characteristics of a civilization global history
TRANSCRIPT
Characteristics of a Characteristics of a CivilizationCivilization
Global History
To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization.
Toynbee, Arnold1852-1883, British Economic Historian and Reformer
Self-actualization(self-knowledge,
fulfillment of personal potential)
Esteem(autonomy, achievement, recognition)
Social(belonging, affection)
Safety(security, protection from harm)
Physiological(Hunger, thirst, shelter)
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
What is a civilization?What is a civilization?
Civilization a society with a complex culture
Culture a shared set of beliefs, values, and traditions; a way of life
Five Characteristics of Civilization
CitiesSpecialized WorkersComplex InstitutionsRecord KeepingAdvanced Technology
1. Cities1. Cities
Central feature of ancient civilizations
Located in fertile river valleys
Nile River
Early Cities Developed Along Rivers
Rivers provided:water supply transportation food supply from animals
Rivers provided challenges:floodingirrigation
Euphrates River
2. Specialized Workers2. Specialized Workers
• Not only farmers, but merchants, artisans, scribes.
• Why?Surplus of food. There was no need to have
everybody farm. This led to bartering or an exchange of goods (basket or cart) for food.
What is an Artisan?
• Artisans specialized in various jobs, such as:• Bricklayers• Blacksmiths
• Created great architecture and art
3. Complex Institutions3. Complex Institutions
• Formal governments & laws• Religion/priests with religious duties
and/or political power• Education system (mostly for priests
& scribes)
Complex Institution: Governments
• Early governments were first headed by priests
• Later controlled by warrior chiefs or kings
• These kings became hereditary rulers
Complex Institutions: Governments Continued
Governments became more complex as new responsibilities arose such as:• tax collecting• law making• handling public works projects• organizing systems of defense
Complex Institution: Religion
Generally polytheistic• Many gods represented natural forces• Others controlled human activities• Priests and worshippers tried to gain
gods’ favor through complex rituals and sacrifice
Temples often built to honor specific gods and goddesses
Complex Institution: Religion
Myan TempleEgyptian Temple Mesopotamian Ziggurat
Complex Institution: Social Structure
People ranked according to their profession
ChiefPriestsNobles
Wealthy merchantsArtisans
Peasants/farmersSlaves
Egyptian Social Structure
Complex Institution: Social Structure
Ruling classes: Based often on military prowessOriginally elected, later hereditaryPerceived as offspring of gods
Religious classes:Role: intervention with gods to ensure
fertility, safetyConsiderable landholdings, other
economic activities
Complex Institution: Social Structure
Free commoners:
Peasant cultivators
Some urban professionals
Slaves:
Prisoners of war, convicted criminals, debtors
Social Structure - Patriarchal Society
• Men as landowners, relationship to status
• Patriarchy: “rule of the father”
Right to sell wives, children• Double standard of sexual morality
Women drowned for adultery
Relaxed sexual mores for men
Social Structure - Patriarchal Society
• Yet some possibilities of social mobility for women
Court advisers, temple priestesses, economic activity
• Introduction of the veil at least c. 1500 BCE
4. Record Keeping4. Record Keeping
System of Writing
Cuneiform, hieroglyphics, & pictographs
Quipu series of strings used by the Inca to record statistics
Writing Continued
Probably first used by priestsEarliest writing used pictograms
Chinese Calligraphy
Egyptian Hieroglyphs
Mesopotamian cuneiform
Development of Writing
• Sumerian writing systems form 3500 BCE
• Pictographs• Cuneiform: “wedge-shaped”
• Preservation of documents on clay• Declines from 400 BCE with spread
of Greek alphabetic script
Writing Continued
Symbols later added to represent words and then sounds
Scribes were specially trained to read, write, and record information
5. Advanced Technology5. Advanced Technology
The wheel and the plowBronze weaponsThe Sail
Bibliography
Annenberg/CPB American Association for the
Advancement of ScienceMcGraw-Hill Co. Unitedstreaming.com