chapter one
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Chapter One. Section Three: Beginnings of Civilization. The Rise of Cities. The rise of cities was the main feature of Civilization Civilization is a complex, highly organized social order. First Cities. Emerged along river valleys where farmers could grow a surplus of food - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Chapter One
Section Three:
Beginnings of Civilization
The Rise of Cities
• The rise of cities was the main feature of Civilization
• Civilization is a complex, highly organized social order
First Cities
• Emerged along river valleys where farmers could grow a surplus of food
• These surpluses allowed the population to grow
Cities Rose In Many Valleys
• Between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the Middle East
• The Nile River in Egypt
• The Indus River in India
• The Yellow River, or Huang He, in China
• Conditions here favored farming, as floods fed the soil, animals flocked to the rivers, and there was plenty of water for farming and transportation
• Rivers also challenged farmers, they had to control flooding and water the fields
• They had to work together to build dams, dig canals, and build irrigation ditches
• Cities were surrounded by high walls, but most were filled with small streets and tiny hut houses
Cities in America
• American cities rose up in the mountains of South and Central America
• The Aztecs and Incas probably began their cities as places of worship
Features of Civilization
• There are eight key features of a civilization
• The first feature is Cities
2. Organized Governments
• This was needed to create a steady supply of food and keep order
• Most started with priests as leaders
• Eventually elders took power
• All leaders claimed power from Gods
3.Complex Religions
• Most early civilizations were Polytheistic, worshipping many Gods
• Full-time priests were needed to hold ceremonies to honor their gods
4. Job Specialization
• People could not complete all the jobs necessary to run a city on their own
• People had to specialize in jobs as soldiers, bricklayers, tool makers, and farmers
5. Social Classes
• Job status gave people their social class
• Priests usually made up the upper class, with slaves making up the lowest class
6. Art and Architecture • These show the values and beliefs of a
society
• Building showed strength in a city, and art usually depicted the Gods
7. Public Works
• People working together for the good of the city
• Temples, irrigation, bridges, roads, and walls are examples of public works
8. Writing• Allowed for accurate
records to be kept to plan ahead for the next year
• Early writing used pictograms, drawings of objects
• Symbols were added later to enhance meaning
• As writing became more complex, only scribes were trained to read and write
Spread of Civilization
• As power grew, rulers controlled surrounding areas
• These were called City-States
• Some rulers would expand into other City-States, creating Empires
• Most people still lived as nomads outside of city walls
Civilizations Change
• The environment would force civilizations to change
• Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods, and droughts could lead to the end of a civilization
Interaction with other Cultures
• As people were forced to leave, cultures mixed through cultural diffusion
• Cultural Diffusion- spread of ideas, customs, and technology from one people to another