Objectives:
•Discuss meaning of
PERSIA G
•Discuss common
PERSIA G characteristics
of the River Valley
Civilizations
River Valley Civilizations
There were four primary river civilizations
that developed between 3500 – 500 BCE
Geography: Why did the first
civilizations begin in the river valleys?
1. Rich soil along the river banks was
good for farming
2. River water provided irrigation for
crops
3. Natural geographic features around
the river valleys offered protection
What did the River Valley Civilizations
have in common politically?
1. Usually governed as citystates and Empires
2. Usually ruled by a single
ruler with religious authority
(Priests were rulers in
Mesopotamia, Pharaohs
were rulers in Egypt.)
3. Usually had written law
codes (Ten Commandments
and Hammurabi’s Code)
What did the River Valley Civilizations
have in common economically?
Tigris River
1. Metal (example: tools and
weapons)
2. Agricultural surplus (Abundant
grain from harvests)
3. Trade along rivers and by sea
(The Nile in Egypt and
the Mediterranean Sea for the
Phoenicians)
4. Cities (Memphis, Ur, Anyang)
5. Slavery (Not based on race)
What was the impact on their economies?
What did the River Civilizations have in
common socially?
1. Hereditary rulers: Dynasties of kings and pharaohs.
Ruling power is passed to the son of the ruler.
2. Rigid class system where slavery was accepted.
Social Inequality.
What did they have in common religiously?
Almost all were polytheistic
meaning that they believed
in many gods.
One exception – The
Hebrews were the first
monotheists, believing in
only one god.
How were they similar Intellectually?
Each had a writing system:
•Cuneiform (Mesopotamia)
•Hieroglyphics (Egypt)
•India (has not been decoded)
•China (Chinese characters)
Hieroglyphics
Cuneiform
How were the River Valley Civilizations
similar in their achievements?
•Job specialization in each civilization led to
advancements in farming technology and useful
inventions like the wheel.