The First Civilizations
Chapter Introduction
Section 1 Early Humans
Section 2 Mesopotamian Civilization
Section 3 The First Empires
Reading Review
Chapter Assessment
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The First Civilizations
Chapter Objectives
• Explain how learning to farm changed
the way early peoples lived.
• Describe the development of the first
major civilizations in Mesopotamia’s
river valleys.
• Describe the rise and fall of the
Assyrian and Chaldean Empires.
The First Civilizations
Early Humans
Get Ready to Read
Section Overview
This section describes the world’s earliest
humans and relates their change from
nomadic hunters to farmers.
Early Humans
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Focusing on the Main Ideas
• Paleolithic people adapted to their
environment and invented many tools to
help them survive.
• In the Neolithic Age, people started
farming, building communities,
producing goods, and trading.
Early Humans
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Locating Places
• Jericho (JEHR•ih•KOH)
• Çatal Hüyük (chah•TAHL hoo•YOOK)
Early Humans
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Building Your Vocabulary
• historian (hih•STOHR•ee•uhn)
• archaeologist (AHR•kee•AH•luh•jihst)
• artifact (AHR•tih•FAKT)
• fossil (FAH•suhl)
• anthropologist (AN•thruh•PAH•luh•jihst)
• nomad (NOH•MAD)
Early Humans
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Building Your Vocabulary
• technology (tehk•NAH•luh•jee)
• domesticate (duh•MEHS•tih•KAYT)
• specialization
(SPEH•shuh•luh•ZAY•shuhn)
Early Humans
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Reading Strategy
Determine Cause and Effect Draw a
diagram like the one on page 8 of your
textbook. Use it to explain how early
humans adapted to their environment.
Early Humans
Early Humans
• History is the story of humans in the
past, and historians are the people
who study and write about humans of
the past.
• Archaeologists hunt for evidence
buried in the ground.
(pages 9–11)
Early Humans
Early Humans
(pages 9–11)
Early Humans
Early Humans (cont.)
• Anthropologists study how humans
developed and related to each other.
• The early period of human history is
called the Stone Age.
• The earliest part of the Stone Age is
called the Paleolithic period.
• Paleolithic people were nomads,
traveling from place to place to hunt and
search for food.
(pages 9–11)
Early Humans
Early Humans (cont.)
• Paleolithic women cared for children
and gathered berries, nuts, and grains.
• Paleolithic men hunted animals using
clubs, spears, traps, and bows and
arrows.
• Paleolithic people adapted to their
environment.
(pages 9–11)
Early Humans
Early Humans (cont.)
• Those in warm climates wore little
clothing and had little need for shelter.
• Those in cold climates used caves for
shelter.
• Over time, they learned to create
shelters from animal hides and wooden
poles.
(pages 9–11)
Early Humans
Early Humans (cont.)
• Paleolithic people discovered fire, which
kept them warm, lit the darkness, and
cooked food.
• Long periods of extreme cold are called
the Ice Ages.
• During the Ice Ages, thick sheets of ice
covered parts of Europe, Asia, and
North America.
(pages 9–11)
Early Humans
Early Humans (cont.)
• Paleolithic people developed spoken
language and expressed themselves
through art, which may have had
religious meaning.
• During this time, humans created tools
such as spears and hand axes using
stone called flint.
(pages 9–11)
Early Humans
How did spoken language help the
Paleolithic people?
Language made it easier for people
to work together and pass on
knowledge.
Early Humans
Neolithic Times
• In the beginning of the Neolithic Age,
people began to domesticate, or tame,
animals.
• Domesticated animals carried goods
and provided meat, milk, and wool.
• People in different parts of the world
began growing crops about the same
time.
• Historians call this change the farming
revolution.
(pages 13–15)
Early Humans
Neolithic Times (cont.)
• Because farmers needed to stay close
to their fields, they built permanent
homes in villages.
• One of the oldest villages is Jericho in
present-day Israel and Jordan.
