1. Early Civilizations
Civilization – complex society with the following
characteristics:
- cities
- organized government
- art
- religion
- class divisions
- writing system

2. Early Civilizations
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River valleys provided good farming conditions and
easy transportation to trade
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Populations and cities began to grow
-
Governments formed
-
Religions and arts developed
-
Writing developed as a form of communication

3. Early Civilizations
-
Mesopotamia - the earliest known civilization
- Greek word meaning “land between the rivers”
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Irrigation – the building of walls, waterways and
ditches to bring water to the fields
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Sumer – region in southern Mesopotamia
- City-states formed
- Gods and rulers rose to power
- Ziggurats (temples) were built

4. Early Civilizations
Sumerian Life
- Most people farmed
-
Artisans – skilled workers who made metal products,
cloth, or pottery
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Others were merchants or traders
- Traded tools, wheat, and barley for copper, tin and
timber

5. Early Civilizations
Sumerian Life
- Three social classes:
- Upper class – kings, priests and government officials
- Middle class – artisans, merchants, farmers, and fishers
- Lower class – slaves
-
Greatest invention was writing called cuneiform
- Developed to keep track of business deals and events

6. Early Civilizations
Sumerian Life
- Many advances in Science and Math
- Irrigation systems
- Wagon wheel
- Plow
- Sailboat
- Method of time-keeping
- 12 month calendar

7. Early Civilizations
Two important kings:
1) Sargon – conquered all of Mesopotamia and set up
the world’s first empire
Empire – a group of many different lands under one ruler
2) Hammurabi – king of Babylon, created the Babylonian
Empire
- best known for his law code or collection of laws