Development of Civilization

River Valleys Characteristics of

Civilizations

• 9/17 Focus: – From farming villages arose cities, and

with them the first civilizations, marking the beginnings of recorded history.

• Do Now: –Where do many historians believe that

farming first began.

The Rise of Civilizations• One of the most important

effects of the Neolithic revolution• About 5,000 years ago the first

civilizations began to develop in River Valleys– Tigris and Euphrates – Nile– Indus– Yellow or Huang-He

The Rise of Civilizations• Common

geographic characteristics of river valleys– All of the are found in

a similar latitude • Warm to hot climate • long growing season

– Fertile land for farming due to annual flooding

– Provided water for irrigation of crops

– Rivers were used for transportation and trade with other groups

– Provided a food source (fish)

Civilization • A complex,

organized society– Advanced cities– Organized

government– Traditional Economy– Specialization of labor– Organized religion– Social classes– Art and Architecture– Public works– System of record

keeping or writing

Characteristics of Civilizations

Civilization• Cities, Governments, and

Public Works– Food surpluses lead to

increased population– Urbanization:

• The migration of people from rural areas to cities

– More organized forms of leadership were needed to manage and protect the increased populations

– Rulers ordered the building of projects that were for the good of the public• Roads, Bridges• Irrigations canals• Defensive walls

Civilizations• Traditional

Economy– An economic

system where economic decisions are based on customs, traditions, and belief systems

– Based primarily around farming

Closure

• What does urbanization mean?

Civilization• Job Specialization

and Social Classes– Food Surpluses allowed

some people to focus on non-farming related occupations

– People began to specialize in certain jobs

– Social classes formed based on occupation, wealth, and influence

Civilization• Organized Religions– Early people were

polytheistic• Belief in many gods

– Priests and worshippers tried to gain the favor of gods through rituals

– Hoped for successful outcomes in war and crop production

Civilization• Art and Architecture

Civilization• System of Writing and Record

keeping– writing began to appear about

5,000 years ago– Pictographs

• Pictures or symbols to represent ideas

– More advanced systems developed over time that used symbols to represent abstract ideas and concepts

• Calendars– Were needed to know:

• when to plant and harvest• when annual floods were going to

occur • Changing of the seasons