Early River Valley Civilizations

Environment

Power & Authority

Science & Technology

Sumer

·        Flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates unpredictable

·        No natural barriers

·        Limited natural resources

·        Independent city-states, often warring

·        City-states governed first by priests, then by generals who became kings

·        City-states eventually united into first empires by conquerors

·        Irrigation

·        Cuneiform

·        Bronze

·        Wheel, sail, plow

Egypt

·        Flooding of the Nile River predictable

·        Nile an easy transportation link between Egypt’s villages

·        Deserts were natural barriers

·        Kingdom with strong government organization

·        Theocracy, with pharaohs ruling as gods

·        Pharaohs built pyramids

·        Hieroglyphics

·        Pyramids

·        Mathematics, geometry

·        Medicine

Indus Valley

·        Indus flooding unpredictable

·        Monsoon winds

·        Mountains, deserts were natural barriers

·        Strong centralized government

·        Planned cities

·        Social divisions not significant

·        Writing (not yet deciphered)

·        Cities built on precise grid

·        Plumbing and sewage systems

China

·        Huang He flooding unpredictable

·        Mountains, deserts natural barriers

·        Geographically isolated from other ancient civilizations

·        Community and family more important than individual

·        Sharp divisions between nobles and peasants

·        Mandate of Heaven

·        Writing

·        Silk

·        Coined money

·        Cast iron