Basic+Features+of+early+Civilizations

=Table Of Contents=
 * 1) ==Definition of Civilization and Civilized ==
 * 2) ==The Social Impact of the Transition from Hunter-Gatherer to Agriculture==
 * 3) ==The 5 River Valley Civilizations==
 * 4) ==Environmental Issues==
 * 5) ==Evidence of Trade==
 * 6) ==Compare and Contrast A Bit==
 * 7) ==What's The Point?==
 * 8) ==Invention - Mine or Yours?==

How do we define the words //civilization// and //civilized?//

 * Civilization- A cultural group with advanced cities, complex institutions, skilled workers, advanced technology, and a system of record-keeping.
 * Civilized- Having a high state of culture and development both social and technological
 * Side Note: Many advanced nomadic cultures were present during the earlier parts of history. They had distinct cultures and were quite advanced; however, they did not have cities or keep very many records, this causes trouble for historians attempting to truly define civilization.

The First Social Implications of the Agricultural Transition

 * During the times of hunter-gatherers, woman and men were set on quite equal bases, since the both had to work that was essential to a community or tribe's survival.
 * As seen in numerous cultures, when a shift to agriculture occurred, women began to take a more subordinate role.
 * Houses were built and lived in for long periods of time, housewives began to exist to take care of them and raise children.
 * As women were less important to the work of survival (gathering food, etc.), they gradually became subservient to men.
 * As survival became less demanding, people began to specialize in things other than hunting and surviving.
 * This caused the first signs of "culture"
 * Brought about artisans and other "unnecessary" occupations
 * People had time to socialize and have lives outside of work and toil.

Along what five rivers were the early valley civilizations located?

 * Nile River- Egypt
 * Tigris and Euphrates Rivers- Mesopotamia
 * Indus River- Indus River Valley
 * Yellow River (Huang He)- The Shang Dynasty in China

An Environmental Dilemma

 * Large cities needed lots of resources, basically.
 * Resources only existed in sustainable amounts near rivers
 * This caused most early civilizations to exist near or next to a large, major river.
 * Notable exceptions: Inca and Aztec. No rivers, but very fertile land and advanced irrigation to bring fresh water to cities.
 * This need destroyed many environments.
 * Slash and burn agriculture, overuse of land, and clearing of land for grazing or planting caused hugely detrimental impacts

What evidence is there of major trading patterns within and among early civilizations?

 * Archeological findings in one place that are usually found only in a certain region
 * Example: Harappan artifacts in Mesopotamia indicate active trade between the people of the Indus valley and Mesopotamia by way of Persian Gulf
 * Writing records found and deciphered

What are commonalities and significant differences among early civilizations?

 * Commonalities:
 * had a writing system
 * most had a religion
 * located along rivers
 * some sort of technological advancement
 * Differences:
 * Mesopotamia invented the wheel and developed irrigation canals, used bronze and copper
 * Egypt had pharaoh, number of defined classes, used iron
 * The Shang used orcale bones for writing, believed in mandate of heaven, 4 classes
 * Mesoamerica and Andean South America did not develop on river, used large animals as beast of burden, shared legend of Quetzalcoatl

Why?

 * Nearly every modern civilization can thank the classical civilizations for how they live now.
 * Had these civilizations not existed, major advances in technology would never have occurred.
 * We would basically be in a pre-neolithic, nomadic society.
 * That would mean no computers
 * which would mean no obscenely late nights doing AP projects.YAY!
 * Many cultural and religious norms of today had their start in the classical and pre-classical period, such as monotheism and societal living.

Connection and Diffusion vs. Independent Invention

 * Independent invention is the making of completely new technologies or products.
 * Connection and diffusion is the transportation of technology to other peoples.
 * This method of technological innovation produced diverse products from a single innovation by adapting the technology to fit local needs.
 * This was by and large the primary source of innovation.

Timeline
B.C.E || The cultivation of grain begins in the fertile crescent of the middle eastern river valleys and alluvial plains. The basic grains were wheat, rice, rye, oats, millet, and barley. The fermentation process used for making wine and beer is simultaneously discovered. || B.C.E || The Papuans (found today in New Guinea), developed an agricultural civilization in the Pacific Islands. || B.C.E || Sumeria settled. The beginnings of Mesopotamian civilization in the area near the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys (modern Iraq), must have seemed like the “garden of Eden” to the Neolithic settlers who found the rich sandy soil to be very conducive to agriculture. Irrigation in use in Mesopotamia. || B.C.E || The beginnings of the Sumarian Civilization in the Mesopotamian river valley. Wheel invented. || B.C.E || **Sumarian civilization is flourishing**, with large buildings, temple worship, kings and art in the form of frieze frescoes.
 * Date || What Happened ||
 * 8000
 * 7000
 * 5000
 * 4000
 * 3500