• Another Neolithic village is Çatal Hüyük
in present-day Turkey.
• Permanent villages provided people
with security and steady food.
(pages 13–15)
Early Humans
Neolithic Times (cont.)
• The surplus food led to a larger
population.
• Not all people in a village were farmers.
• Some made pottery, mats, and cloth.
• They traded these goods for things they
did not have.
(pages 13–15)
Early Humans
Neolithic Times (cont.)
• People continued to create new
technology.
• They created better farming tools and
began working with metal, copper, and
tin.
• They also began working with bronze.
(pages 13–15)
Early Humans
Why was farming important to the
Neolithic people?
Farming allowed people to settle in
one place, and it provided a steady
food supply.
Early Humans
Who are archaeologists and what do
they study?
Archaeologists are scientists who
hunt for, dig up, and study artifacts.
Early Humans
How did domesticating animals help
the Neolithic people?
Animals supplied meat, milk, and
wool. They also carried goods and
pulled carts.
Early Humans
Explain Why were Paleolithic
people nomads?
They moved around to hunt animals
and gather other foods.
Early Humans
Compare Compare the technology
of the Paleolithic Age with that of the
Neolithic Age?
Paleolithic: stone, bone, and wooden
tools and weapons;
Neolithic: metal tools and weapons
Early Humans
Analyze Why was the ability to
make a fire so important?
Fire kept humans warm, scared
animals away, and was used to
cook food.
Early Humans
Summarize the impact of farming on the
human race.
Mesopotamian Civilization
Get Ready to Read
Section Overview
This section describes Mesopotamia, one
of the regions where the world’s earliest
civilizations developed.
Mesopotamian Civilization
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Focusing on the Main Ideas
• Civilization in Mesopotamia began in the
valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers.
• Sumerians invented writing and made
other important contributions to later
peoples.
• Sumerian city-states lost power when
they were conquered by outsiders.
Mesopotamian Civilization
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Locating Places
• Tigris River (TY•gruhs)
• Euphrates River (yu•FRAY•teez)
• Mesopotamia
(MEH•suh•puh•TAY•mee•uh)
• Sumer (SOO•muhr)
• Babylon (BA•buh•luhn)
Mesopotamian Civilization
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Meeting People
• Sargon (SAHR•GAHN)
• Hammurabi (HA•muh•RAH•bee)
Mesopotamian Civilization
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Building Your Vocabulary
• civilization (SIH•vuh•luh•ZAY•shuhn)
• irrigation (IHR•uh•GAY•shuhn)
• city-state
• artisan (AHR•tuh•zuhn)
• cuneiform (kyoo•NEE•uh•FAWRM)
• scribe (SKRYB)
• empire (EHM•PYR)
Mesopotamian Civilization
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Reading Strategy
Sequencing Information Use a diagram
like the one on page 16 of your textbook,
to show how the first empire in
Mesopotamia came about.
Mesopotamian Civilization
Mesopotamia’s Civilization
• Civilizations are complex societies with
cities, governments, art, religion, class
divisions, and a writing system.
• Rivers were important because they
made for good farming conditions.
• They also made it easy for people to
travel and trade.
• Governments were formed because
someone had to make plans and
decisions for the common good. (pages 17–20)
Mesopotamian Civilization
Mesopotamia’s Civilization (cont.)
• Mesopotamia is a flat plain bounded by
the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
• Floods in Mesopotamia were frequent
and unpredictable.
• Farmers learned to control the rivers
with dams and channels.
• They also used the rivers to irrigate, or
water, their crops.
(pages 17–20)
Mesopotamian Civilization
Mesopotamia’s Civilization (cont.)
• Many cities formed in a southern region
of Mesopotamia known as Sumer.
• Sumerian cities were city-states, with
their own governments.
• Sumerian cities often fought each other.
• To protect themselves, the city-states
built walls around themselves.
(pages 17–20)
Mesopotamian Civilization
Mesopotamia’s Civilization (cont.)
• Sumerians believed in many gods.
