(PRE) First Civilizations Lesson

First Civilizations Lesson

Tigris-Euphrates Civilization

This civilization originated in the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in a part of the Middle East called Mesopotamia. It was one of the few cases of a civilization that started from scratch—with no examples from any place available for imitation. This civilization progressed mostly due to the accomplishments of the Sumerians, the most influential people in the Tigris-Euphrates region. By about 3500 b.c.e, the Sumerians had developed the first known human writing, cuneiform. They also were characterized by the development of astronomical sciences, intense religious beliefs, and tightly organized city-states. The Sumerians improved the region's agricultural prosperity by learning about fertilizers and using silver to conduct commercial exchange. Their ideas about divine forces in natural objects were common among early agricultural peoples; a religion of this sort, which sees many gods in aspects of nature, is known as polytheism. Sumerian political structures stressed tightly organized city-states, ruled by a king who claimed divine authority. This was a key early example how a civilization and political structures combined. The government helped regulate religion and enforce its duties; it also provided a system of courts for justice. Kings were originally war leaders; and the function of defense and war, including leadership of a trained army, remained vital to the civilization. The Sumerians eventually succumbed to the Akkadians, who continued much of the Sumerian culture in the Tigris-Euphrates region, and the Babylonians, who developed Hammurabi's Code. The code laid down the procedure for law courts and regulated property rights and duties of family members, setting harsh punishments for crimes. The standardized legal system was one of the features of early river valley civilizations.

 

Egyptian Civilization

Egyptian civilization emerged in northern Africa along the Nile River by about 3000 B.C.E. It benefited from trade and influences from Mesopotamia, but it also produced its own distinct social structures and cultural expressions. Unlike Mesopotamian civilization, Egyptian civilization featured very durable and centralized institutions. Mathematical achievements and impressive architectural structures also characterized Egyptian civilization. From 2700 B.C.E. onward the Egyptian pharaohs directed the building of the pyramids, which functioned as their tombs. However, the construction of these massive architectural monuments was accomplished with the use of an abundance of slave labor.

 

Indian and Chinese River Valley Civilizations

A prosperous urban civilization emerged along the Indus River by 2500 B.C.E., supporting several large cities such as Harappa. Indus River peoples had trading contacts with Mesopotamia, but they developed a distinctive alphabet and artistic forms. Invasions by Indo-Europeans resulted in such complete destruction of this culture that little is known today about its subsequent influence on India. Civilization along the Huang (Yellow) River in China developed in considerable isolation, though some overland trading contact developed with India and the Middle East. In addition to the existence of an organized state that carefully regulated irrigation in the flood-prone river valley, the Chinese had produced advanced technology and elaborate intellectual life by about 2000 B.C.E. There was also less of a break between Chinese river-valley society and the later civilizations in China than in any other region. The Shang ruled over the Huang River valley by about 1500 B.C.E. These rulers are noted for managing the construction of impressive tombs and palaces.

 

In Depth: The Idea of Civilization in World Historical Perspective

The belief that there are fundamental differences between the "civilized" and the "barbarians" is an old and widespread one used by the Chinese, American Indians, ancient Greeks, and modern western Europeans, to name just a few. The latter attempted to define a series of stages in human development that ranged from utterly primitive to "advanced," with the advanced culture belonging to the western Europeans. By the 19th century, racial qualities were quantified as qualifiers for position along the hierarchy of "civilization." In the 20th century much of that intellectual baggage was eventually discarded. At present, the most accepted way to approach a definition of "civilization" is to view it as one of several ways humans identify social organization.

 

The Heritage of the River Valley Civilizations

Basic achievements like the wheel, alphabets, mathematics, and divisions of time are vital legacies of the early civilizations. Mesopotamian art and Egyptian architecture influenced the Greeks, and subsequently the Romans, who both passed on much of their heritage to Muslim and European civilization. The Phoenicians devised a simplified alphabet that greatly influenced the Greek and Latin writing systems. The most influential of the smaller Middle Eastern groups were the Jews who gave the world the first clearly developed monotheistic religion.

 

In Depth:  The Legacy of Asia's First Civilizations

The first civilizations that developed in south Asia and China matched the Mesopotamian civilizations in size, complexity, and longevity. Although much of the Harappan civilization was destroyed and as a result was unknown for thousands of years, some legacies (e.g., yoga positions) carried on. In contrast, much of the early Chinese civilizations survived and profoundly influenced the history of that region - of particular note is the Mandate of Heaven and China's writing system.

 

The First Civilizations

The first civilizations established a pattern of division among the world's peoples. After Homo sapiens spread to almost every corner of the world and then had relatively little contact with each other, separate languages and cultures developed. But by 1000 B.C.E. the Phoenicians traded with Britain and Chinese silk was sold in Egypt. Overall, four distinct centers of civilizations developed: the Middle East, India, China, and Egypt (five of the nascent Olmec civilizations are included). Each civilization had important commonalities including trade, writing, and cities, yet was different from the others in many ways. Thus, the duality of common experience and diversity has been part of the human experience for a very long time.

 

[CC BY 4.0] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION