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Lesson 3. Ancient Civilizations PART 1

The document discusses the characteristics and development of early civilizations, highlighting their small-scale Neolithic origins and the transition to complex societies with organized governments, social classes, and advancements in technology and agriculture. It outlines key civilizations such as Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and Ancient China, detailing their unique contributions to culture, governance, and technological innovation. The text also addresses the controversial nature of the term 'civilization' and its implications regarding hierarchy and cultural superiority.

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judelmorcozo
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27 views43 pages

Lesson 3. Ancient Civilizations PART 1

The document discusses the characteristics and development of early civilizations, highlighting their small-scale Neolithic origins and the transition to complex societies with organized governments, social classes, and advancements in technology and agriculture. It outlines key civilizations such as Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and Ancient China, detailing their unique contributions to culture, governance, and technological innovation. The text also addresses the controversial nature of the term 'civilization' and its implications regarding hierarchy and cultural superiority.

Uploaded by

judelmorcozo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Neolithic societies are

always relatively small-


scale and
decentralized.

Neolithic societies
merge to form a
civilization.
CIVILIZATION CIVITAS
Latin - city

Several ways in terms of etymology...

CIVILIS CIVIS
Latin - civil Latin - citizens
Civilization is sometimes a controversial term.
⚬ Justify colonialism and cultural superiority.

⚬ Implies a hierarchy, labeling some societies as


"uncivilized."

⚬ Lacks a clear universal definition, leading to


biased interpretations.
⚬ Process by which a place
reaches an advanced stage of
social development and
organization.

⚬ Characterized by technological,
agricultural, and infrastructural
advancements that support
large, stable populations.
⚬ An early, complex society that
developed foundational
technologies, agriculture,
governance, and culture.

⚬ Often forming the basis for later


modern civilizations.
⚬ Regular water supply
⚬ Soil is suitable for farming
⚬ Abundance of plants and animals
⚬ Mode of transportation

⚬ Flooding
⚬ Waterborne Diseases
⚬ Limited Spaces
Nile River Valley
Where Ancient Egypt
civilization is located.

Tigris-Euphrates River Valley


Where Mesopotamia
civilization is located.
Indus River Valley
Where Indus civilization is
located.

Huang-He River Valley


Where the Ancient China
civilization is located.
1. Cities 5. Social Classes
2. Organized Government 6. Arts and Architecture
3. Complex Religions 7. Public Works
4. Job Specializations 8. Writing
“The main feature of civilization.”
Early cities
arose from
farming
settlements.

The earliest
stems from the
Neolithic
Revolution.
⚬ Large and densely populated area
that serve as the center of
economic, political, and cultural
activities.
⚬ Near the major river and
surrounded by high walls.
⚬ Cities usually had:
￭ Temples
￭ Palaces
￭ Public Bath and Houses
￭ Stores
￭ Tangled Roads
⚬ A priest-king often held the
most power.
⚬ Claims of divine right and
hereditary rule were common.

⚬ Central governments
oversees:
￭ Food production and resource
distribution.
￭ Flood control and irrigation
projects .
￭ Law-making, tax collection, and
defense.
⚬ Belief in multiple gods influencing
nature and human activities.
⚬ Religious teachings often form the
basis of moral and ethical codes.

⚬ Rituals include ceremonies, dances,


prayers, hymns.

⚬ Civilizations often build temples,


shrines, and other sacred spaces as
centers of worship and religious
activity.
Job specialization increased interdependence among people.

ARTS AND CRAFTS METALWORKS CONSTRUCTIONS DEFENSE BUY AND SELL


Hierarchical ranking based on wealth, occupation, or lineage.