• Each citystate had a
ziggurat, or
grand
temple, to
honor the
gods.
(pages 17–20)
Mesopotamian Civilization
Mesopotamia’s Civilization (cont.)
• Most Sumerians were farmers, but some
were artisans, or skilled workers.
• Others were merchants and traders.
• Sumerian city-states had three classes.
• The upper class consisted of kings,
priests, and government officials.
• The middle class consisted of artisans,
merchants, fishers, and farmers.
(pages 17–20)
Mesopotamian Civilization
Mesopotamia’s Civilization (cont.)
• The lower class consisted of slaves.
(pages 17–20)
Mesopotamian Civilization
What effect did irrigation have on
the people of Mesopotamia?
Irrigation allowed farmers to grow
plenty of food. More food meant
more people could be fed, so the
population grew.
Mesopotamian Civilization
A Skilled People
• Mesopotamia has been called the cradle
of civilization because of the influence of
Sumerian ideas on other
areas.
• Writing helps people keep
records and pass on ideas.
• Sumerians developed a
writing system called
cuneiform.
• Only a few people, called
scribes, learned to write.
(pages 20–21)
Mesopotamian Civilization
A Skilled People (cont.)
• The Sumerians also produced the oldest
known story, the Epic of Gilgamesh.
• The Sumerians also invented new
technology such as the wagon wheel,
the sailboat, and the plow.
• The Sumerians developed many
mathematical ideas, including geometry,
a number system based on 60, and a
12-month calendar.
(pages 20–21)
Mesopotamian Civilization
Why did Sumerians study the
skies?
The locations of the planets and
stars guided the Sumerians’ farming
and festivals.
Mesopotamian Civilization
Sargon and Hammurabi
• Sargon, the king of the Akkadians,
conquered all of Mesopotamia and set
up the world’s first empire.
• An empire is a group of many different
lands under one ruler.
• After Sargon, another group of people
became powerful.
• They built the city of Babylon on the
Euphrates River.
(page 23)
Mesopotamian Civilization
Sargon and Hammurabi (cont.)
• The Babylonian king, Hammurabi,
conquered lands north and south of
Babylon to create the Babylonian Empire.
• The Code of Hammurabi was a
collection of laws covering crimes,
farming, business activities, and
marriage and family.
• Many punishments in the code were
cruel, but the code was an important
step in the development of a justice
system.
(page 23)
Mesopotamian Civilization
What were some of the benefits of
living in Hammurabi’s empire?
What were some of the drawbacks?
Benefits: Living in a large, powerful empire
helps keep enemies from taking over the
land; Hammurabi’s code helped keep people
from committing crimes against one another.
Drawbacks: Hammurabi’s code had cruel
punishments; people were governed by one
person, Hammurabi, instead of living in a
representative government.
Mesopotamian Civilization
What is civilization?
a complex society with cities, an
organized government, art, religion,
a system of writing, and class
divisions
Mesopotamian Civilization
What was the Code of Hammurabi?
a set of laws that the Babylonian
leader Hammurabi established for
his empire
Mesopotamian Civilization
Geography Skills How was the
geography of Mesopotamia suited for
the growth of population and creation
of a civilization?
Mesopotamia was located in the
valley of the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers. These rivers often flooded,
leaving behind rich soil for farming,
which made it easier to feed large
numbers of people.
Mesopotamian Civilization
Science Link Why did the
Sumerians record the positions of
stars and planets and develop a
calendar?
to learn the best times to plant crops
and hold religious festivals
Mesopotamian Civilization
Persuasive Writing Imagine you
are living in a city-state in ancient
Sumer. Write a letter to a friend
describing which Mesopotamian idea
or invention you believe will be the
most important to humanity.
Answers will vary.
Mesopotamian Civilization
Review the Sumerian technologies that
changed the world.
The First Empires
Get Ready to Read
Section Overview
This section discusses the Assyrian and
Chaldean Empires.
