Early River Valley Civilizations

4 River Valley Civilizations• Mesopotamia

– Tigris– Euphrates

• Egypt– Nile River Valley (upper and lower Nile)

• Indus River• Early China

– Huang He (Yellow River)

– later civilizations focused on both Yangtze and Yellow Rivers

Mesopotamia:The Land Between Two Rivers

Greek Name

The Middle East: “The Cradle of Civilization”

Natural Boundaries Unfavorable

• Both rivers overflow in an unpredictable manner– The time of year could not be predicted.– The magnitude of turbulence of the flooding could not

be predicted.• The area is called a "crossroad" because

everyone who traveled or traded between Europe, Africa, and Asia traveled through this region, sometimes taking what they wanted

Gave rise to multiple empires within the general region that controlled different territory but had similar culture

Sumerians

“Necessity is the mother of invention”

• Developed the wagon wheel to help transport people and goods from place to place.

• Sumerian achievements in mathematics and astronomy formed the basis for concepts we use today. – number system based on 60. – division of the modern hour into 60 minutes is a holdover

from Sumerian astronomy.– geometry was used to measure fields and to erect buildings

in much the same fashion that it is used for those purposes today.

Babylonian Math

Babylonian Numbers

Cuneiform: “Wedge-Shaped” Writing

Cuneiform Writing

Hammurabi’s [r. 1792-1750

B. C. E.] Code

Egypt:“Gift of the Nile”

Nile River Valley

• Because of its geography Egypt developed to become a peaceful civilization with a higher standard of living. People as individuals were treated with more respect here than in other civilizations of the time.

• The Nile River Valley is Surrounded on Four Sides by Natural Barriers– Red Sea to the East – Desert to the West– Mediterranean to the North– Mountains to the South

A View of Egypt by Satellite

“Gifts of the Nile”

• Predictable flooding• Mild flooding - able to use river for irrigation• Prevailing winds made trade possible both north

and south on the river• Rich deposits of clay, granite, sandstone &

limestone used for building• Silt deposits rich for farming• Papyrus used for mats, rope, sandals, baskets,

paper

The Fertile Nile Valley

The Annual Flooding of the Nile

Ancient Egyptian HistoryPeriods Time Frame

Nile Culture Begins 3900 B. C. E.Archaic 3100 – 2575 B. C. E.

Old Kingdom 2575 – 2134 B. C. E.First Intermediate 2134 – 2040 B. C. E.Middle Kingdom 2040 – 1640 B. C. E.

Second IntermediateNew Kingdom

1640 – 1532 B. C. E.1532 – 1070 B.C.E.

Greek Ptolemaic Era

332 – 30 B. C. E.

Roman Period 30 B. C. E. – 395 C. E.

Champollion & the Rosetta Stone

Mummification

- Remove Organs - Fill with spices - Wrap in linen strips- Seal with honey/resin

Egyptian Mummies

Seti I1291-1278 B.

C. E.Queen Tiye,

wife of Amenhotep II

1210-1200 B. C. E.

Ramses II1279-1212 B.

C. E.

Indus River Valley• Harappa & Mohenjo-

Daro 2600 - 1900 BCE• subcontinent of Asia:

water on east and west, mountain ranges on north– Hindu Kush and

Himalayas• southwest monsoon

brings heavy rain and flooding

Ancient Geographic Divisions in South Asia

Indus River Valley• well-planned,

citadels, grid of streets

• clay brick houses, plumbing with sewer system

• bronze and copper tools, gold and silver jewels, clay pots, spun and woven cloth

Drains & Sewer Systems

Development of Region

• Early Food Producing Era (7000 - 5000 BCE)

• Regionalization Era, (5500-2600 BCE) – regional cultural development– subdivided into various areas – emergence of an Early Indus state 2800 BCE

and urbanization 2600 BCE

Aryan Invasion Theory• Sometime between

2500 and 1800 BCE– Aryans began moving

into India– Apparently NOT the

cause of the fall of Indus Civilization; probably fell by “systems failure”

– Farmers without written language; spoke Indo-European languages

Huang He

Geography

• Himalayas, Kunlun Shan, Tian Shan• Gobi desert• Pacific Ocean to east

– Therefore travel, transport, and communications are SLOW!

• Loess – winds deposit this yellowish soil in the water which accumulates on the banks to produce fertile soil

Xia (Cha) 2100 BCE – 1800 BCE

• The Xia were agrarian people, with bronze weapons and pottery.

• The ruling families used elaborate and dramatic rituals to confirm their power to govern.

• The rulers often acted as shamans, communicating with spirits for help and guidance

• Validity of what we know of these peoples is difficult because of myths.

Ancient Dynasties • Xia (first) 2100 BCE – 1800 BCE

• Shang1750 – 1027 BCEMandate of Heaven

• Zhou (longest)1027 – 221 BCEConfucianism during Axial Age (ca. 500 BCE)

• Qin 221 – 207 BCE

– China gets its name from this dynasty

Shang: Shang: 1750-1027 1750-1027 BCEBCE •Made Silk and Bronze

•Warrior aristocracy

•Beginnings of feng shui

•Writing – pictograms and phonetic symbols = hundreds of signs

•King is intermediary between people and gods

•Used divination to determine will of gods

Zhou: 1027-221 BCEZhou: 1027-221 BCE•Defeated Shang king

•King is “son of heaven” and ruled with a “mandate of heaven”

•King maintained rule as long as wise and virtuous

•771 BCE – 481 BCE – political fragmentation

•480 – 221 BCE – Warring States Period

Zhou – 3 ideologies

• Beginnings of legalism – every aspect of human society should be controlled because people are wicked

• Beginnings of Confucianism – duty and public service, veneration of ancestors, hierarchy

• Beginnings of Daoism – follow the Dao, or path, avoid useless struggle and violence, simplicity