River Valley Civilizations

River Valley Civilizations

Sumer: 3500-2300BCE Ancient Egypt: 2700-1100BCE Indus Valley: 2500-1500BCE China:

Shang 1650-1027BCE Zhou 1027-256BCE

Sumer had no barriers, which led to cultural diffusion (the spreading of ideas). Egypt, India, and China all had

barriers, which led to geographic isolation.

Benefits of Rivers Rivers provide drinking water, fish, game,

and transportation for people, armies, and products.

Flooding deposits a layer of silt – rich soil. To control floods and store water for the

dry season – dikes, reservoirs, and irrigation canals were constructed.

Features of Civilization Cities Organized Central governments

Priest-kings were followed by military leaders who were followed by hereditary monarchs

Bureaucracy - government organized into departments

Complex Religion Polytheistic – belief in many gods that control

the forces of nature Most gods behave like humans

Features of CivilizationContinued

Job Specialization/Social Classes ~ Hierarchy Priests Nobles Wealthy Merchants Government Workers Artisans (skilled craft workers) Soldiers Peasant Farmers Slaves

Features of CivilizationContinued

Public Works Irrigation Systems Roads Bridges Defensive Walls

Arts & Architecture Writing

Sumer Cuneiform –

3200BCE First-Known Writing Wedge-like shapes

made on clay tablets

Ancient EgyptHIEROGLYPHICS

Indus Valley Seals have not

been deciphered.

Shang ChinaANCIENT CHARACTERS MODERN CHARACTERS

Sumer Tigris and Euphrates

rivers – unpredictable floods

Fertile Crescent: Persian Gulf to Mediterranean Sea

Mesopotamia (between the rivers)

Modern-day Iraq City-States

constantly fought

Ancient Egypt Nile River – 4160

miles – longest in the world.

Center of a ten-mile wide strip of fertile land.

The desert protected against invasion, but limited settlement and the acquisition of new ideas.

Indus Valley Indus River modern-day

Pakistan Barriers

Shang & Zhou ChinaHUANG HE RIVER AKA YELLOW RIVER

AKA RIVER OF SORROWS

Sumerian Religion Goal was to keep gods happy with

sacrifices and ceremonies. Each city-state had a special god or

goddess. Fear of natural disasters led to a

pessimistic world view. At death, people went to a huge cave

filled with dust and silence. Inanna and Dumuzi

Egyptian Religion Village gods Afterlife = Good go to Happy Field of

Food – Bad go to crocodile-shaped eater of the dead.

Mummification to provide a home for the soul.

Wealthy entombed with everything needed for eternity.

Pharaoh considered a god – son of Amon-Re.

Indus Valley Religion Figurines representing a mother goddess

and a three-faced god have been discovered.

Sacred animals included the bull. Certain trees were revered.

Chinese Religion & Philosophy Shang Ti ruled over the other gods. Priests acted as intermediaries between

humans and the gods. Veneration (respect) of ancestors because

deceased relatives would intervene with the gods on your behalf.

Household gods oversee activities in the home.

Taoism/Daoism Confucianism Legalism

Zhou Government Mandate of

Heaven – gods grant the right to rule to a dynasty

Dynastic Cycle – rise and fall of dynasties (ruling families)

Sumer’s Accomplishments First Writing – Cuneiform First Wheeled Vehicles – carts and war

chariots Basic Algebra & Geometry Number System based on 6 ~ 360-degree

circle & 60-minute hour Accurate 12-month Calendar tracked

seasons Ziggurats First to use arches, columns, ramps Complex Irrigation Systems

Ziggurat at Ur

Sumerian Art

Sumerian Art

Egypt’s Accomplishments Old Kingdom – 2700-2200BCE – Pyramid Age

Pharaohs, Mummification, Pyramids Middle Kingdom – 2050-1800BCE – Turbulent

Age Major Construction – land drainage, canal to Red

Sea, temples at Luxor & Karnak New Kingdom – 1550-1100BCE – Empire Age

Empire at its largest – from Kush to the Euphrates Famous Rulers: Akhenaton, Hatshepsut, Ramses II

Egypt’s AccomplishmentsContinued

Women had high status Education for wealthy males Geometry Astronomy Engineering Painting, Sculpture, Literature Best medicine in the ancient world

Tutankhamen Son-in-law (maybe son)

of Akhenaton ruled 1333-1323BCE.

Died at 19. Tomb discovered in

1922 by Howard Carter. Curse: many associated

with the opening of the tomb died soon after – fueling the legend ~ true cause = mold.

Rosetta Stone Written in

Hieroglyphics (important and religious documents), Demotic (everyday script), and Greek (rulers at the time).

Written in 196BCE and discovered by one of Napoleon’s men in 1799.

Egyptian Art

Egyptian Statue

Giza

Valley of the Kings

Egyptian Architecture

Luxor – the real one!

Obelisk

Indus Valley Accomplishments Discovered in 1922 Cities: Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

and farming villages over 950 miles First city planning: grid pattern,

uniform building style, rectangular city blocks, plumbing

First to cultivate and weave cotton

Indus Valley Art

Indus Valley Priest

China’s AccomplishmentsSHANG ZHOU Small kingdoms Silk Making Bronze Tools Characters Oracle Bones –

Questions written on bones or tortoise shells

Astronomy

Feudalism Iron Tools &

Weapons Use of Money First Books Soybeans

Oracle Bone

Shang Art

Shang Elephant

Zhou Art

Zhou Art