Early civilizations developed along major river valleys, where surplus food allowed for other occupations. Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China saw advances in irrigation, farming tools, and trade. Egyptian society stratified into social classes led by pharaohs and nobles. Hammurabi established one of the first legal codes, influencing modern law. Egyptians excelled at architecture, art, and trade under Queen Hatshepsut and Ramses the Great. The Kush civilization in Nubia influenced and was influenced by Egypt over centuries.

1. Early Civilizations
Dongjun Kim
Pd. F
5/21/08

2. River Valley Civilizations
 Euphrates, Tigris River – Mesopotamia. Travel,
trade, farming, irrigation.
 Huang He (Yellow River) – China. Farming,
irrigation.
 Nile River – Egypt. Agriculture, farming villages
-> cities
 Indus River – India. Provide food. Surplus let
people do art, craft, writing.

3. Technical Advance –
(Farming)
 Mesopotamia – Irrigation basins to hold water
supplies.
 Sumer Inventions – Wheel, plow pulled by
oxen.
 Kush – Trade network improves farming
conditions
 Egypt – Irrigation systems , canals direct
river’s flow, carry water.

4. Egyptian Social Rankings
 Pharaoh – Ruler of Egypt
 Nobles – Officials/Priests run government
and temples
 Soldiers – Fight for country
 Scribes/Craftspeople/Merchants – Wrote and
produced goods
 Farmers/Servants/Slaves – More than 80% of
the population were farmers

5. Hammurabi’s Code
 282 laws to abide by in daily life
 Specific crimes, specific penalties
 Trade, loans, theft, marriage, injury.
murder
 Influence ideas found in laws today

6. Egyptian Art & Architecture
 Artisans work for temple/government. Made
statues, furniture, jewelry, pottery, shoes.
Paid for job.
 Architects design temples, pyramids, royal
tombs.
 Temples – Sphinxes protect the gate, Obelisk
pillars.
 Artists – Painted on canvas, papyrus,
pottery, plaster, wood.
 Make necklaces, collars, bracelets made out

7. Egyptian Trade
 Trade expands with empire EX) Sinai
Peninsula had turquoise and copper.
 Trade with Kingdom of Punt, Asia Minor,
Greece. Imported gold, copper, timber.
 Queen Hatshepsut contributed to Egyptian
Trade
 Trade with Kush brings in lots of raw materials

8. Queen Hatshepsut, & Ramses
the Great
 Queen Hatshepsut – Increase Egyptian
trade, Support art and architecture,
monuments, temples.
 Ramses – Fought Hittites (Asian Minor),
Tehenu. Series of forts strengthening
western frontier. Last great Egyptian
Pharaoh.

9. Kush’s Location & Relation with Egypt
 Kush – Give supply of
slaves, raw materials, gold,
copper, stone, ebony, ivory.
 Was conquered by Egypt
around 1500 BC. Egyptian
Influence
 850 BC. Regain
independence. King Kashta
conquer Upper Egypt. His
son Piankhi conquers Lower
Egypt as well. This was
known as the Kushite
Dynasty

10. Language & Writing
 Phoenicians – Develop one of world’s first
alphabets
 Sumerians – Pictographs, Cuneiform, world’s
first system of writing.
 Egyptians – Hieroglyphics, papyrus
 Kush – Develop own writing, Meroitic.

11. Questions
 1. What was the Hammurabi’s Code?
 2. More than how many % of Egyptian population were farmers?
 3. Which Egyptian leader contributed greatly to Egyptian trade?
 4. Who was known as the Last Great Pharaoh of Egypt?
 5. What was the writing system of the Kush civilization called?
 6. What was the world’s first writing system called?
 7. The Kush regained independence from Egyptian rule at 850
BC; starting which dynasty?

12. Answers
 1. Laws to abide by in a daily basis written by
Hammurabi
 2. 80 %
 3. Queen Hatshepsut
 4. Ramses the Great
 5. Meroitic system
 6. Cuneiform
 7. Kushite Dynasty