The First Empires
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Focusing on the Main Ideas
• Assyria’s military power and well
organized government helped it build a
vast empire in Mesopotamia by 650 B.C.
• The Chaldean Empire built important
landmarks in Babylon and developed
the first calendar with a seven-day
week.
The First Empires
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Locating Places
• Assyria (uh•SIHR•ee•uh)
• Persian Gulf (PUHR•zhuhn)
• Nineveh (NIH•nuh•vuh)
• Hanging Gardens
Meeting People
• Nebuchadnezzar
(NEH•byuh•kuhd•NEH•zuhr)
The First Empires
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Building Your Vocabulary
• province (PRAH•vuhns)
• caravan (KAR•uh•VAN)
• astronomer (uh•STRAH•nuh•muhr)
Reading Strategy
Compare and Contrast Complete a
Venn diagram like the one on page 26 of
your textbook. List the similarities and
differences between the Assyrian Empire
and the Chaldean Empire.
The First Empires
The Assyrians
• The Assyrian empire arose about 1,000
years after the rule of Hammurabi.
• The Assyrian army was the first large
army to use iron weapons.
• Their weapons were stronger than those
of copper and tin.
(pages 27–28)
The First Empires
The Assyrians (cont.)
• They fought with spears, daggers, bows
and arrows, chariots and soldiers on
horseback.
(pages 27–28)
The First Empires
The Assyrians (cont.)
• The capital of the Assyrian empire was
Nineveh.
• The empire was divided into provinces,
which are political districts.
• Each province was governed by an
official who collected taxes and
enforced laws.
(pages 27–28)
The First Empires
The Assyrians (cont.)
• The Assyrians built large temples and
palaces, with statues and wall carvings.
• One of the first libraries was in Nineveh
and held 25,000 tablets of stories and
songs.
• People began to rebel because of
Assyria’s cruel treatment.
• The Chaldeans rebelled and took
control of Nineveh in 612 B.C.
(pages 27–28)
The First Empires
How were the Assyrians like other
Mesopotamians?
The Assyrians and the
Mesopotamians built temples and
palaces. Both used art and writing.
The First Empires
The Chaldeans
• Nebuchadnezzar was the king of the
Chaldeans.
• The Chaldeans, who were descendents
of Babylonians, rebuilt Babylon.
• The city became the center of the
Chaldeans’ empire.
• The city was surrounded by a huge wall.
Inside the wall were palaces, temples,
and a huge ziggurat.
(pages 29–30)
The First Empires
The Chaldeans (cont.)
• Nebechadnezzar ordered the Hanging
Gardens to be built for his wife, who
missed her green, mountainous
homeland.
• The Hanging
Gardens were
one of the
Seven
Wonders of the
Ancient World.
(pages 29–30)
The First Empires
The Chaldeans (cont.)
• The Chaldeans were merchants,
artisans, and traders.
• Babylon was on a
major trade route
and profited from
trade.
(pages 29–30)
The First Empires
The Chaldeans (cont.)
• The Chaldeans studied the sky to
understand the gods.
• Their astronomers (people who study
the heavenly bodies) mapped the stars,
planets, and phases of the moon.
• The Chaldeans lost control of their
empire to the Persians.
(pages 29–30)
The First Empires
What made Babylon the world’s
richest city?
Being on a major trade route meant
merchants and artisans benefited
from trade. The city also had
beautiful structures, such as the
Hanging Gardens and the Ishtar
Gate.
The First Empires
Why was the Assyrian army a
powerful fighting force?
It had a well-organized army with
advanced weapons.
The First Empires
What were some of the
accomplishments of Chaldean
astronomers?
They mapped stars, planets, and
phases of the moon and created the
sundial and seven-day week.
The First Empires
Analyze How did the Assyrians set
up a well organized government?
They divided the empire into
provinces, and chose provincial
officials to collect taxes and enforce
laws.
The First Empires
Conclude Why do you think the
Assyrians took conquered peoples
from their lands and moved them to
other places?
