First Civilizations Flashcards
Paleolithic
Old Stone Age. Used stone tools. Hunter-gathers. Only small family bands. No permanent settlements and used natural features for shelter
Neolithic
New Stone Age. Agricultural Revolution. Surplus of foods means specialized jobs. Population grow and cities emerge. Permanent settlements.
Hunter-gathers
Nomadic small tribes. No permeant settlements. Followed food
Civilization
A complex society and an advanced form of culture
Characteristics of civilization
1) Cities are administrative centers
2) Advancements in STEM and arts
3) Monumental buildings
4) Socail Statuses
5) People in specialized jobs
6) Agreed political system
7) Long Distance Trade
8) System for record keeping
Agricultural Revolution
Change from hunting-gathering to food production. Domestication of food and animals. Made it possible for permanent settlement. With a surplus of food, specialized jobs appear
Dynasty
A line of heredity rulers of a country
Four firth river civilizations
Mesopatinia (Eurpaties and Tigris), Egypt (Nile), China (Yellow River), and Indus Valley (Indus River)
What caused the agricultural revolution
Climate Change
Mesopotamia
Euphrates and Tigris rivers (fertile crescent). Ziggurats -> region was important. Traded with people in Egypt and across East Asia. First major city was Sumir. City state. Wheeled carts. Babylon. Abundant metals.
Cuneiform
First written language. In Mesopotamia
Code of Hammurabi
First set of laws. In Mesopotamia.
City state
A country that includes the city and surrounding feilds
Indus Valley
Indus river. Rivers not predictable. Flooding caused river to change course and ended up ending the civ. Few large cities- only Mandar and ParHuappar. Cities have two levels. Upper for religion and power, lower for people. Sewer system. Evidence of central power because everything is laid out so well. Seal stones to keep records and traded. Found all the way in to Egypt and Mesopotamia.
Hyreoplapics
Egyptian language
Nile Civilization
Nile river was very fertile, but the other 90% was uninhabitable. River flooding was very predictable because of astronomy. Sometimes there were still droughts-caused disruption in rulings. Ruled in three distinct dynasties. Old, middle, and new kingdom (and intermediate periods in between). Tombs and pyramids. Slaves-but it was seen as an honor. GOLD for the wealth. Papyrus. Pharohs
Yellow River Civilization
Shang and then Zhou dynasties. Oracle bones via ancestors to gods. Silk and rice. Emperors. Bronze was rare. Mandate of heaven. Isolated region. Traded on river. Feng Shui?
Mandate of heaven
The ruler in not above all because the gods gift him his power. If he is not a good ruler, they shall give the position to someone else.
