Mesopotamia-
- the birthplace of the Pythagorean theorem and the first gov't
- Means the land between two rivers
- between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
- rivers were used for trade and commerce, irrigation, crops, minerals, and grazing animals
- Rivers also caused flooding which would destroy farms and cities.
- the Tigris was very fast and violent and would change course without notice
Culture
- they believed in many gods
- wrote on clay tablets,
- buried people with items
- 1st religion to be recorded
- believed the world was flat,
- believed water covered the entire earth
- monthly festivals several reasons
Geography
- located in the Fertile crescent
- centered between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
- Present day- Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia
- Warm climate, water, fertile soil
- Lack of resources
- few trees, little rain, had to trade for certain necessities
Cities and States
- first cites began around 4000 BC-3500 BC
- Babylon-Amorites named it their capital
- known for its color and luxury
- Ashur-
- Modern day Iraq
- used as religious capital
- Nippur-
- modern day south eastern Iraq
- used a religious capital
- Nineveh
- oldest Assyrian city
- one of the most powerful cities in the middle east
Nile River Valley
Geography
- the Nile river is 4,160 miles long
- located in africa, flows through Egypt, and many other countries
- means River Valley in Greek
Importance
- Provides resources for almost all aspects of life
- known as the Chief of Transport
- people set up trading routes for, leopard skins, eggs, cattle, feathers
People
- Egyptians
- lived in 3 classes of society
- lived along both sides of the river
- had dark skin, dark hair, men wore skirts and robes, women wore skirts and dresses
- women wore make up and painted their fingernails
Religion
- Based on nature
- Sun God-Re or RA
- God of the Nile- Hapi
- Sun God-Re or RA
- believed in life after death, preserved people as mummies
40 million people live in the Nile Delta region today
- The Nile is still used for transportation and trade to this day
Cities and States
3 civilizations
- Nubia-land of the bow
- Kemet
- Kush
- Each had their own rituals and gods
Yellow River
- also called Huang He
- flows from central to eastern China
Geography
- Named after the yellow clay, loess
- approx. 3000 miles long, empties into the Bohai Sea on the East coast of China
Importance
- before dams, the river was very prone to flooding
- people died form drowning and from famine
- areas around the Yellow River and Yangzte are great food producing areas
- only 10% of land is suitable for farming
- people had to be self sufficient because the land is not suitable for trading, etc.
Culture
- "the Cradle of Chinese Civilization"
- Believed in supernatural power
- women unable to own property
- Leader: Shang King
- Aristocratic warlords- military leaders
- family was very important
- father was head of family, arranged marriages and chose sons' jobs
- father was head of family, arranged marriages and chose sons' jobs
- Didn't have a written language for a long period of time
Cities and States
- Xia, Shang, Tang dynasties
- Yin was the capital of the Shang dynasty
- most cities by the river were walled to protect from attacks
Emperors and Kingdoms
- no kingdoms along the Indus river
- Xia Dynasty was the first known dynasty along the yellow river, known for black pottery, there is no written history
- Shang Dynasty- most well known, used many human sacrifices, some human sacrifices were thrown in to a pit still alive
- Western Zhou- used father son kingdom passing unlike Shang who went by brothers
- Eastern Zhou- same as western zhou but was relocated after being attacked
Mesopotamia River Valley
- Babylon Nation and Dynasty-small and powerless nation until the first dynasty got them going in the right direction
- Babylonian Empire-Hammarabi created it, didn't last long because Hammarabi died
- Neo Babylonian Empire- established in 612 BC, Babylon was capital, the Empire was taken over by Romans
- Babylon means 'Gate of Gods"
Egyptians Kingdoms
- Old Kingdom-2700 BCE-2200 BCE,
- Middle Kingdom- 2100 BCE-1800 BCE, during Egypts Golden Age
- New Kingdom-1500 BCE-1000 BCE, during Egypt's expanding period
what are now Pakistan, northwest and western India, eastern Afghanistan, and southeastern Iran
One of the most well-known structures is the Great Bath of Mohenjo-Daro located in the Harappa area.
-the Indus had well organized cities, some of the best known to date
-houses were one or two stories high, made of baked brick, with flat roof, and were just about identical. each was built around a courtyard, with windows overlooking the courtyard. the outside walls had no windows. Each home had its own private drinking well and its own private bathrooms. Clay pipes led from the bathrooms to sewers located under the streets. These sewers drained into nearby rivers and streams.
-the main urban centers include Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Lothal,
Lothal
- a trading center for the Indus along the Saurashtra coast
- Was the most important port and center of the bead industry until 1900 B.C.
-homes were set up in perfect grid patterns comparable to that of present day New York City
-contained the world's first sanitation system
-The advanced architecture of the Harappans is shown by their impressive dockyards, granaries, warehouses, brick platforms, and protective walls
-the Indus cities generally grew very quickly
-Despite the constant threat of disasters, Lothal has survived up until this day.
Harappa
-the indus are sometimes called the Harappans because of this urban center.
-The civilization, with a writing system, urban centers, and diversified social and economic system,
Mohenjo-daro
-Mohenjo-daro was the most advanced city of its time, with remarkably sophisticated civil engineering and urban planning
-was the largest city of the civilization
-was one of the first cites to be abandoned when the civilization collapsed in 1900 B.C.
GEOGRAPHY-
- Southwest Asia
- Present Day Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iran, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan
- Largest ancient civilization
- Natural Borders of the Himalayas and the Arabian Sea sheltered the flat plains from attacks and disease
- The Indus river system branched out into 7 more great rivers, of them exist today
- The summer monsoon season provide the river and the valley with much needed moisture
- It was green and heavily forested
- Perfect for growing wheat and barley, developed distinct copping techniques
Religion- similar to Hinduism, seals of animals and swastikas, believed in life after death, worshiped Mother Goddess who represents fertility, worshiped animals, can't find the names of the gods because they died with the civilization.
Weapons- axes, spears, dagger, no armor or shields.
Clothes- made of cotton and wool.
Jewelry- men and women- necklaces, armlets, finger rings and bangles. Women- nose and ear rings, anklets.
Toys- kids played with wheeled carts and chairs that were carved. People danced for fun.
Language- pictographic similar to Proro-Elamitc in Babylonia.
Food- wheat bread with rice or barley, fish, crops were grown, water buffalo, pigs, sheep were raised
Decline of The Early River Valley Civilizations
Mesopotamian Empire fell in 1950 BC when they were attacked by the Amorites (Babylonians)
Babylonian Empire started collapsing in Nebuchadezzar died he had many successors but the civilization fell quickly, taken over by Romans
Ancient Egypt-
- most powerful during the Ramesside Period
- invaded and captured by foreign powers, after Alexander the great's death, one of his generals made himself ruler
- Roman empire took over
Early Yellow River
- Xia Dynasty was the first known
- Subsided due to famine and overrun by Shang
- Subsided due to famine and overrun by Shang
- Shang
- not much is known
- ruler killed by Zhou Clan
- Zhou Clan became Zhou Dynasty
- destroyed themselves with civil war
- destroyed themselves with civil war
- not much is known
- Indus valley
- Floods destroyed irrigation system
- constant flooding caused people to stop taking care of their civilization
- built dams but still flooded
- Aryans invaded and took over
- Floods destroyed irrigation system
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