Stephanie Howell

BASIC FEATURES OF EARLY CIVILIZATIONS IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS

Mesopotamia (Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Middle East)

  • Social Structures:
  • All social structures of Mesopotamia were stratified and pyramidal, with a ruling class at the top and the common people at the bottom. Toward the middle were the merchants and scribes.
  • The noble class ruled over a large amount of land which was worked by slaves.
  • As for gender roles, this civilization was patriarchal.
  • State:
  • City-states (ex. Ur, Erech, Kish) during the time of the Sumerians
  • Law code (first known) with the Akkadians and code of Hammurabi with the Babylonians
  • Culture:
  • Polytheism (each city-state focused on one god, while collectively similar gods were also worshiped); feared gods
  • architecture included wedding-cake shaped ziggurats, or temples
  • writing system- cuneiform (triangular symbols on clay tablets, used a stylus)
  • the Sumerians had a 12-month calendar, a math system based on increments of 60, and facilitated geometry for surveying the land
  • dikes and canals used for Tigris and Euphrates flooding
  • the Hittites brought iron metallurgy to Mesopotamia for their weapons

Egypt (Nile River, Middle East)

  • Social Structures:
  • Pyramidal: pharaoh, priests, nobles, merchants/artisans, peasants
  • Peasants provided labor for public works projects (enslaved)
  • women had a relatively high status (ex: Queen Hatshepsut); women could buy and sell property, inherit, divorce, and will their property to people of their choice (however they were inferior to men, not educated, and valued when they bore children)
  • State:
  • Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms ruled by a divine pharaoh
  • height 1400 BCE
  • Culture:
  • polytheistic-worshiped pharaoh as a god and viewed gods as friendly
  • belief in an afterlife as the continuation of the present life; packed away treasures in tombs that they believed would be carried into the afterlife and pharoahs'/wealthy peoples' bodies were mummified and placed in tombs
  • drainage and irrigation systems were used on the Nile to control flooding
  • peasants were used to build massive pyramids, obelisks, and statues
  • writing system of hieroglyphs (pictograms and ideograms)

Harappan Civilization (Indus Valley, South Asia)

  • Social Structures:
  • stratified society, but not much else is known because artifacts have been destroyed
  • State:
  • highly organized, evidence of a strong central government ruled by a priest-king
  • cities were laid out in a grid-like fashion, uniformly constructed (bricks were the same size)
  • Culture:
  • polytheistic
  • outstanding architecture (very uniform and organized)

Shang Dynasty (Huang He River, East Asia)

  • Social Structure:
  • extended family very important, many generations lived together, and venerated ancestors
  • patriarchal (family led by eldest male) and held the elders in the family in high regard
  • State:
  • ruled by emperor and had a strong military
  • believed themselves to be at the center of the world and had little contact with the outside world
  • Culture:
  • skilled bronze workers (elaborate art i.e. bells, sculptures, containers) casted bronze
  • used horse-drawn chariots and spoked wheels; made pottery and silk
  • came up with a decimal system and an accurate calendar
  • polytheistic; venerated their deceased ancestors

Olmec Civilization (Mesoamerica)

  • Social Structure:
  • pyramidally stratified hierarchy (more elaborate housing for more wealthy people)
  • patriarchal (women were household workers and child bearers)
  • State:
  • collection of chiefdoms (San Lorenzo, La Venta, Tres Zapotes)
  • urbanized civilization with many large cities (above)
  • Culture:
  • polytheistic with many implements of a jaguar-god ("were-jaguar") as well as other animals
  • sculpted large stone heads (archaeologists believe they are of leaders)
  • used advanced irrigation techniques and constructed buildings
  • developed an elaborate writing system and a calendar
  • did NOT develop in a river valley

Chavin Civilization (Andean South America)

  • Social Structure:
  • stratified, pyramidal (leader used authority to enforce elaborate construction)
  • patriarchal (women worked at home and bore children)
  • State:
  • urbanized civilization (Chavin de Huantar)
  • emperor had great power (enforced construction of large monumental complexes)
  • the emperor served as a political as well as religious leader
  • Culture:
  • polytheistic (also incorporated the jaguar into their art)
  • used llamas as beasts of burden in the high altitudes of the Andes
  • used metals in their tools and weapons
  • did NOT develop in a river valley