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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
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Features of CivilizationContinued
Job Specialization/Social Classes ~ Hierarchy Priests Nobles Wealthy Merchants Government Workers Artisans (skilled craft workers) Soldiers Peasant Farmers Slaves
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Features of CivilizationContinued
Public Works Irrigation Systems Roads Bridges Defensive Walls
Arts & Architecture Writing
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River Valley Civilizations
Sumer: 3500-2300BCE Ancient Egypt: 2700-1100BCE Indus Valley: 2500-1500BCE China:
Shang 1650-1027BCE Zhou 1027-256BCE
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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.
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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.
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Sumer Cuneiform –
3200BCE First-Known Writing Wedge-like shapes
made on clay tablets
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Ancient EgyptHIEROGLYPHICS
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Indus Valley Seals have not
been deciphered.
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Shang ChinaANCIENT CHARACTERS MODERN CHARACTERS
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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
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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.
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Indus Valley Indus River modern-day
Pakistan Barriers
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Shang & Zhou ChinaHUANG HE RIVER AKA YELLOW RIVER
AKA RIVER OF SORROWS
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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Zhou Government Mandate of
Heaven – gods grant the right to rule to a dynasty
Dynastic Cycle – rise and fall of dynasties (ruling families)
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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
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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
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Egypt’s AccomplishmentsContinued
Women had high status Education for wealthy males Geometry Astronomy Engineering Painting, Sculpture, Literature Best medicine in the ancient world
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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.
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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.
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Valley of the Kings
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Egyptian Architecture
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Luxor – the real one!
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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
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Indus Valley Priest
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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