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Foundations of Civilization

Foundations of Civilization. The Neolithic Revolution. What was it? 8000 – 3500 BCE Why did it happen? Dwindling game? Why was it such a big deal?. Agricultural Growth. Led to permanent settlements (usually along rivers/lakes) Increased population. More people living in smaller spaces

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Foundations of Civilization

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  1. Foundations of Civilization

  2. The Neolithic Revolution • What was it? • 8000 – 3500 BCE • Why did it happen? • Dwindling game? • Why was it such a big deal?

  3. Agricultural Growth • Led to permanent settlements (usually along rivers/lakes) • Increased population. • More people living in smaller spaces • Greater opportunity for conflict & growth. • Growth= language, religion, society • Conflict= crime, disease, disorder

  4. What makes a Civilization? • What are the primary elements of a civilization? • Come up with what you think are the primary elements of civilization. • Limit your list to 10 items • Consider why you feel those items should be recognized as primary elements of civilization

  5. Primary Elements of Civilization • Urban Focus • Cities become the center of CREPS* development 2) Distinct Religious Structure • Gods are crucial to success of civilization 3) New Political and Military Structures • Organized government bureaucracy rises to meet administrative needs of population • Armies organized to gain/maintain land and power *Cultural, Religious, Economic, Political, Social

  6. Primary Elements of Civilization (cont’d) • Social Structure based on economic power • Top: Kings, priests, warriors, political leaders • Free Common People: Artisans, farmers • Bottom: Slaves 5) Development of Communication/Writing • Used by upper class for record keeping 6) New and significant artistic and intellectual activity • For example, monumental architecture (religious) 7) Arable land and a good location • Allows for food surplus, population growth, and survival

  7. River Valley Civilizations

  8. Ancient Mesopotamia“Land between the Rivers” • Sumer—southern Fertile Crescent (4k-2k BCE) • Civilization of city-states bound together by a common culture

  9. A Hostile Land • Geography • Water—unpredictable flooding/drought (too much or not enough)

  10. Hostile Neighbors • Defense problems • open, flat land w/no natural barriers for protection

  11. Scarcity of Resources • Resources—limited • Lack of forests • = no wood • Few mineral/metal resources • WHAT DID THEY HAVE? • Dirt, rock and sand

  12. Perseverance • Solutions • Water---irrigation systems • Defense— walled cities and standing armies • Resources—broad trading networks with other regions

  13. Religion - Enter the Supernatural • Polytheistic • Gods had human qualities and emotions • Interference into human lives—hostile/care • Afterlife—”Land of No Return”; no joy or emotion, bleak dismal

  14. The Ziggurat

  15. Ziggurat

  16. Evolution of Religion in Sumer • Society ruled by kings & priests • In war, power put in hands of military leader • As wars became more common, more military leadership • King eventually a military leader & religious leader

  17. Social Classes • Upper Class • royal families, nobility, priesthood • Middle Classes • wealthy merchants, scribes • Lower Classes • laborers, farmers • Slaves • foreigners captured in war, family members sold into slavery, criminals; not a permanent situation

  18. Sumerian Accomplishments • Successful agriculture, river management • Writing, (cuneiform) • Use of wheel • 12 month calendar, geometry • Polytheistic • Ziggurats

  19. Decline and Fall • A millennium of war • (3000-2000 BC) • Power changes from on City-State to another

  20. Collapse • Overrun by the Amorites from the north in about 2000 BC • Amorites were Semitic (ancestors of modern Arabs and Jews) invaders from eastern Syria • Akkadians Overthrew Sumerians 1700 BCE • Babylonians overthrew Akkadians • Hammurabi, Code of Law • Fell to Kassites, then Hittites 1500 BCE • Hittites-iron, then fell to

  21. Collapse (cont’d) • Assyrians • organized, cruel, moved capital (Nineveh), exiles, cultural diffusion • Conquered by Medes, Chaldeans, rebuilt Babylon • Eventually becomes part of Persian empire • TRENDS OF MESOPOTAMIA • Difficulty maintaining power • City-state to Empire

  22. The Phoenicians

  23. The Phoenicians • “Purple People” • Famous for purple cloth and dye • Called “carriers of civilization” because they spread Middle Eastern civilization around the Mediterranean. • Trade via Ship mainly on the Mediterranean • Lacked good farmland (Lebanon) • Accomplishments • Sailing • Lebanon known for cedar trees, made strong ships • Trade • Most important contribution – Phoenician Alphabet – 22

