Week 2: Early Civilizations and the
Development of Knowledge
Outline
0. Introduction
1. Fertile Crescent and the “Agricultural Revolution”
2. Early Civilizations:
2.1 Ancient Mesopotamia;
2.2 Egypt.
2.3 Ancient China
Keywords: Neolithic Period, Catal Huyuk, Egyptian hieroglyphs, Code of Hammurabi
Questions to Consider
1.
How are water management systems (irrigation, calendars) and social
organization (political powers) interconnected?
2.
To what extent is the evolution of natural philosophy intertwined with religion
during this historical period? What types of scientific practices are promoted,
and by whom? What are the reasons behind this encouragement?
0. Intro
Hydraulic Civilizations:
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Do not be confused with engineering concepts here!
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Term coined in the 1950s by historian Karl A. Wittfogel:
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In reference to the greek term hydraulikos (water
and pipes)
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Emphasis on the relationship between the
agricultural system and the large-scale
government-managed waterworks.
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Sometimes called River Valley Civilizations in
textbooks.
0. Intro
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When should we start this course?
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The earliest moment we can talk about tools, used in a
deliberate way, date back about 2,5 millions of years in
Ethiopia
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Consists of broken cobbles with sharp edges;
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Gradually, the ability to walk upright, to manipulate objects
with their hands, and to manufacture tools transformed
interactions among humans.
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Homo Sapiens (wise man) about 200,000 years ago
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About 70,000 ago, an explosion of innovations - A
Human Big Bang
Human culture now begins to change much faster than
biological evolution
1. Fertile Crescent and the “Agricultural Revolution”
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Entering the Neolithic Period, about 12 000 years ago (last until about 5000 years ago – 3000
BCE)
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A revolution from food-gathering to food-producing;
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The rise of pastoral nomadism (herding in grasslands) in habitats suitable for pasture
and farming and settled villages (sedentarization);
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Development of agriculture (Wheat and Barley at first) - leading to sedentarisation,
exchange of surplus, early urbanization (storage and defense).
Agriculture
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12 000 to 10 000 years ago in the Middle
East – the Fertile Crescent
○ Wheat and barley
○ Clearing lands, sowing seeds,
weeding, watering and harvesting
crops,
○ domesticating animals.
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Activities adapted to the cycle of plant
growth
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Villages (exchanging surplus)
○ Pottery and textile
Çatal Höyük
Neolithic Astronomy and Geometry
● Astronomically aligned monuments serving as calendars;
● Stonehenge built between 3100 and 1500 BCE a
ceremonial centre and cult site.
What is the importance of writing?
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Agricultural methods;
Commerce;
Administration (census, peace);
Mathematics;
Geometry—building;
Calendar—religious practices, harvest ;
Astronomy and astrology.
Tool for the Religious & Political Elite
The Egyptian–Hittite peace treaty (c.1259 BCE) is believed to
be the earliest example of any written international agreement
of any kind.
2.1 Ancient Mesopotamia
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Mesopotamia is located in an area known as the Fertile
Crescent.
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The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers provided large
amounts of freshwater, facilitating agricultural
production and the development of cities.
Mesopotamia housed historically important cities such as
Uruk and Babylon, as well as major territorial states such as
the various Assyrian empires.
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Cities provided organized religions, centralized
governments, social hierarchies, and access to trade
networks.
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Ziggurat (bricks!)
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Writing and law (The Stele of Hammurabi)
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Detailed astronomical observations (astronomy and
astrology)
2.1 Irrigation
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Irrigation played a key role in the economic and
political life in ancient Mesopotamia.
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Building an irrigation system presented both
technical and organizational problems (sediments,
required constant cleaning).
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Mesopotanian farmers use several types of
irrigation:
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basin irrigation
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perennial irrigation
Devised various machines and solved complex
problems (ex. the noria - a small waterwheel)
Up: Ziggurat of Ur
Right: Code of Hammurabi
2.2 Ancient Egypt
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A complex society with cross-cultural connections,
adaption to and control over changing environments,
and sophisticated political and religious developments.
○ Developed around the Nile.
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A sophisticated calendar organized around the
regularity of floods;
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Based on developments in mathematics and
astronomy knowledge;
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A number of surveying and construction
instruments;
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Egyptian medicine
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Centrality of the heart - heart is the meeting point
of a number of vessels which carry all the fluids
of the body.
2.2 Egypt
3.1 Ancient China (2070 to 214 BCE)
Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BCE)
Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BCE)
Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BCE)
Mystical dynasty. Described in ancient historical
records such as Sima Qian's Records of the Grand
Historian and Bamboo Annals.
“Early Bronze Age"
The Zhou dynasty (1046 BC to approximately 256
BC) is the longest-lasting dynasty in Chinese
history.
Spring and Autumn period (722–476 BCE)
In the 8th century BC, power became decentralized.
Named after the influential Spring and Autumn
Annals. In this period, local military leaders used by
the Zhou began to assert their power.
Warring States period (476–221 BCE)
Zhou king was largely a figurehead and held little if
no real power.
Zhou Dynasty (1046-221 BCE)
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Water control projects
Canals and routes (silk route) to transport goods
Agriculture innovations
○ Iron plowshare, natural fertilizer, collar harness,
leaving the land to fallow…
○ Growth of commerce and manufacture
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The Hundred Schools of Thought of Chinese
philosophy
○ Confucianism, Taoism...
○ Ideas about the good nature of bad nature of
human beings;
○ Dynamic process of interaction between the
forces of yang (sun) and yin (moon).
3.2 Imperial China
Qin dynasty (221-206 BCE)
● Centralization;
● Unified system of weights and measures;
● Standardized forms of written characters;
● Construction of roads;
● Strengthening of defense walls against northern invaders;
● Collection of taxes;
● Government monopoly over industries (mining, salt).
Han dynasty (202 BCE-221 CE)
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Traditional Medicine
○ Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders and Miscellaneous Illnesses (c.220 CE)
Paper;
State exams for bureaucrats;
Navigation and commerce in Southeast Asia;
Litterature: Romance of the Three Kingdoms (end of the dynasty)