Lesson 2, river valley civilizations
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The document discusses the Mesopotamian civilization that arose between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in modern-day Iraq. It describes key characteristics of early civilizations including cities, agriculture, trade, religion, art, writing systems, and centralized governments. The document outlines the major cities of Mesopotamia, including Ur and Uruk, and religious structures like ziggurats. Causes for the decline of Mesopotamia included warfare between city-states and problems with their irrigation systems. The Egyptian civilization on the Nile River is also briefly mentioned.
Lesson 2, river valley civilizations
- 1. Identify and locate the sites of Mesopotamian civilization and on an outline map of Mesopotamia. Discuss and understand with reason the development of early civilizations near river beds. Lesson-2, River Valley Civilizations. Mesopotamia Civilization
- 2. Meaning of Civilization When man started producing enough food, he began thinking of new things. He thought about a settled society, better food , better clothes. He also learnt how to read an write. He began to use his knowledge to improve his life. He started taking part in leisure activities. Thus , we can say that when man looks for more than just fulfilment of his basic needs, that stage is known as the stage of civilization. A society which has witnessed advancement in terms of its social life, culture and organisation would be referred to as civilization.
- 7. Characteristic Features of a civilization Presence of Towns and cities Thriving agriculture resulting in surplus food production Trade flourishes and people specialize in various trading activities Many religious beliefs are present Art flourishes and many art and craft forms exist. People communicate through language in its written and spoken form Advancement in technology A strong centralised government that formulates and implements laws.
- 8. The earliest civilization that flourished in the world were The Egyptian Civilization on the banks of river Nile The Mesopotamian civilization on the banks of rivers Euphrates and Tigris The Chinese civilization on the banks of rivers Hwang Ho. The Indus Valley civilization on the banks of river Indus.
- 9. The earliest Civilizations came up on the banks of rivers. There were many reasons The rivers provided abundant supply of water for agriculture. The population could be supported by it. The land near the rivers was extremely fertile for agriculture. Rivers provided means of transport and communications. The river valley did not suffer extremes of climate and were warm and pleasant.
- 10. The name Mesopotamia is derived from the Greek words mesos,meaning middle, and potamos meaning river. That means land between the rivers, Mesopotamian culture is known for its prosperity, ancient city, its literature, mathematics and science. The ancient towns and cities of Mesopotamia were discovered by archaeologists about 150 years ago. Extent of the Civilization: Mesopotamia (modern Iraq and part of Iran) is situated in Western Asia. Around 4000 BCE to 3500BCE, the great Mesopotamian Civilization flourished in this area. Mesopotamia means “ the land between the rivers’. The two rivers were the Tigris and Euphrates, which brought plentiful supply of water and fertile soil. these rivers were
- 11. These canals helped in irrigation, navigation and transport of goods from one place to another. The southernmost region of this civilization was called Summer and its people Sumerians. In the northwest of Sumer, regions were known as Babylonia and Akkad. The highland in the north was called Assyria. Sources Archaeological and literary sources such as ziggurat at UR and Epic Gilgamesh provide us information about Mesopotamian civilization.
- 13. City states of Mesopotomia
- 15. City states of Mesopotamia Although all the cities shared the same culture. Each city had it own government, rulers, warriors, it’s own patron god, and functioned like an independent country. Mesopotamia cities were Ur, Uruk, kish, Lagesh At the centre of each city was the temple : a ziggurat (a massive , tiered , pyramid-shaped structure).
- 16. Ziggurat
- 17. The ziggurat at Ur was first excavated by british archaeologist Woolley in 1923
- 22. Mesopotamian Society Three social Classes Priests and nobility(kings) Craftsmen and merchants. Oridinary workers : Peasants Slaves were not free citizens Women had more than in many later civilizations, but allowed to attend schools, read and write
- 25. Town planning of Mesopotamia
- 26. Religion The Mesopotamians believed in many gods and goddesses. They worshipped different forms of nature They worshipped gods like An,Enil,Marduk,Ishtar,N abu. Mespotamians believed in life after death, they buried their dead with objects they used when alive.
- 27. Mesopotamia occupations Agriculture was the main occupation of the people and farmers grew barley,corn,dates,fruit s and vegetables. They had a good system of irrigation to ensure a regular supply of water throughout the year. They domesticated animals such as
- 30. Trade, both internal and foreign, flourished here. They traded with India, Egypt, and the Mediterranean countries The traders kept their records on clay tablets. The fact that the seals of Indus cities were found in Mesopotamia and Mesopotamian seals were found in Indus valley proved that trade existed between these two civilizations.
