Emergence of River Valley Civilizations
4 River Valley Civilizations
• Fertile Crescent – Mesopotamia
– Tigris
– Euphrates
• Egyptian Civilization
– Nile River Valley (upper and lower Nile)
• Indus River
– Harrapan
– Mohen-jo Daro
• Hwang He
– Yellow River later civilizations focused on both Yangtze
and Yellow River
– First dynasty is Xia then Shang
Nile River
Valley
• Because of its geography Egypt developed to
become a peaceful civilization with a higher
standard of living. People as individuals were
treated with more respect here than in other
civilizations of the time.
• The Nile River Valley is Surrounded on Four
Sides by Natural Barriers
–
–
–
–
Red Sea to the East
Desert to the West
Mediterranean to the North
Mountains to the South
“Gifts of the Nile”
• Predictable flooding
• Mild flooding therefore able to use river for
irrigation
• Prevailing winds made trade possible both north
and south on the river
• Rich deposits of clay, granite, sandstone &
limestone used for building
• Silt deposits rich for farming
• papyrus used for mats, rope, sandals, baskets,
paper
• Menes-
Major Pharaohs of Egypt
– United upper and lower Egypt in 3100 BC
• Ramses II –
– Defeated the Hittites and returned Egypt to Egyptian rule.
• Nefertiti – influential wife of Amenhotep, mother-in-law to Tutkanamon.
• Amenhotep (later called Akhenaton)– moved the capital and changed worship from polytheism to
monotheism. The main god became Amon Ra and only the royal
family could worship him.
• Tutkanhamon– young Pharaoh found with his tomb intact.
• Hatshepsut –
– female Pharaoh who stabilized Egypt, built many new structures which
provided work for many.
• Cleopatra –
– last Pharaoh of Egypt
Rosetta Stone
• We didn’t know as much
about Egypt until the mid1800s after the Rosetta
Stone was allowed us to
decipher the hieroglyphics
of Egypt
• Napoleon’s officer
discovered the Rosetta
Stone (late 1700s)
• Deciphered by
Champanion in early 1800s
Fertile Crescent
• Deserts and mountains surround the
Fertile Crescent to the north but because
grass grew on these mountains it attracted
wandering tribes who often attacked those
living in the River Valley.
• City-states protected and isolated each
group
Natural Boundaries Unfavorable
• Both rivers overflow in an unpredictable
manner
– The time of year could not be predicted.
– The magnitude of turbulence of the flooding could not
be predicted.
• The area is called a "crossroad" because
everyone who traveled or traded between
Europe, Africa, and Asia traveled through this
region, sometimes taking what they wanted
Mesopotamian Trade
“The Cuneiform
World”
Gave rise to multiple empires within the general region
that controlled different territory but had similar culture
Assyria and its rivals
The First Empire Builder
Invasion and
conquest were
prominent features
of the ancient
Middle East. About
2300 BC, Sargon,
the ruler of
neighboring Akkad,
invaded and
conquered the citystates of Sumer. He
built the first empire
known to history.
