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Early Civilizations Development and Characteristics

Explore the origins, characteristics, and impact of early civilizations like Mesopotamia, Nile, Yellow, and Indus (including Olmec). Learn about key features of civilizations such as written language, social stability, access to resources, religion, arts, legal systems, and more. Discover why civilizations settled in river valleys, the importance of irrigation, and the role of technology in the rise of civilizations. Uncover commonalities among these ancient societies, the development of writing systems like cuneiform and hieroglyphics, and the lasting effects of early civilizations on human history.

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Early Civilizations Development and Characteristics

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  1. Development of Early Civilizations (aka “cradles”) Mesopotamia, Nile, Yellow, and Indus (& Olmec)

  2. What are characteristics of a civilization? • A form of written language • Social stability with their organization • Access to resources – natural/ manmade • Usually has a form of religion • Arts and innovation- intellectual stimulate

  3. Civilization Characteristics (cont’d) • Distinction between classes and genders • Distinction between “civilized” and “uncivilized” • Greater impact on the environment • Legal systems

  4. When did they come about? • Many characteristics of civilizations by 6,000 or 5,000 BCE • Origins of civilization around 3,500 BCE until about 1,000 BCE

  5. Where did they occur? • In river valleys • Mesopotamia, Nile, Indus, Yellow, (& Olmec) • Covered only a tiny portion

  6. Was development of civilization a good thing? • Not always • Many non-civilized societies have more regulations • Nomadic peoples contributed greatly to world history

  7. What does civilization mean and is it dependent on anything? • Derived from civitas meaning city • Most civilizations depend on the existence of significant cities….why?

  8. Why settle in the river valley? • Lacks adequate rainfall, natural resources, constant threat of droughts • Fertile soil • Tremendous results with irrigation

  9. Why were they able to come about? • Built on changes in technology • Agriculture • New civilizations continued to be founded in northern Europe, as late as 1500 BCE

  10. Use of metals • First metal used- gold • Next, copper • Humans learn to alloy copper with different metals • Next major step is iron

  11. What is so important about irrigation? • Makes civilization work • Increase in food = increase in population

  12. Were all agricultural societies stationary? • No- some used idea of slash and burn agriculture • Herding peoples moved in tribal bands

  13. Was new land always available nearby? Were there advantages to staying put? • No, so most agricultural people didn’t move • Yes, some advantages • Irrigation key incentive to stability

  14. What are some commonalities among early civilizations? • Cities • Writing • Formal states • Trade • Mutual relationships

  15. Development of Writing • Starts with oral tradition • Almost all major alphabets in world derived from the writing forms pioneered in the river valleys

  16. Cuneiform

  17. Hieroglyphics

  18. Writing cont’d • Most civilizations developed writing • First form- cuneiform (writing based on wedge-like characters) in the Middle East ~3500 BCE • http://www.upennmuseum.com/cuneiform.cgi • Another form of writing was Hieroglyphics • http://www.quizland.com/hiero.htm • Societies that used writing could organize more elaborate political structures

  19. Writing cont’d • Could tax more efficiently and make contracts and treaties • Generate a more explicit intellectual climate

  20. Firmer Class or Caste Divisions • Promotes greater separation • Greater inequality between men and women • More fully patriarchal structures emerged

  21. Did development of civilizations continue the process of technological change and political organization? • Yes • Civilizations generated the largest populations • Most elaborate artistic and intellectual forms • Civilization increased human impact on the environment

  22. Decline/ Connections • Despite accomplishments, most in decline by 1,000 BCE • Connections between the first civilization and subsequent forms in several river valley civilizations

  23. Conclusion • After ~ 1,000 BCE development and spread of civilization begin • Many accomplishments had a lasting impact

  24. Conclusion cont’d • Others- invention of the wheel, taming of horses, the creation of usable alphabets, writing implements, the production of key mathematical concepts such as square roots, the development of well- organized monarchies and bureaucracies, and the invention of functional calendars and other divisions of time

  25. Conclusion cont’d • One final result- a pattern of division among the world’s peoples • Small groups spread to almost every corner of the world • Rise of agriculture created new links and trade soon entered the picture

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