Chapter One

1. Chapter One Section Three: Beginnings of Civilization

2. The Rise of Cities • The rise of cities was the main feature of Civilization • Civilization is a complex, highly organized social order

3. First Cities • Emerged along river valleys where farmers could grow a surplus of food • These surpluses allowed the population to grow

4. Cities Rose In Many Valleys • Between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the Middle East

5. The Nile River in Egypt

6. The Indus River in India

7. The Yellow River, or Huang He, in China

8. 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

9. 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

10. Features of Civilization • There are eight key features of a civilization • The first feature is Cities

11. 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

12. 3.Complex Religions • Most early civilizations were Polytheistic, worshipping many Gods • Full-time priests were needed to hold ceremonies to honor their gods

13. 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

14. 5. Social Classes • Job status gave people their social class • Priests usually made up the upper class, with slaves making up the lowest class

15. 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

16. 7. Public Works • People working together for the good of the city • Temples, irrigation, bridges, roads, and walls are examples of public works

17. 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

18. 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

19. Civilizations Change • The environment would force civilizations to change • Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods, and droughts could lead to the end of a civilization

20. 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