TOP CLASSES MIDDLE CLASSES BOTTOM CLASSES

PRIEST KING NOBLES MERCHANTS ARTISANS PEASANTS SLAVES


Sources of slavery: debt, punishment, and war
High proportion of slaves were women and children
Creative Expression

Technological Innovation

Monumental
Architecture
Costly but
ROAD
BRIDGES supposed to
SYSTEMS benefit city

Used to keep
people busy
IRRIGATIONS PROTECTIVE during periods
SYSTEMS WALLS of agricultural
inactivity or
warring
⚬ Originated through the records of
religious offering.
⚬ At first, they used pictograms, then
abstract ideas, then sounds, then
medical texts.
Scribes
⚬ Specially trained individuals that
managed records and had political
influence.

⚬ Limited opportunities for women to


become scribes.
Record Keeping

Communication

Literature and Culture

Bureaucracy

Education and Learning


MESOPOTAMIA
TIGRIS-EUPHRATES VALLEY
CHINA
EGYPT HUANG-HE VALLEY
NILE VALLEY
INDUS
INDUS VALLEY
Timeline: 3100 BCE to 30 BCE
Location: Centered around the Nile River in northeastern Africa.
⚬ The Pharaoh is the monarch of the Ancient Egypt
Civilization.

⚬ The gods of Ancient Egypt were seen as the lords of creation


& custodians of order.

Agriculture Sheep was the Houses were


focused on primary source normally built of
cereal crops of meat mud brick
⚬ Architecture: Known for monumental
structures like the pyramids and temples.
⚬ Mathematics: Developed geometry to aid
in building projects and land
measurement.
⚬ Medicine: Practiced early forms of surgery
and had a deep understanding of
anatomy.
⚬ Astronomy: Created a solar calendar
based on the Nile's flooding cycle, with
365 days divided into 12 months.
Hieroglyphics Mummification
Papyrus Pyramids
Water Clock Cosmetics and Wigs
Timeline: 3500 BCE to 539 BCE
Location: Situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Meso Potamos
Middle River
⚬ Mesopotamia is part of the Fertile Crescent, and also known as The
Cradle of Civilization.
⚬ The Code of Hammurabi, laid
the foundation for justice
systems.

⚬ Independent city-states are


common, and had priest
kings, and a class of scribes
who maintained records.
⚬ Writing: Developed cuneiform, one of the
earliest writing systems.
⚬ Mathematics: Created a base-60 number
system.
⚬ Agriculture: Invented the plow and
irrigation systems, which significantly
boosted agricultural productivity.
⚬ Astronomy: Recorded celestial events,
leading to the development of the lunar
calendar.
Ziggurats Epic of Gilgamesh
Irrigation Techniques Beer Brewing
Timeline: 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE
Location: Located in present-day Pakistan and northwest India.
⚬ The civilization had a uniform
culture, as evidenced by similar
city layouts and artifact designs
across the region.

⚬ Little is known about their


political structure, but it is
believed to have been a highly
organized and possibly
theocratic society.
⚬ Urban Planning: Cities like Harappa and
Mohenjo-Daro were well-planned with grid
layouts, advanced drainage systems, and
standardized brick sizes.
⚬ Engineering: Developed sophisticated water
management systems, including public baths
and reservoirs.
⚬ Metallurgy: Worked with copper, bronze, and
tin, creating tools, weapons, and ornaments.
⚬ Agriculture: Practiced advanced farming
techniques, including the cultivation of wheat,
barley, and cotton.
Undeciphered Script Bathtubs
Timeline: 2000 BCE
Location: Situated along the Huang-He River
⚬ Ruled by dynasties, each
contributing to the political and
cultural development of China,
such as the Shang and Zhou
dynasties.

⚬ Confucianism, Taoism, and


Legalism emerged as major
philosophical systems.
⚬ Writing: Developed Chinese characters,
which are still in use today, for
communication, record-keeping, and
literature.
⚬ Inventions: Pioneered the use of the
compass, papermaking, gunpowder, and
printing, which had a profound impact on
global civilization.
⚬ Medicine: Developed traditional Chinese
medicine, including acupuncture, herbal
remedies, and early surgical techniques.
Silk Production Great Wall of China
Oracle Bones Terracotta Army
Printing Acupuncture

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