Possible answer: It would make it
more difficult for conquered people to
rise up against the Assyrians.
The First Empires
Descriptive Writing Write a
paragraph that might be found in a
travel brochure describing the beauty
of ancient Babylon.
Answers will vary.
The First Empires
Science Link What different types
of knowledge and skills would the
Babylonians need to build the
Hanging Gardens?
Answers will vary.
The First Empires
Describe two main points about the
Assyrians and Chaldeans.
The First Civilizations
Section 1: Early Humans
Focusing on the Main Ideas
• Paleolithic people adapted to their
environment and invented many tools to
help them survive.
• In the Neolithic Age, people started
farming, building communities,
producing goods, and trading.
The First Civilizations
Section 2: Mesopotamian Civilization
Focusing on the Main Ideas
• Civilization in Mesopotamia began in the
valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers.
• Sumerians invented writing and made
other important contributions to later
peoples.
• Sumerian city-states lost power when
they were conquered by outsiders.
The First Civilizations
Section 3: The First Empires
Focusing on the Main Ideas
• Assyria’s military power and wellorganized government helped it build a
vast empire in Mesopotamia by 650 B.C.
• The Chaldean Empire built important
landmarks in Babylon and developed
the first calendar with a seven-day
week.
The First Civilizations
Review Vocabulary
Define Match the vocabulary word that completes each
sentence.
E 1. A ___ kept records
__
in cuneiform.
C 2. An ___ is a group of
__
many different lands
under one ruler.
__
B 3. Assyrian kings
divided their empire
into political districts
called ___.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
historians
provinces
empire
city-state
scribe
The First Civilizations
Review Vocabulary
Define Match the vocabulary word that completes each
sentence.
A 4. ___ are people who
__
study and write
about the human
past.
D 5. A ___ had its own
__
government and
was not part of any
larger unit.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
historians
provinces
empire
city-state
scribe
The First Civilizations
Review Main Ideas
Section 1 Early Humans
How did Paleolithic people adapt to
their environment?
They adapted to the environment by
making tools and clothes and by
using fire.
The First Civilizations
Review Main Ideas
Section 1 Early Humans
What were the major differences
between people who lived in the
Paleolithic period and those who
lived in the Neolithic period?
People who lived in the Paleolithic
period were hunters and gatherers.
Neolithic people were farmers and
traders who built communities.
The First Civilizations
Review Main Ideas
Section 2 Mesopotamian Civilization
Where were the first civilizations in
Mesopotamia?
in the valleys of the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers
The First Civilizations
Review Main Ideas
Section 2 Mesopotamian Civilization
How did Sumerian city-states lose
power?
Conflicts weakened them and they
became vulnerable to attacks by
outsiders.
The First Civilizations
Review Main Ideas
Section 3 The First Empires
What helped Assyria build an
empire in Mesopotamia?
its military power and well organized
government
The First Civilizations
Review Main Ideas
Section 3 The First Empires
What scientific advancement did
the Chaldeans make?
They mapped the stars, planets,
and phases of the moon; created
the sundial; and used the seven-day
week.
The First Civilizations
Explain Why do you think
Mesopotamia is sometimes called
the “cradle of civilization”?
Some of the earliest known
civilizations arose in Mesopotamia
and had a great effect on world
history.
The First Civilizations
Analyze Why was the switch from
hunting and gathering to farming
important enough to be called the
farming revolution?
Farming allowed early humans to
settle into villages, which was a new
way of living that led to the rise of
civilizations.
The First Civilizations
Describe What rights did women
have in the city-states of Sumer?
They could buy and sell property
and run businesses.
The First Civilizations
Predict How successful do you
think the Assyrian army would have
been if it had not learned how to
strengthen iron?
Answers will vary. You should note
that the Assyrians still would have
been powerful because of their
strategies and ruthlessness.
Explore online information about the
topics introduced in this chapter.
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Maps
The Rise of Farming Communities 7000–2000 B.C.
