The First Civilizations
Civilization
• Neolithic Revolution
– Agriculture
– Food Surpluses
• Permanent settlements
Partner Discussion Question
• Examine the picture on the following
slide. What key features do you see
that cities would require? What are
other necessary things that are not
depicted in the picture? Write down
your thoughts in your notes.
List features cities require seen in image. List
features cities require not seen in image.
Needs of Early Cities
• Fresh water
• Organization
– Trade
– Farming
– People
• Villages become
cities
• New Farming Inventions
– Plows
– Sickles
– Irrigation canals
• Required Cooperation
– Shared canals used by
many fields
• More food
– Surpluses
• Cities become first
civilizations
What Makes a Civilization?
• Reliable Food Surpluses
• Cities
• Specialization of Labor
– Social Classes
• Complex Institutions /
Government
– Bureaucracy
• Record Keeping / Writing
• Monumental Building
– Pyramids / Irrigation Systems
Reliable Food Surpluses
• Supports growing population
Cities
• Organized areas
– Areas for farming
– Areas for living
– Area for trade
• What do we call these???
• Marketplace
– Trade
– Social
Specialization of Labor
• Food Surpluses – What does this allow for???
• Specialized workers
– Artisans
• Metal workers
• Weavers
• Potters
– New inventions
– Creates Social Classes
– But…
• Most still farming
Complex Institutions
• Government
• Religion
– Common beliefs
– Nature gods
• Temples
• Economy/ Trade
– Barter (trade)
Record Keeping
• Why???
– Tax collection
– Laws
– Grain storage
– Calendars
• Scribes - professional recorders
• Written languages
– Pictographs
– Stylus
Mesopotamian City