Akkad (in green)
Cuneiform: “Wedge-Shaped”
Writing
Cuneiform Writing
Hammurabi’s Code
Babylonian
• Stele or
Stela
Hammurabi
• 282
• Cuneiform
st
(1
Assyrian
Empire)
911 – 612
BCE
BCE
Middle Kingdom
•
•
•
•
Himalayas, Kunlun Shan, Tian Shan
Gobi desert
Pacific Ocean to east
rivers
– Hwang Hu (Yellow),
– Chang Jiang (Yangtze),
– Xi Jiang (West)
• yellow silt &favorable climate make good
farming
Ancient Dynasties
Mandate of Heaven
• Xia (first)
2100 BCE – 1800 BCE
• Shang
1500BCE- 1100BCE
Mandate of Heaven
• Zhou (longest)
1100BCE – 256BCE
Confucianism during Axial Age (ca. 500 BCE)
• Qin (Chin)
– China gets its name from
this dynasty
Mandate of Heaven
• Zhou Dynasty
• Family of rulers that have the approval of the
ancestors
• Dynastic Cycle has added element much like a
divine monarch creates a theocracy yet as
earthly events appear and have a negative
impact then it is assumed that the emperor has
lost the approval of the ancestors and they have
created the environment
Are you Sleeping?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han
Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han
Sui, Tang, Song
Sui, Tang, Song
Yuan, Ming, Manchu
Yuan, Ming, Manchu
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Confucianism and Scholarly-Gentry
• Creates balance
• Yin and Yang
• Filial piety is the final
link in the chain of
continuity of the
civilization
Indus River Valley
• Harappan
• Mohenjo-Daro
• subcontinent of Asia:
water on east and west,
mountain ranges on
north
– Hindu Kush and
Himalayas
• southwest monsoon
brings heavy rain and
flooding
• enriched soil, but
sometimes great erosion
Ancient Geographic Divisions in South Asia
Cities of the Indus
Mohenjo-Daro
“Mound of the Dead”
Indus River Valley
• Destruction
• well-planned,
citadels, grid
of streets
• clay brick
houses,
plumbing
with sewer
system
• bronze and
copper tools,
gold and
silver jewels,
clay pots,
spun and
woven cloth
Development of Region
• Early Food Producing Era (ca. 7000-5500
BC)
• Regionalization Era, (5500-2600 BC)
– Regional cultural development
– Subdivided into various eras
– Emergence of an Early Indus state ca. 2800
BCE and urbanization ca. 2600 BCE
Drains & Sewer Systems
•
•
•
•
Successors to the region
Vedic Era - Hinduism
Aryans
Rajas
Indo-Europeans
Caste System - called
Varna which translates
to color in the ancient
language)
• Jati – sub-castes
Aryan Invasion Theory
• Sometime between
2500 and 1800 BCE
– Aryans began moving
into India
– Apparently NOT the
cause of the fall of
Indus Civilization
– Farmers without
written language
– Used Khyber Pass
Political and Social Systems
• Tribe led by chief and
tribal council
• Tribes formed small
states
• Each state ruled by king
and council of warriors
• Aryans looked down on
conquered people
• Laws against marriage of
Aryans with original valley
dwellers
• Men permitted more than
one wife
• Sons expected to be
warriors and perform
ritual at fathers funeral
Economic System
•
•
•
•
•
•
Mostly farmers
Barley major crop
Most owned their land
Handicrafts in villages
System of barter for goods
Cattle later used as money
Historical Geography
• Environmental determinism – the manner in which humans and
the environment interact.
– Man and his culture are shaped by their environment and
while technology allows them to adapt, their underlying
characteristics have already been shaped by their
environment
• Systems within a civilization are influenced by the environment
• Humans change and adapt their environment with technology
– Technology are methods that are used by man or man’s
attempt “to overcome his environment”
• Possibilism is a different theory that holds that there is an
interdependence between humans and their physical
environment and that while the environment sets certain
constraints, culture is shaped by man
Olmec- 3500-2500 BCE- site La Venta
• Two environments & Agricultural methods
– Slash and burn agriculture- forested uplands
– Irrigation riverine agriculture- riverine lowlands- u-shaped stone drain
lines.
– 2 or more crops per year
– Maize, beans, squash
• Lowland riverine populous became the elite
• Chiefdom societies- with centers populated at circa 1000 eachrulers, elite, craftspersons
• Writing system but un-deciphered though indications of
counting system- Maya used same counting system so this
aspect is translatable.
• Items of trade
– Highlands- obsidian, jade and Magnetite, cacao (drink for nobility)
– Lowlands- mollusk, turtle shell, sharks teeth, and pottery
• 4 major redistribution/ceremonial centers– San Lorenzo, La Venta, Tres Zapates, and Laguna de los Cerros
• Classic Maya- 2000- 800 BCE- sites Copan & Palenque
Classic cultures of the Americas
Yin and Yang
• The light color area which indicates
more sunlight is called Yang (Sun).
• The dark color area has less sunlight
(more moonlight) and is called Yin
(Moon).
• Yang is like man. Yin is like woman.
Yang wouldn't grow without Yin. Yin
couldn't give birth without Yang.
– Yin is born (begins) at Summer Solstice
and Yang is born (begins) at Winter
Solstice.
– Therefore one little circle Yin is marked on
the Summer Solstice position. Another little
circle Yang is marked on the Winter
Solstice position.
– These two little circles look like two fish
eyes.
http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/yinyang.htm
The Spread of Bantu