Neolithic Revolution
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Nomads stopped hunting and gathering
Introduced settled farming and domesticated plants and animals
people produced more food to feed a bigger population
allowed for the birth of cities and then civilizations
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Job specialization
Art and architecture
Governments
Features of a Civilization
Writing
Public works
Social classes
Religion
Cities
Geography
River Valley
 Examples of civilizations that developed near rivers: Egypt, Mesopotamia, China and
India
 Fertile soil and a water supply: irrigation for crops, transportation of goods
 This supported population growth cities civilizations
Geography of Mesopotamia
 Developed near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
 Had fertile soil and good climate to support civilization
Geography of Egypt
 Nile River had constant floods allowed fertile soil to support civilization
 Surrounded by the desert and the sea for protection
Geography of India
 Indus and Ganges Rivers
 Himalaya Mountains and Hindu Kush mountains kept them isolated
 Seasonal monsoons play a large role in agriculture
Geography of China
 Huang He (Yellow) and Yangtze Rivers
 China was isolated by the Gobi Desert and the Himalaya and Hindu Kush
mountains
 had a traditional culture and developed an ethnocentric view of the world
 Viewed other cultures as barbarians
 Influenced Korea and Japan
GREECE
Greek Geography
 Mostly mountainous (compared to Japan) which caused the formation of citystates
 Greece is a peninsula and has an irregular coastline and good harbors (similar to
Japan)
 lived off of the sea for food
Ancient Athens
 Practiced direct democracy emphasized by Pericles
 Citizens play a direct role in government
 Focused on education: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle emphasized philosophy and
reason
Ancient Sparta
 Focused on military
 Did not allow foreigners or education
Alexander the Great
 large empire that spread from Greece to India and spread into the Middle East and
Egypt
 Created Hellenism: blending of Greek, Persian, Indian and Egyptian cultures
 CULTURAL DIFFUSION
ROME
Rome: Geography
 Rome: Italian Peninsula and located in the Mediterranean Sea
 location allowed for trade and expansion
 (connects Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Western Europe)
Roman Government
 Republic: male citizens can elect their officials into the Senate
 Caesar created the Roman dictatorship and limited the power of the Senate
Roman Achievements
 Preserved Greek culture
 Roman Roads connected the empire
 The fall of the Roman Empire in 476 CE (AD) led to the start of the Middle Ages in
Europe.
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THE PHOENICIANS
located in the Middle East and North Africa
Created the first alphabet and known as “carriers of civilization” because they
spread their culture throughout the Mediterranean Sea
CHINA
Early civ’s developed in river valleys and used early forms of writing
Confucian philosophy eventually dominated China and brought civil service
exams
Believed other cultures were barbarians
Developed gunpowder, the compass and other navigational tools
India
Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa
 Earliest cities in India
 Had complex cities that used urban planning
The Maurya Empire
 Indian empire
 Asoka: ruler that converted to Buddhism and created the Pillars of Asoka which
were placed around the empire and stressed the morals of Buddhism
 These Pillars placed the rules for all to see throughout the empire
The Gupta Empire
 Located in India
 Existed between 300 CE and 550 CE
 Ruled during a golden age and had many cultural achievements
 Most important contribution: improvements in math and medicine (pi: 3.14)
 Developed the concept of zero
Law Codes
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ALL LAW CODES are examples of legal codes, law codes or codes of behavior
Hammurabi’s Code
 First law code and it focused on social rank
 if citizens are equal than the punishment is an eye for an eye
 If the person is a lower class the punishment is a fine
 Social classes play a role in the laws
 harsh and severe punishments
 Displayed throughout his empire
10 Commandments
 Religious code of behavior in Judaism and Christianity
 Provided moral standards and laws
The Twelve Tables of Rome
 Ancient Rome’s first law code
 This is an example of a legal code, law code, or code of behavior
Justinian’s Code
 Created by Byzantine emperor Justinian
 Modified ancient Roman laws
 legal code, law code, or code of behavior
Asoka’s Pillars
 Created by Asoka, ruler of the Maurya Dynasty
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Told stories of the Buddha
Displayed throughout the Empire
Religions
Cultural Diffusion of Religion
• Religions have spread throughout the world over trade routes and location
Confucianism
• Stressed filial piety or respect for your elders
• One must know their place in society then order would be brought to an empire
• Stressed the Five Relationships: respect those above you in age or position
• Filial Piety: Focused on the respect for elders
• Stated that order and respect would create a stable society
Polytheism
• Belief in many gods or more than one god
• Examples: Early civilizations like Egypt, Fertile Crescent, Greece, Rome
• More examples: Hinduism, early traditional religions from Africa and Latin America
Hinduism
• No founder, chief religion in India brought there by the Aryans
• Karma: what you do in life, affects your next life
• Dharma: a person’s moral duties
• Reincarnation: cycle of rebirth
• All three compare to Buddhism
The Caste System
• Hindu social class pyramid and are FIVE castes
• The caste system was based on birth
• In the caste system there is NO social mobility
Buddhism
• Created by Siddhartha Gautama
• Karma: what you do in this life affects the next
• Dharma: a person’s moral duties
• Reincarnation: cycle of rebirth
• Nirvana: complete Enlightenment
• Four Noble Truths: the cause of suffering is desire, the only way to remove suffering
is to remove desire
• Eightfold Path: path you live to reach enlightenment
Monotheism
• Belief in one god: Judaism, Christianity, Islam
Christianity
• founded by Jesus Christ
• Based on Judaism and is monotheistic
• Bible and the 10 Commandments
Islam
• Monotheistic founded by Muhammad
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Practiced the Five Pillars of Faith
1. Allah is the one true god 2. Charity
4. Pilgrimage to Mecca called the Hajj
Mecca
3. Fasting during Ramadan
5. Praying FIVE times a day facing
All religions have rules or codes of behavior
• Christian and Judaism believe in the 10 Commandments
• Islam has the Five Pillars
• Buddhism: Eightfold Path
• Confucianism: Five Relationships