This document discusses the rise of early civilizations from prehistoric times to around 200 BC. It begins by explaining what archaeology and anthropology teach us about prehistoric humans and the characteristics of early civilizations. Key developments include the emergence of Homo sapiens, the Paleolithic and Neolithic ages, and the first river valley civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, and others. The document then examines the spread of civilizations in the eastern Mediterranean, Mexico, Peru, China, and elsewhere up to around 200 BC.

1. The of Civilization
Prehistory - c. 2300 B.C.
What do archaeology and anthropology teach us about prehistoric humans?
What is a civilization, and how does one form?
r i
s
e

2. Archaeology and
Anthropology
• archaeology - the study of past
societies through analysis of what
people left behind (dig up and
examine artifacts)
• anthropology - the study of human
life and culture (use artifacts and
human fossils to create a picture of
people’s everyday lives)
• radiocarbon dating - used to
determine the age of an artifact
(accurate for objects no more than
50,000 years old)
• thermoluminescence - used to
determine the age of an artifact back
to 200,000 years ago (not as
accurate, but can date further back)

3. The 6 Characteristics of a
Civilization
social structure
government art
religion
cities
writing

4. Early Development
• hominid - humans and other
humanlike creatures that walk
upright
• homo sapiens sapiens - “wise,
wise humans”, a species that
appeared in Africa between
150,000 and 200,000 years ago;
they were the first anatomically
modern humans
• “out-of-Africa” theory - this theory
refers to when Homo sapiens
sapiens began spreading out of
Africa to other parts of the world
about 100,000 years ago and
began replacing populations of
earlier hominids in Europe and Asia

5. The Paleolithic Age
• The paleolithic people are the
first people to live on earth.
• They used stone tools, relied
on hunting and gathering as a
source of food, were
nomadic, used fire in their
everyday lives, and painted in
caves. (some believe this was
a religious ritual to bring
success in hunting)

6. Neolithic Peoples
• Used systematic agriculture
(growing and harvesting food
on a regular basis)
• domestication of animals
• evolution of stone tools to
metal tools
• importance of studying religion
• written language
• LOCATION: their biggest
villages for located near the
dead sea

7. River Valley Civilizations
• The first civilizations developed in
river valleys were physical
geographical factors such as
plentiful water and fertile land
allowed people to be successful in
farming.
• This is when the six characteristics
of a civilization began to emerge.
(For example, we see priests as
higher than others, creating social
structure.)
• The upper class’s demand for
luxurious items influenced trade.
• The Inca in Peru relied on memory
experts to keep track of important
matters.

8. The Fertile Crescent /
Mesopotamia
• LOCATION: The valley between the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers.
• Mesopotamia had rich soil and abundant crops.
• It had little rain, but because of its location, it was
enriched by thick layers of silt.
• Sometimes the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers would
overflow, so the people in the valley learned to
control the flooding by using irrigation and
drainage ditches.
• The Sumerians were the creators of the first
Mesopotamian civilization.
• They invented the arch and dome, discovered than
tin and copper make bronze, invented the wheel,
invented an advanced language (Cuneiform), and
made outstanding achievements in mathematics
and astronomy.
• They were polytheistic, or believed in many gods.
• The Mesopotamians were well known for their
metalwork.
what
Mesopotamia
may have
looked like

9. The of Civilization
c.3100 B.C. - c.200 B.C.
How does geography affect the development of civilizations?
In what ways do civilizations influence each other?
s p
r e
a d

10. Egyptian Civilization
• The Egyptians praised the Nile River, the longest
river in the world, because of its ability to bring
them food and other riches.
• They used the Nile as a way to travel and trade.
• The Egyptians were polytheistic.
• They were the first dynasty.
• Ancient Egypt’s social class is a major part of
defining Egyptian society. (They had a Pharaoh at
the top of their social structure.)
• The Egyptians had arranged marriages; the
parents (mainly the father) chose who their
daughter would marry. Usually the person they
chose to marry their daughter was in the same
social class as their own family.
• They used hieroglyphics and built pyramids.
• The Egyptians developed a number system that
allowed them to count indefinitely and also
developed a 365 day calendar.

11. Peoples in the Eastern
Mediterranean
HITTITE
-domesticated animals for food and clothing
-iron weapons and tools (first Indo-Europeans to use iron)
THE PHOENICIANS
-lived along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea
-TRADED and built ships
-best known for its alphabet, which was passed on to the
Greeks and from the Greek alphabet came to Roman alphabet
that we still use today
THE ISRAELITES
-Their religion (Judaism) influenced the religions of Christianity
and Islam.
-MONOTHEISTIC (believed in ONE God)
-The Israelites abided by the Ten commandments, which were
moral standards in their society.
-Jewish tradition may have impacted government.
THE MINOANS
-LOCATION: the Island of Crete
-wealthy empire (elaborate artifacts)
-based on trade

12. Indus Valley Civilization
• Features of India’s climate and geography:
a. Monsoons (seasonal wind pattern in Southern Asia that blows warm, moist air from the southwest
during the summer, bringing heavy rains and cold, dry air from the northeast during the winter)
b. Himalayas (the highest mountains in the world)
c. Indus and Ganges Rivers
d. Indus Valley
• LOCATION: by the Arabian Sea
• All houses contained a square courtyard surrounded but rooms.
• well-organized government
• wrote in sanskrit
• Three generations lived under the same roof.
• Extremely patriarchal (women were expected to burn themselves with their husbands if he died)
• The civilizations of the Indus Valley were very advanced.

13. The Shang
Dynasty
• ruled by an aristocracy
(wealth is based on land and
power is passed down
through generation)
• major concern was WAR
• royal family is the top of the
Shang society (social
structure)
• believed in supernatural
forces
• ancestor worship
• one of the longest in Chinese
history
• king was in charge
• silk is very important in Chinese
culture/trade
• What characterized China under
the Shang Dynasty? Aristocracy.
The Zhou
Dynasty

14. Olmec
• farmed along riverbanks
along the coast of the
Gulf of Mexico south of
Veracruz
• TRADED
• nicknamed “rubber
people”
• built enormous stone
heads (most likely
religious)
• LOCATION: Coast of
Mexico

15. • built pyramids and houses /
lived on the sides of
mountains
• first civilization to NOT BE BY
WATER
• LOCATION: Central Mexico
ZAPOTEC

16. Chavin
• They designed a very
sophisticated
irrigation system.
• built a solar
observatory
• LOCATION: modern
day Peru and
Ecuador
• The Chavin inhabited
early South America.

17. HELPFUL STUDY SOURCES
• https://quizlet.com/149839289/history-quiz-ch-3-
sections-1-and-2-flash-cards/
• https://quizlet.com/147264896/history-test-1-flash-
cards/

18. Image Sources
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_(Australopithecus)
• https://www.thinglink.com/scene/486648772147806208
• https://www.pinterest.com/pin/330099847665035812/
• https://socialscienceshighlandssev.wordpress.com/page/2/
• https://www.thinglink.com/scene/661953007918776321
• http://www.7continentslist.com/mesopotamia-cradle-of-civilization.php
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egypt
• http://www.gogringo.com/the-olmec-civilization-of-mexico/
• http://www.123rf.com/photo_18973696_monte-alban--the-ruins-of-the-zapotec-civilization-in-oaxaca-
mexico.html
• http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/photogalleries/zapotec-missions/photo5.html
• http://www.joaoleitao.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Chankillo-Chanquillo-Peru-18.jpg