civilization of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China it rose and fell, leaving only mysterious ruins to testify to its existence
Indus Valley Civilization of India
RISE OF THE STATES
Mesopotamia (8000-2000 B.C.) - Cradle of civilization; Fertile
Crescent
Ancient Egypt (3100-332 B.C.)- The Black Land
Indus Valley (3300 B.C.E.- 1300 B.C.E.)- a.k.a Harappan Civilization; Largest civilization of the Ancient world
Huang He (2100-1600 B.C.E.)- China’s Sorrow
zigguIts name is derived from ancient Greek “between two rivers ________ and _______
**
Had three main classes; government officials, nobles, and priests were at the top; second was a class comprised of merchants, artisans, craftsmen, and farmers; on the bottom were the prisoners of war and slaves. Commoners were considered free citizens and were protected by the law.
Ziggurats were huge pyramidal temple towers that were first built in Sumerian City-States and then dev eloped in Babylonia and Assyrian cities as well.
They were polytheistic (worshipping many gods and goddesses) as well as henotheistic (believed that certain gods are viewed as superior to others).
Cuneiform - One of the earliest known forms of written expression that began as a system of pictographs.
Mesopotamia (8000-2000 B.C.) - Cradle of civilization; Fertile
Crescent
**A civilization of ancient Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River, situated in the place that is now the country Egypt.
Egyptian society was structured like a pyramid. At the top were the gods next the soldiers, scribes, merchants, artisans, farmers, and at the bottom were the slaves and servants.
**
**Divided into 2 cities: Lower Egypt in the North and Upper Egypt in the Southern portion of the country **
Built the first pyramids, **which were both tombs and monuments for the kings, Sphinx in Giza, and temples for different gods **
Its people followed a polytheistic religion in which a vast number of gods and goddesses were venerated.
Hieroglyphics—a form of writing that used images to express sounds and meanings - Irrigation practices consisted of building mud levees—which were walls of compacted dirt that directed the annual flooding onto farmland and kept it away from living areas—and of digging canals to direct water to fields as crops were growing.
Ancient Egypt (3100-332 B.C.)- The Black Land
It derived its name from the river Indus, which is the main river of the region.
Consisted mainly just the king being the supreme ruler, and the social class of people under him.
Noted for their urban planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, and clusters of large non-residential buildings.
They believed in many gods like Prithivi Mata (the earth mother), Surya (the sun god), Indra (the war god), and Yama (the death God).
Mohenjo-Daro people had the finest bath facilities, drainage system, and knowledge of personal hygiene.
New techniques in handicraft (carnelian products, seal carving) and
metallurgy (copper, bronze, lead, and tin)
Indus Valley (3300 B.C.E.- 1300 B.C.E.)- a.k.a Harappan Civilization; Largest civilization of the Ancient world
A PLACE TYPICALLY WHERE PEOPLE ESTABLISH A COMMUNITY
Settlement
__________________________________________ is the birthplace of Chinese
Civilization and is often called “Mother River”.
It was an aristocracy run by kings and upper class citizens. This
civilization had a patriarchal society that stressed respect for parents and elders.
They lived in houses below the ground to save fertile land for the
upper class.
People practiced polytheism. They believed that their main god,
Shang Di, a mother goddess brought plants and animals to
earth.
Oracle bones were their tools/records of divination.
Contributions: porcelain, fireworks, gunpowder, civil service,
paper, and silk.
Huang He (2100-1600 B.C.E.) - China’s Sorrow
CHANGES IN FARMING METHODS DISTINGUISHED EARLY CIVILIZATIONS FROM NEOLITHIC VILLAGES
AGRICULTURAL INNOVATIONS
