Bell Ringer

Please begin working on the map activity that is on your desk. Refer to pg. 31 in the textbook if needed.

Do not touch the sticky note numbers on your desk! We will use those later on.

Characteristics of a Civilization

• Cities:

• The first civilizations developed in river valleys, which allowed for large-scale farming to take place.

• Constant water supply

• Fertile soil

• As populations grew, villages grew into cities.

Characteristics of a Civilization (cont’d)

• Government:

• The need for government emerged to manage many aspects of city life, including the food supply and the defense of the city from invaders.

• Most early governments were monarchies (kings and queens).

Characteristics of a Civilization (cont’d)

• Religion:

• Religion developed originally as a way to explain natural occurrences.

• People believed that it was important for gods and goddesses to be kept happy because they had a direct impact on their lives.

• This gave priests special power and make them important figures.

• Also, many rulers said their power came from the gods or they were gods themselves.

Characteristics of a Civilization (cont’d)

• Social Structure:

• As economic power rose, there also rose divisions between the different social classes.

• The upper class was made up of priests, government officials, and warriors.

• The lower class was made of free people, farmers, artisans, and craftspeople.

• Below these groups were the slaves, usually prisoners of war.

Characteristics of a Civilization (cont’d)

• Art:

• Once people had a steady food supply there was more time for artistic activity.

• Artistic activities included:

• Building temples and pyramids

• Painting

• Sculpture

• Jewelry

Characteristics of a Civilization (cont’d)

• Writing:

• Writing developed as a way to keep records and pass on information.

Rivers: Where the Action Is

The first permanent settlements began to form along rivers during the Neolithic Age.

These rivers provided settlements with constant access to water for drinking, fertile soil for crops, and protection from enemies.

There are four major ancient river valley civilizations:

Mesopotamia (Tigris and Euphrates Rivers)

Egypt (Nile River)

India (Indus and Ganges River)

China (Huang River)

Four Ancient River Valley Civilizations

Why Along Rivers?

Rivers, and the valleys they carve out, offer rich soil and irrigation water for agriculture.

Rivers flood and when they do recede they leave behind fertile soil that is easy to grow crops with.

Also, they tended to be in locations easily protected from invasion by nomadic peoples.

Cradles of Civilization

River valleys were known as the “Cradles of Civilization.”

These civilizations developed various aspects that are still prominent in modern societies… Political: city-states, kingdoms,

empires, laws. Social: dynasties, rigid social structures. Economic: discovery of metal, food

surplus, trade, slavery.

Development of Political Patterns

World’s first organized governments, known as the State.

Emergence of empires:

First, villages grow into city-states (a city that with its surrounding land forms an independent state).

Next, city-state can turn into a kingdom (a combination of city-states all under the control of one ruler, usually a king or a queen).

Lastly, a kingdom can develop into an empire (a combination of kingdoms, usually conquered by another kingdom, and ruled by one ruler).

Centralized Government

All authority is in the hands of a single individual or single small group.

In ancient history, the authority of the rulers was usually based on the societies religion

Example: ancient Egypt’s pharaohs were given absolute authority because they were thought to be gods on earth.

Duties:

Established laws

Provided defense and leader of the military

In charge of large scaled projects

Development of Social Patterns

Hereditary Rulers:

Dynasty: a sequence of rulers from the same family.

Found mainly in monarchies (kings, queens).

Strict and rigid social class system, where everyone has their place. Standing within civilization

depends on your job.

Government and priests on top, slaves on the bottom.

Slavery is both accepted and common.

Development of Economic Patterns

The discovery of metal, such as copper, tin, and iron, led to the creation of advanced metal tools and weapons.

People became better farmers, leading to a surplus in food, causing rapid population growth.

As civilizations became larger, they began to interact and trade goods with one another – developed what is known as the barter system.

Slavery became prominent and was socially accepted – slaves were usually captured prisoners of war from other civilizations.

Write Now:

Using your notes, your are going to write about how a fictional civilization grew into a kingdom, just like one you would read about in a book.

Checklist:

Your civilization needs a name.

Your story needs to include the chronological events that made your civilization grow into an empire, such as:

How your civilization formed…

How it grew into a city-state…

How it grew into a kingdom…

How it grew into an empire…

Exit Ticket – 3-2-1:

On a separate sheet of notebook paper…

List 3 things you learned today.

List 2 things you found interesting.

List 1 thing you think is very important to know and remember.