Ancient Mesopotamia
Assyrian Empire
Chart
Comparing the Neolithic and Paleolithic Ages
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Click the map to view an interactive version.
Click the map to view an interactive version.
Early Humans
Scientists believe early humans made tools from
other materials besides stone. They probably used
wooden sticks to dig holes and used bark from
trees to make containers. Unlike stone, these
organic materials decay, so remnants from the
early humans are unavailable.
Mesopotamian Culture
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania spent
30 years developing the first Sumerian language
dictionary.
The First Empires
The Chaldeans in today’s Iraq still speak Aramaic,
the language of ancient Babylon.
Reading Social Studies
Learn It!
Get Ready to Read!
Before you read, take time to preview the chapter.
This will give you a head start on what you are
about to learn. Follow the steps on the next slide
to help you quickly read, or skim, Section 1 on
page 9 of your textbook.
Reading Social Studies
1. Read
the main
Paleolithic people
headings in
adapted to their environment and
large red
invented many tools to help them
type. They
survive.
show the
Reading Focus What do you
main topics
view as the greatest human
achievement? Sending people to covered in
the moon, perhaps, or inventing the section
the computer? Read to learn
or chapter.
Early Humans
2. The
under each
main head
tells you the
“big picture.”
It summarizes
the main point
of what you
are about to
read.
about the accomplishments of
people during the Paleolithic
Age.
_________________________
History is the story of humans…
Tools of Discovery
Reading Social Studies
Early Humans
3. The
Reading
Focus helps
you to make
a connection
between
what you
might already
know and
what you are
about to
read.
Paleolithic people
adapted to their environment and 4. Under
invented many tools to help them each main
survive.
head, read
Reading Focus What do you
view as the greatest human
achievement? Sending people to
the moon, perhaps, or inventing
the computer? Read to learn
about the accomplishments of
people during the Paleolithic
Age.
_________________________
History is the story of humans…
Tools of Discovery
the
subheads
in blue type.
Subheads
break down
each main
topic into
smaller
topics.
Reading Social Studies
Early Humans
Paleolithic people
adapted to their environment and
invented many tools to help them
survive.
Reading Focus What do you
view as the greatest human
achievement? Sending people to
the moon, perhaps, or inventing
the computer? Read to learn
about the accomplishments of
people during the Paleolithic
Age.
_________________________
History is the story of humans…
Tools of Discovery
Reading Social Studies
Practice It!
Preview by Skimming
Skim all of the main heads and main ideas in Section
3, starting on page 26 of your textbook. Then in
small groups, discuss the questions below.
• Which part of this section do you think will be
most interesting to you?
• What do you think will be covered in Section 3
that was not covered in Section 2?
Reading Social Studies
Practice It!
Preview by Skimming
Skim all of the main heads and main ideas in Section
3, starting on page 26 of your textbook. Then in
small groups, discuss the questions below.
• Are there any words in the Main Ideas that you
do not know how to pronounce?
• Choose one of the Reading Focus questions to
discuss in your group.
The First Civilizations
Introduction
Early Humans
Mesopotamian Civilization
The First Empires
Paleolithic Cave Paintings
Science and Inventions
Tools
One of the most important advances of
prehistoric people was the creation of
stone tools. Tools made hunting,
gathering, building shelter, and making
clothing much easier. The first tools were
made of stones. Early humans quickly
learned that grinding, breaking, and
shaping the stones to create sharp edges
made them more useful. As technology
advanced, people began making specific
tools such as food choppers, meat
scrapers, and spear points. In time, people
learned that hitting a stone in a particular
way would produce a flake—a long, sharp
chip. Flakes were similar to knives in the
way they were used.
Connecting to the Past
1. Why do you think early people chose stones
to make their first tools?
Stones were easy to fashion into tools.
2. How were flakes created?
by chipping stones pieces until they flaked into the
right shape
Ötzi the Iceman c. 3300 B.C
Hammurabi Reigned c. 1792–1750 B.C
Chapter 1
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