First Civilizations: Cities, States, and Unequal Societies (3500 B.C.E. -> 500 B.C.E.)

Question 1

When did Civilizations first appear?

Answer 1

At around 3500 B.C.E.

Question 2

What was strange about the appearance of Civilizations?

Answer 2

Like with agriculture, it showed up in many different places around the world all at once.

Question 3

What were the first Civilizations to appear?

Answer 3

The Civilizations in Egypt, the Middle East, and around Peru.

Question 4

What are Quipu?

Answer 4

Threads with knots in them that were used for counting in South America.

Question 5

What Civilizations appeared soon after the first ones?

Answer 5

The Civilizations in Central America, the Indus Valley, and in Central Asia.

Question 6

What are the characteristics of a Civilization?

Answer 6

The general characteristics are that they are very large, are organized by a government, use a common currency, and have the same culture throughout.

Question 7

Why was Agriculture important to the start of Civilization?

Answer 7

It allowed for there to be enough food with which to support large populations.

Question 8

What was a huge difference between Civilizations and small villages?

Answer 8

Civilizations produced tons of things, way more than they needed on a daily basis.

Question 9

What new technologies were invented and used in these new Civilizations?

Answer 9

Many technologies including the plow, irrigation systems, sewers, and much more.

Question 10

What new religious aspects were invented in these new Civilizations?

Answer 10

The building of much more elaborate religious areas and ritual sacrifice (which sometimes included people, ew).

Question 11

What was the role of a city in these ancient Civilizations?

Answer 11

They served as large living areas for tons of people and they also served as great trading hubs.

Question 12

What is a Hierarchy ladder?

Answer 12

A ladder that shows the most respected to the least respected social class.

Question 13

What is the Hummurabi Code?

Answer 13

A famous code of rules written in ancient times.

Question 14

What were the highest and lowest social statuses?

Answer 14

Slave was the lowest and king/ruler was the highest.

Question 15

What is Patriarchy?

Answer 15

A ruling system where men are always in charge.

Question 16

Why did Gender Equality disappear around this time?

Answer 16

Some tasks become more automated and some old ones along with new ones became very heavy-duty, so men did them better.

Question 17

What kept Civilizations together?

Answer 17

The people living in them, they stayed because they were given protection from armies and it was easy to get food. They were also partly held together by force.

Question 18

How did force keep Civilizations together?

Answer 18

Force showed people how powerful the rulers were and in a lot of cases they were either trapped or too scared to leave.

Question 19

What was one big things that got leaders elected?

Answer 19

Religion, a lot of people believed that their rulers were divine and so they followed them.

Question 20

How important was writing in these first Civilizations?

Answer 20

It was very important, only nobles and leaders knew how to write.

Question 21

How was writing used in these early Civilizations?

Answer 21

It was used first to keep track of accounting information.

Question 22

What was the first writing like?

Answer 22

It didn’t use letters and phonetics, it instead used symbols that meant certain things.

Question 23

What were the big geographic differences between Egypt and Mesopotamia and why was it important?

Answer 23

Mesopotamia was more harsh in environment and it was much more open, so life was harder and they were more prone to invasion.

Question 24

What was the big agricultural difference between Egypt and Mesopotamia?

Answer 24

Egypt had a nice farming area with fertile soil, but Mesopotamia’s soils became salinized (salty) over time.

Question 25

What was a big difference in the settlements of Egypt and Mesopotamia?

Answer 25

Mesopotamia was much more urban and strict while Egypt was loose and carefree and houses were just scattered.

Question 26

What were some important results of connections between Civilizations?

Answer 26

These connections allowed ally groups to be formed, the spread of language, and large trade.

Question 27

What were the results of all of this trade?

Answer 27

It allowed all civilizations to have very similar things and this allowed the development of armies and military equipment. Culture and language also spread.

Question 28

For what were calendars first created?

Answer 28

To plan rituals and events.

Question 29

What was the first written language?

Answer 29

Cuneiform invented by the Sumerians.

Question 30

What are the three stages of Egypt’s history?

Answer 30

They are called the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom.

Question 31

What do we know about the Indus River Valley Civilization?

Answer 31

We know that it lasted until about 1900 B.C.E., we know that it had writing and big cities, and that it participated in trade and was heavily urban.

Question 32

Where did the first Chinese Civilization spring up?

Answer 32

Along the Haung Ye (Yellow) River, the people here eventually formed the Shang Dynasty.

Question 33

What is Feudalism?

Answer 33

A political system where governors control small areas.

Question 34

How did Chinese Civilization go once the Shang Dynasty started?

Answer 34

The Shang Dynasty was eventually overthrown and the Zhou Dynasty started. The Zhou Dynasty lasted very long but it started to have major problems 600 years before it ended.

Question 35

Who are the Olmec?

Answer 35

An ancient civilization that was in Southern Mexico.

Question 36

What were the Olmec like?

Answer 36

We know that they perform sacrifice and that they believed in polytheism. We also know what they probably ate.

Question 37

Who are the Chavin?

Answer 37

Arguably the most famous Andean society, they were skilled with metal and weaving. They built many complex structures such as bridges from mountain to mountain and they were also polytheistic.

Question 38

Who are the Hebrew?

Answer 38

A middle eastern civilization that made the first main monotheistic religion- Judaism.

Question 39

What was one trait that all ancient civilizations shared?

Answer 39

Specialization of labor and some sort of gender or social inequality.

Question 40

What is an Oligarchy?

Answer 40

A system where several nobles rule an area.

Question 41

What are some of the greatest religion-related things created?

Answer 41

Ziggurats, pyramids, and the Book of the Dead; to name a few.