Ancient River Valley Civilizations and Their Development

1. Tigris River Mediterranean Sea Mesopotamian Civilization Nile River Delta Euphrates River Egyptian Civilization Lower Nile River Upper Nile River Nubian Civilization 3A #1

2. Phoenician Civilization The Fertile Crescent is an area of arable land Jerusalem Jordan River Valley Hebrew Civilization 3A #1

3. Indian Civilization Chinese Civilization Huang He River Indus River 3A #1

4. 3A #1

5. 2. Give 2 reasons why river valleys are good places to grow crops. • Fertile Soil from flooding/alluvial soil • Fresh water • 3. How could living near a river be dangerous? • Destruction from flooding • 4. How did deserts and mountains prevent people from invading the ancient civilizations of Egypt, India, and China? • Deserts and mountains serve as natural barriers that separated people on either side. • ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: • 1. Why did ancient civilizations develop in river valleys? • River valleys provided arable land and some offered protection form invaders. • 2. Where were the earliest civilizations located? • Ancient civilizations were located in river valleys. • 3. When did these civilizations exist? • Mesopotamia was the first civilization to develop in 3500 B.C.E. • Many others developed over the next three thousand years. 3A

6. Social Patterns in Ancient River Valley Civilizations • Dynasties of God-Kings/Pharaohs – Ruling families governed theocracies. • Wealthy Merchants – A small number of people grew rich from trade. • Commoners – Many people were farmers or artisans. Political Power • Slaves – People who owed debts or were prisoners of war were owned. Not based on race. The practice was widely accepted. 3B #1 Percent of Population

7. Development of Political Patterns in Ancient River Valley Civilizations • A city and the surrounding territory controlled by one government. • Several city-states & regions controlled by one government. • A political unit in which a number of people/countries are controlled by 1 ruler. Smaller than a kingdom or empire. Larger than a city-state, but smaller than an empire. • Larger than a city-state or kingdom. 3B #2

8. 3. Define centralized government. • A government in which one authority rules over many local governments. • 4. Define theocracy. • A government in which the ruler is viewed as a divine figure. • ESSENTIAL QUESTION: • What were the social, political, and economic characteristics of early civilizations? • Strict, rigid social structure • Governments: city-states, kingdoms, and empires • Economy: increase in metallurgy, food, technology, trade, & slavery. 3B

9. Use of metals such as bronze & iron in tools & weapons • Strong metals allowed for more durable weapons & tools. Civilizations who had these were superior in strength & wealth. Better tools, plows, & irrigation ditches • Improved agricultural techniques created larger food surpluses & larger populations. Increasing trade along rivers and by sea (Phoenicians) • The Phoenicians & others profited from trade instead of agriculture. Development of the world’s first cities • Larger populations created population centers or city-states. • People who were prisoners of war or owed a debt became slaves. • Slavery was accepted in all ancient civilizations. Development of slavery 3B #5

10. ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What religious traditions developed in ancient civilizations? • Monotheism – Belief in 1 god. • Polytheism – Belief in many gods. Nubian Indian Hebrew Egyptian Chinese Phoenician Mesopotamian 3C

11. Basics of Judaism 1 Abraham Jerusalem Torah Ten Commandments Moses 3D #1

12. 2. Define exile. • Being forced to leave one’s homeland. • 3. Define diaspora. • The scattering of Jewish communities throughout the world. • 4. Where did Judaism originate and how did it spread throughout the world? • Judaism originated in Southwest Asia (Jerusalem). • Numerous exiles resulted in scattered communities of Jews throughout the world. • ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: • 1. What were the essential beliefs of Judaism? • Jews believe in one God and many prophets. • Their history is in the Torah. • They live by the Ten Commandments. • 2. How did Judaism influence Western civilization? • Numerous exiles resulted in scattered communities of Jews throughout Europe and the Americas. • Christianity, the dominant religion of Western Civilization, originated from Judaism. 3D

13. Essential Question: 1. What forms of language and writing existed in early civilizations? • Pictograms – language that uses pictures/symbols to represent ideas • Alphabet – language that uses letters to represent different sounds • Hieroglyphics – created by Egyptians • Cuneiform (first writing system) – created by Mesopotamians • Created by Phoenicians 3E