Global Concepts Review #1 – Civilizations
It’s all about the geography…
One of the concepts that NYS likes to check for
understanding involves human interaction with the environment. They have the ability to phrase this question
in a number of ways but the most common involved understanding how geography
impacts ancient civilizations AND how modern people impact the environment
through industrialization (more on this in another post).
Earliest man evolved from hunter-gather, nomadic societies
to sedentary communities and civilizations. What allowed this to occur was the Neolithic
Revolution. Through the
domestication of plants (wheat, etc.) and animals (goats, dogs, etc.) were able
to create food surpluses. Additional
food provided the necessary nourishment that allowed people to live longer and
healthier lives. This revolution in food
production also led to the beginnings of civilization. Abundant food allowed people to develop
permanent settlement like Catal
Hyuk in Turkey, new social classes (warriors gained prestige and artisans
gained wealth), and people began to use their leisure time to develop new ideas
and tools.
One of the cradles of civilization is the Fertile
Crescent. The Fertile
Crescent or “the land between the rivers” was the site of Mesopotamia. This was an attractive area to settle in
because it was located along the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Additionally, this area has very few natural
barriers and it became a crossroads were people mingled and shared customs and
ideas.
Mesopotamia was the site of several key contributions. The Sumerians
organized into city-states.
Additionally, they were polytheistic and built their cities around
pyramid-like structures called ziggurats.
They conducted trade with places as far as Egypt and India. The Sumerians also developed an early writing
system called cuneiform in which they recorded information on clay tablets. These
rivers provided the water the Sumerians needed to develop large-scale
agriculture. They created irrigation
systems, dikes, and canals to protect from floods and provide water for their
crops.
Additionally, the Babylonians established an early empire –
or groups of states governed by one ruler.
They also developed a set of early laws called the Code of Hammurabi –
one of the first major collections of laws in history.
Another civilization that was shaped by their geography is
the Egyptians. The majority of Egypt is
a desert. In order to survive, people
settled along the Nile River which provided water for drinking and for irrigation
of crops. Each year, floods soaked the
land and left rich silt deposits that kept the agricultural areas fertile. The river also served as a highway for
travel.
The Egyptians were also polytheistic with gods like Amon-Re
(chief god) and Osiris (god of the Nile).
The Egyptians believed in life after death and prepared their dead for
the afterlife by mummifying them.
The government was ruled by the pharaoh who was both a god
and a king – which provided an important link between the government and their
religion. When he died, he was buried in
a pyramid. These took years to build and
required planning and organization.
The Egyptians made several key contributions including a
calendar which helped them to know when to plant and harvest their food. They also learned a lot about the human body
from the process of mummification , allowing them to diagnose many illnesses
and perform surgery. They also developed
a writing system called hieroglyphics (picture writing) that was preserved on
papyrus or stone monuments.
Thought Questions:
1.
How does geography impact civilizations? What geography is helpful/aids in the
development of civilizations?
2.
What are the characteristics of civilizations?
3.
What contributions have the early civilizations
made that should be remembered?
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