- 32. Art and Architecture Mesopotamians made their buildings with baked bricks, stone ,wood etc. The hanging gardens of Babylon are one of the seven wonders of the world. The ziggurat had several storeys . There were drains made of baked bricks to carry rainwater away from ziggurat. Columns,domes,vaults and arches were one of the architectural features introduced in mespotamia.
- 35. Hanging Gardens of Babylon
- 39. The script was wedge shaped. It was written from right to left with a pen made of reed or bone called Stylus. The Mesopotamian wrote on clay tablets. The tablets were then baked.
- 40. Gilgamesh is the most popular epic describing the tale of legendary hero of that name.
- 41. Hammurabi’s Code of Law
- 43. Decline of Mesopotamia Mesopotamia was known as the land between the two rivers , the tigris to the north and Euphrates to the south. Mesopotamia existed 3000 years before it ended . Historians attribute many reason for the fall of mesopotamians . The two main causes of the decline of this civilisation is 1. War 2. Faulty irrigation system Mesopotamia's life style was destroyed by war . The different city states were fighting for the control of each others land and would wage all out conflicts among each other to gain territory . They mostly fought for farm lands and would wage all out conflicts among each other to gain territory .
- 44. Decline of Mesopotamia Another important observation is that irrigation techniques are also one of the chief reason for decline of empire . The river were higher than the surrounding plains because of built up silt in the river beds , so the water for irrigation flowed into the fields by gravity. Once water was into the fields it could not drain away easily because the fields were lower than the rivers .
- 45. Decline of Mesopotamia As the water evaporated , it not only lefts its dissolved mineral salts behind , but also drew salts upwards from the lower levels of soil . By 2300 B.C. agricultural economy of the Mesopotamians began to shatter as the soil could no longer support plantation . The same technique which made the farming possible at some point of time , prevent it during later period of time
- 46. Egyptian Civilizations Ancient Egypt,civilization that thrived along the Nile River in North Eastern Africa for more than 3,000 years, from about 3300 BC to 30 BC. It was the longest-lived civilization of the ancient Egypt indicates the territory where the ancient Egyptians lived in the valley and delta of the Nile. Culturally, it refers to the ways ancient Egyptians spoke,worshipped ,understood the nature of the Physical world, organised their government, made their living,entertained themselves and related to others who were not Egyptian. The Nile river, which formed the focus of ancient egyptian civilization,orginates in the highland of East Africa and flows northward throughout the length of what are now sudan and Egypt.
- 47. Northwest of modern-day Cairo, it branches out to form a broad delta, through which it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. Because of seasonal rains farther south in Africa, the Nile overflowed its banks in Egypt everyyear. When the flood waters receded, a rich black soil covered the flood plain. This natural phenomena and its effects on the environment enabled the ancient Egyptian to develop a successful economy based on agriculture.
- 48. Other natural factors combined to give rise to a great civilization in the Nile region. In Egypt's relatively cloudless sky the Sun almost shone, consistently providing heat and light. The Nile served as a water highway for the people , a constant source of life – giving water, and the sustainer of all plants and animals. In addition, natural barriers provided good protection from other people. The desert to the west, the seas to the north and east, and the Nile’s rapids or cataracts, to the south prevented frequent hostile attacks. In this setting a sophisticated and creative society came into being. That society was the only one in area to endure for thousands of years. Each of its rivals rose to power but ultimately faded from importance . It was in this land that two of the Seven wonders of the World were found. The Pyramids at Giza and the lighthouse at alexandria. The ancient Egyptians produced a vast body of written records, including ethical and moralistic treatises, instructional texts,religious and magical scrolls, evocative love poetry, epic stories and ribald tales.
- 49. They possessed a sophisticated understanding of mathematics and the principles of architecture, enabling them to introduce to the world large stone building before 2500BC . Their enduring images –sculpted, painted and drawn-captivate viewers even today.
- 50. Geography
- 51. Egypt is located in the northeastern part of Africa. The egyptian civilization is one of the oldest river valley civilization. It flourished on the banks of the river Nile, which flows along the entire length of Egypt. Without the river Nile, Egypt would have been a desert. There is hardly any rainfall in Egypt. Egypt is therefore called the “gift of Nile” Sources Historians have based their knowledge of ancient Egyptian Civilization on the inscription and official documents that they have discovered. These documents are preserved even today. Archaeological excavations have brought to light several objects.