Foundations

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Foundations of Civilization
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Cradle of Civilization

• Four regions
• Nile River valley in Africa
• Valley of the Tigris and Euphrates in SW Asia
• Indus River valley in Southern Asia
• Huang (Yellow) River valley in East Asia

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Civilization

• Civilization complex culture that has at least
  three characteristics
• People are able to grow a surplus of food
• Establishment of large towns or cities with some
  form of government
• People perform different jobs instead of each
  person doing every job

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Climate

• Rivers rise and flood during heavy rain
• Little rain throughout much of the year
• Hot, humid weather
• Led to innovations for farming year-round
• Irrigation system of ditches and canals
• Improved farming techniques led to more and
  better food
• Increase in population gt villages gt cities

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Cities

• Cooperation amongst the population
• Irrigation and flood-control
• Building of palaces, temples, and other public
  buildings

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Government

• First governments made rules to guide behavior
• Rules helped plan, direct, and regulate work
• Leaders made and enforced the rules

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Labor

• As farming improved, less people were needed in
  the fields
• Division of Labor specialization of jobs
• Bartering (trade) became common practice
• Artisans skilled workers
• Traders not only transported goods, but they also
  spread ideas
• Cultural Diffusion spread of ideas and culture
  from one area to another

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Other Characteristics

• Calendar
• Developed by farmers
• Needed to know when annual floods would start and
  stop
• Year was divided by phases of the moon
• 11-days short of solar-year

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Other Characteristics

• Writing
• Need for written language emerged through
  foundations of cities
• Trading goods
• Development of rules
• Calendars
• Share ideas
• Began c. 3000 BC
• Records of cultures and societies (history!)