Transcript chapter 1
CHAPTER 1 FIRST RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATIONS PRE-CIVILIZATION • Stability due to need to control water • Small groups could not regulate waters • Small groups could not defend area • Predecessors to civilizations • Small farming villages • First appeared in S.W. Asia • Catal Huyuk as example • • • • • Self-sufficient agricultural village in Turkey Evidence of trade, tool making, artisans Evidence of complex religion Specialization of occupations: politics, military Evidence of metal working (Copper Age) CIVILIZATION • Civilization as Advanced Culture • Population dependent on cities • From Latin civitas • Permanent institutions • • • • Politics, Religion; ability to make war Social, labor, gender divisions, inequality Clearly defined sense of other: barbarian, nomad Artisan, intellectual classes favoring technology • Form of record keeping, specifically writing • Do not confuse with “good” or “superior” THE MAP OF 1ST CIVILIZATIONS ANCIENT HUMOR ENVIRONMENT AS CATALYST • Mesopotamia (land between rivers) • Harsh heat, drought; unpredictable floods • Few natural resources short of mud; no wood • No natural defensive areas such as hills • Area open to invasion by migrating nomads • People in area must • • • • Provide permanent food supply Regulate, provide permanent water supply Provide defense against invaders Acquire materials such as timber, minerals TIGRIS-EUPHRATES “Necessity is the mother of invention” Sumer in S. Iraq was first civilization • Cuneiform, sciences, math aided farming • Polytheistic religion • Religion was to appease gods, control nature • Art, architecture dedicated to gods, religion • • • • Priests, later kings rule city-states Land owning aristocracy dominate Warlike society with slavery Trade for needed materials LATER MESOPOTAMIANS • Cycle of Civilization • • • • Nomads come in and conquer sedentary people Conquerors assimilate local sedentary culture New civilization blends cultures, thrives for a while “New” civilization grows old, invaded by nomads • Akkad “First” • First Empire • Sargon conquered all of Sumer • Babylonian “First” • City at junction of Tigris-Euphrates • Hammurabi’s Law Code • Laws included in Jewish Torah MESOPOTAMIA AS A CHART THE NILE RIVER • Society very different from Sumer • Nile flooded regularly, predictably • Provided rich soil, Easy soil to farm • Civilization regulated flooding, surveying • Location isolated • Pharaoh was considered god-king • Theocracy, almost absolute • Built pyramid tombs for dead • Egypt unified for most of history • Achievements • • • • Mathematics especially geometry; architecture Sciences, Medicine Art was both secular and sacred Religion was positive, egalitarian in many ways INDUS VALLEY • Arose around 2,500 BCE • Main Cities • Mohenjo Daro • Harappa • Hundreds of other settlements • Independent city-states, strong government • Extremely well-planned, coordinated cities • Elaborate writing system (undeciphered) • Religion • Worshipped mother goddess • Evidence of priestly class and temples • Collapse • • • • Little evidence of warfare until end Devastated by environmental upheavals Destroyed by Indo-European (Aryan) nomads Cities abandoned HUANG-HE (YELLOW) RIVER • Developed in isolation • Along lower Yellow River • Rich loess soil • Constantly flooding • First Dynasties • Control of flooding critical • Xia Dynasty (Mythical?) • God-like kings • Taught irrigation, sericulture • Shang Dynasty • Warlike kings, landed aristocracy; few priests • Most people worked land as peasants • Elaborate bronze workings; naturalistic art CHINESE WRITING • Originated during Shang • Ideographic • Writing denotes ideas • First used on Oracle Bones • • • • Priests asked gods questions Wrote questions on bones Tossed into fire Cracks read by priests (divination) • Elitist technique = scholar-bureaucrats • Extremely difficult to read • Required well-educated class to use • Only elite had time to learn • Cuneiform, hieroglyphs had similar effects MANDATE OF HEAVEN • Chinese political idea • • • • Rulers exercise power given by heaven Rulers continue to rule if heaven pleased Heaven will take back mandate to rule Heaven will replace ruling dynasty • Indicators of a Lost Mandate • • • • Wars, invasions, military disasters Over-taxation, disgruntled peasants Social, moral decline of elite classes Increased crime, banditry DYNASTIC CYCLE • One ruling family replaces another • The Dynasty Changes • Due to the loss of the Mandate of Heaven • Stages in Cycle • • • • New dynasty arises, takes control of China Strengthens rule, reestablishes prosperity, peace Weakens, becomes lazy, problems arise Invasions, revolts toss out reigning dynasty • Shang replaces Xia, Zhou replaces Shang HOW THE CYCLE AND MANDATE WORK TOGETHER HERITAGES • First heritages • • • • • Passed thru children Writing systems inherited Intellectual systems, art copied Religious, philosophical systems copied Useful inventions rarely forgotten, easily spread • River valley civilizations decline by 1000BCE • All subject to nomadic invasions • Indo-Europeans and Semites were strongest • Geographical centers shifted (all except China) • Political Structures often not continued CIVILIZATION SPREADS • Phoenician Sailors in Lebanon • City-states traded across Mediterranean • Invented alphabet • Asia Minor • Hittites introduced Iron • Lydians introduced coinage to area • Hebrews in Palestine • • • • Large Semitic migration in area There is only one God speaking through prophets, priests God made a covenant with the Jews, his Chosen people Ethical monotheism • Conduct determines salvation • Man is not eternally damned if he follows God’s rules, repents NOMADS: BARBARIANS? • Pastoralism • • • • Domestication of animals Way of life based on herding Often on fringes Bordered settled areas • Seen as savages • Interaction vs. conflict • Nomads traded, coexisted with settled areas • Nomads warred on, conquered settled areas • Often protected merchants, allowed trade • Prior to 1500 BCE little major threat • Chariot Peoples (Central Asian Indo-Europeans) • Domesticated horse, invented chariot, iron weapons • Pushed into SW Asia, S. Asia, E. Asia, Europe • Responsible for spread of ideas, trade