AN01c1 Unit01: Beginnings of Civilizations Ch.

02
Timeline: 4th Millennium BCE (Neolithic & Bronze Ages)
FS: City-States Rise in Mesopotamia

Main Idea: All civilized societies share common traits. Historical context contributes to the development of
societal traits. If the context within which a society develops is similar to that of another society, then there
is a high probability that both will share several common traits. Beginning with the early river valley
civilizations, we can easily identify the common traits of those and succeeding civilizations.

CCSS...

I. Vocabulary
A. Mesopotamia: A Greek word meaning land between the rivers. Mesopotamians is a term
generally applied to all civilizations that developed in this area over a ~2000-year period. It is not to
suggest that all of these societies were identical. They did, however, share signicant social, political, and
cultural traits.
B. Fertile Crescent: An area, somewhat crescent-shaped, encompassing terrain that includes
Mesopotamia and stretches from the mouth of the Tigris-Euphrates rivers to the Nile river delta. This land,
nourished by the waters of these great rivers, has been the home of Mans earliest, civilized, societies.

II. Cradles of Civilization
The development of settled communities near rivers by early Man was the beginning of a process
culminating in the great river valley civilizations. Early Man quickly realized that rivers could provide the
essential elements for survival, but also improve the chance of prosperity. During the Neolithic Age, these
settled communities grew in population, acreage, and complexity with the nurturing qualities of the rivers.

A. Mesopotamia = Sumer B. Nile = Ancient Egypt C. Indus = Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro D. Huang He
= Han

III. Attributes of a Civilized Society
A. Presence of a Government: Organize the people of a society to ensure its survival.
B. Urban Population (Presence of Cities): High population density
C. Communication System: Roads, Trade Routes, Oral & Literary Data Recording (Language)
D. Commerce: Markets, Resources, Mediums Of Exchange
E. Hierarchy: Specialization and diversication of jobs and/ or social roles.

Attributes of Sumer (and to some extent, later Mesopotamians)

IV. Challenges
A. Geography/ Topography
1. Plains: Susceptible to invasion by outside forces.
2. River: Unpredictable ooding causing property damage and loss of life.
3. Climate: High temperatures, wind storms, and arid conditions away from river banks.
B. Political/ Social
Government Monarch divinely chosen, secular matters only. Each City-State
has its own government.
Architecture (monuments) Ziggurat: Secular & Religious purpose. Center of political,
commercial, and religious activities within the city.
Religion Ruler is divinely chosen, but human. Polytheistic faith.
Math, Science, Technology Used celestial observations to divide time into units: 60 seconds
= 1 minute, 60 minutes = 1 hour, 24 hours = 1 day/ developed
the wheel.
Written Language Cuneiform (wedge-shaped syllabic marks).
AN01c1 Unit01: Beginnings of Civilizations Ch.02
1. City-State Organization: Conicts common between neighboring states.
2. Lack of unity in meeting challenges (natural disasters, invasions)
V. Advantages
A. Organization: The structure and organization that gives rise to civilized life permits these early
societies to overcome many challenges.
B. River: The Tigris-Euphrates rivers provide all the basic necessities for life plus additional
materials (i.e. mud for bricks) and transportation to conduct trade.

Ponder: Since all the early river valley civilizations centered their existence on a river valley, would they
then develop identically?



Materials/Sources:#Refer to the course calendar for additional assignments and pertinent due dates.
World History: Patterns of Interaction textbook
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Update: Babylon Today (2 May 09) <http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/05/01/world/middleeast/20090503-babylon-
audioss/index.html>
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Episode 1: Climb the Stone Staircase. Source: The Ancient World Podcast (accessed July 2013)