First Civilizations
 Definition: The most complex stage of human societal
organization, made possible by the immense productivity
of Ag. Rev.
 Characteristics often include:
 People residing in cities numbering 10,000+
 Centralized government
 Written language
 Organized Religion
 Different social and economic classes
 Art and Architecture
 Specialization of labor (different jobs)
 Infrastructure (irrigation systems, roads, bridges, temples, etc.)
 Civilizations developed independently in six major
locations around world after 3,500 BCE
 Began developing with agricultural revolution
 A.R. allowed for surplus production to grow communities
 A.R. allowed for specialization of elite minorities
 Emerged from earlier competing chiefdoms
 Already possessed social rank & specialization
 Not all early chiefdoms became civilizations
 One popular civilization development theory is:
 Population density  competition due to limited available
land
 Competition led to innovations (irrigation, plows) and
warfare
 Winners absorbed losing populations into their societies
as lower class worker
 Sumer civilization was oldest
 Southern Mesopotamia (fertile crescent)
 Between 3500 and 3000 b.c.e.
 First written language
 Egyptian civilization appeared around same time
 Nile River Valley
 Smaller Nubian civilization to its south
 Norte Chico civilization
 Central coastal Peru
 Emerged between 3000 and 1800 b.c.e.
 Unique from other civilizations because:
 Smaller cities without walls or signs of pervasive warfare
 Less evidence of economic specialization
 No grain-based agriculture
 Did not develop certain technologies like pottery
 No writing system
 Little outside trade/imports
 Indus River Valley civilization
 Present-day Pakistan
 Arose between 3000 and 2000 b.c.e.
 Elaborately planned cities
 Standardized weights, measures, architectural styles, and
brick sizes
 Still undeciphered written language
 No palaces, temples, or political classes (kings, warriors
classes, etc.)
 Possibly organized around small republics ruled by priests
 Early form of the caste system
 Environmental degradation led to its collapse in 1700 b.c.e
 Several parts of culture influenced late Indian societies
 Shang Chinese civilization
 Modern-day China along Yellow River
 Around 2200 b.c.e.
 Dynasty system created highly centralized state
 “Son of Heaven” – Ruler was link between people and Gods
 Had power as long as he ruled w/ benevolence and maintained
order
 Early Chinese civilization has strongest link to modern
times of all early civs.
 Olmec civilization
 Modern-day Mexico
 1200 B.C.E.
 Cities created with ceremonial centers
 Highly developed religious culture
 1st written language in Americas in 900 B.C.E.
 Great influence on Mayan & Aztec civs. which came later
 Cities were most distinctive feature of first civilizations
 Political capitals
 Cultural centers
 Trade hubs
 Early manufacturing centers
 Mesopotamia:
 Largest city = Uruk
 50,000 people surrounded by 20 ft. walls
 At city center was giant stepped pyramid known as Ziggurat
 Large governmental presence
 Highly specialized workforce
 Indus River Valley:
 Largest cities = Mohenjo Daru & Harappa
 40,000 people
 Streets in grid system, lined by 2-3 story houses
 Indoor plumbing w/ extensive sewer networks
 Coming of civilization resulted in development of vast
social inequalities
 New levels of inequality are a major turning point in the
social history of humankind
 Creation of cities made social differences greater
 People moved into professional/craft specialization
 Upper classes:
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Possessed great wealth
Avoided physical labor
Occupied top positions in political, military, and religious life
Enjoyed preferred treatment under law, and manner of burial
 Free commoners:
 Formed vast majority of population
 Included artisans of all kinds, lower-level officials, soldiers and
police, servants, and farmers
 Their surplus was taken to support upper classes
 Slaves at bottom of social hierarchies everywhere
 Slavery and civilization emerged together
 1st generation slaves = prisoners of war, criminals, debtors
 Children of slaves sometimes freed
 Most often worked in fields, mines, homes, and shops
 Commonly part of ritual sacrifices
 Not defined by race or ethnicity
 Looked differently in different civs:
 More militarized Mesopotamia had more than Egypt or Indus Valley
 Coming of civilizations introduced vast gender
inequalities to human history
 Theories on why patriarchy emerged in First Civilizations:
 Animal-drawn plows and large herds favored male labor
 …patriarchy emerged in American civs. as well
 Men were less important in household and were more
available for powerful specialist roles
 Used authority to shape the values of societies to benefit them at
expense of women
 Women associated with nature (their role in
reproduction)
 Early civilizations highlight human mastery over nature
 Prevelance of warfare in most 1st civilizations
 War limited to men