  24. Egyptian Overview Rich soil, gentle flooding • 3 Kingdoms • water management, pyramids, astronomy, hieroglyphs, calendar, gold, spices • Polytheistic • Women rulers, buy, sell property, inherit, will property, dissolve marriages, still subservient to men • Hierarchy: pharaoh, priest, nobles, merchants, artisans, peasants, slaves • Conquered by (1100 BCE) Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Islam, Ottomans, Europeans

  25. Earliest Egypt • c. 6000 BCE • Agriculturally based • 3600 BCE – cities/economies along Nile • Little social stratification • Writing • Began around 3500 – 3000 (hieroglyphics…hieratic…demotic) • Nomes – administrative districts • Narmer or Menes unified Egypt…? • Polytheistic Society • No records of city-states • The Rosetta Stone • Did they make pyramids? • No, tombs! (mummified!) • Increasingly became more and more complex • Population, social strat., culture… • Irrigation(shaduf)

  26. Old Kingdom • Monumental Architecture • Step pyramids • Increased administrative and economic organization • Trade extends from North to South • Downfall • Weak central power and increasing nomarch power • 2181 BCE Old Kingdom falls and parts ruled by nomarchs • First Intermediate Period • 100 yrs of disunity

  27. MiddleKingdom • 2050 BCE - King Mentuhotpe reunites Egypt • Revived trade along Nile to Palestine and trade along the Mediterranean • Fine art and literature flourishes • More organization and power than ever before • Becomes an empire • Power spreads to Nubia and Middle East • Ends with invasion of the Hyksos and Nubian pushing Egyptians out

  28. New Kingdom • Established after the Second Intermediate Period (1650 – 1550 BCE) • 1550 BCE – 1050 BCE • Hyksos expelled • Rises and establishes an empire • Largest Egyptian empire ever • Parts of Mesopotamia • Colonies were more for revenue and less for governance/land holdings • Notable pharaohs • Ramses II – rebuilds parts (temples, palaces) • Hatshepsut – female ruler • Amenhotep – changes name to Akhenaten, adopts a monotheistic religion (never catches on) • Weakness allows them to be overtaken by outsiders in the future.

  29. Indus Valley

  30. Indus Valley: 2500-1500 BCE • Outside contact more limited • Kyber Pass connection to outside via trade • Harrappa, Mohenjo-Daro • Largest Cities (40K – 100K)

  31. Mohenjo-daro : aerial view

  32. Mohenjo-daro view of the “Citadel”

  33. The “Great Bath”

  34. another view of the “Great Bath”

  35. view of a small, side street

  36. looks like a small tower, but actually it is a neighborhood well

  37. A bathroom on a private residence

  38. A public well in Harappa, or perhaps an ancient laundromat...

  39. A large drain or sewer

  40. Characteristics • Literate society (writings on bricks and seals) • Master-planned cities as focal point • Water system • Strong central government • Polytheistic • Written language • Pottery, cotton, cloth • Standard weights and measurements • Grain storage

  41. Harappan granary

  42. Decline • Cities abandoned, reason unknown • domination of an indigenous people ? • who rebelled ? • foreign invasion? • gradual decline ? • climate shift: the monsoon patterns • flooding • destruction of the forests • migrations of new peoples: the Aryans

  43. Possible route of the Aryan invasions

  44. Aryans arrive 1500 BCE • From Caucasus Mtns. Black/Caspian Sea • Aryans – Lighter Skinned • Dravidians - Darker • Nomads who settled • Vedas, Upanashads • Sacred/historical texts of Aryans • basis for Hinduism • Caste system • warriors, priests, peasants • later re-ordered: Brahmins (priests), warriors, landowners-merchants, peasants, untouchables (out castes)

  45. Caste System, 1000 BC • skin color • ritual purity • “Us--Them” feelings • divine order of four castes

  46. Caste System (“Varnas”) • Brahmins: the priests • Kshatriyas: the warriors • Vaisyas: merchants and peasants • Sudras: non-Aryans

  47. Caste system, con’t • produced by Brahmins • literature emphasized the divine order • hierarchical relationship • inheritance and marriage • the most powerful organizer of Indian society • thousand of castes today

  48. Castes • define a person’s social universe • define a person’s standard of conduct • define a person’s expectations • define a person’s future • define how a person deals with others

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