The River Valley Civilizations

•Mesopotamia (3500 BC-1600 BC)•Egypt (3000 BC-2000 BC)

•Indus River Valley Civilization (2500 BC-1700 BC)

•Chinese River Valley Civilizations (3950 BC-1000 BC)

From Neolithic to CivilizationsSettlements need rules/law to maintain orderRules and laws needed to regulate irrigationThreat of outside invasion made it necessary

to have rulers who could provide protectionMoney from taxes and tributes

Mesopotamia (3500 BC-1600 BC)Tigris and Euphrates River around 4500 BCSumerians arrive in 3500 BC-Begin irrigationCity-States established around 3000 BC-ruled by monarchy-

often military leaders who displace priests as rulers-pass power to their sons who pass it to their sons (dynasty)

Polytheistic religion-Ziggurat (temple) center of each city state

Scientific Achievements: Wheel, plow, sail, bronze, pottery, arch, number system based on 60 and 360 degree circle, cuneiform (writing)

Hammurabi’s Law Code-First written law codeOther Civs (Assyrians, Phoenicians, Hebrews) adopt ideas

first developed by the Sumerians

Hammurabi’s Law Code…Political Impact-Made the law more stable and predictable-less personal, more objectiveLegal Impact – The idea of a separate judiciary (court system) like the U.S.

Egypt (3000 BC-2000 BC)Earliest settlement along Nile-5000 BC“The Gift of the Nile” Regular yearly cycle of

floodingPharaohs=god-kings: theocracy-form of

government where the rulers were divine leaders of both the religion and the government/army

Polytheistic-belief in many godsPyramids built as tombs for Pharaohs; belief

in afterlife; mummification

Egypt (3000 BC-2000 BC)Stratified societyWriting system; hieroglyphics; papyrusScientific achievements: written numbers,

geometry, stone columns, calendar for flooding cycle, advanced medicine (repairing broken bones)

Indus River Valley (2500 BC-1700 BC)First Major cities include Mohenjo-Daro and

HarappaDeveloped cities on grid system and had

sophisticated plumbing and sewage systemsEarly cities declined due to a possible change in

the course of the Indus River.Indo-European peoples known as the Aryans

settle in the Indus Valley around 1500 BC.Aryan religious features: sacred literature known

as the VedasCaste system

Computer generated picture of what Mohenjo Daro may have

looked like.

Chinese River Valley (3950 BC-1000 BC)Huang He (Yellow) River ValleyShang Dynasty (2000 BC): Importance of

family, division of classesWriting system where each symbol

represents an ideaTechnology and science: Great Wall of

China,bronze working, coined money, ironworks, and silk

Important Elements of ALL…Advanced citiesIrrigationSystems of government and religionWritten legal codesTrade networksArchitecture-archDivisions of time/calendar systemWriting