First Civilizations of the Early World Essays

First Civilizations of the Early World Essays First Civilizations of the Early World Essay First Civilizations of the Early World Essay This period of only 7,400 years held many great advances in technology, social interactions, government, and even economics. From the development of agriculture to the caste system of the Aryans, this era in time was one of great growth, development, and change In the earliest civilizations of our history. The beginning of all civilizations started with the migration of humans out of Africa. The hunters and gatherers Inhabited almost every region of the world less than 15,000 years ago. The groups traveled around as nomads for hundreds of years. During that time, they developed tools such as axes, knives, and needles. Fire was also utilized as a tool. Spoken language developed during this period in time as well. Though the nomadic groups lived for thousands of years off of simply hunting and gathering, the Neolithic Revolution and the discovery of agriculture changed how they lived forever. The breakthrough process of farming led to the settlement of these nomadic groups and the formation of colonization. Job specialization, definition of social classes, gender roles and the trading of goods? especially metals such as copper and bronze?were all advancements made in violations as a result of the development of agriculture. Some geographic areas were not sustainable for farming, thus pastoral nomadic developed. Cities with marketplaces and organized governments followed shortly after the development of the civilizations. Such cities were usually located on riverbanks due to the availability of fertile soil. : Mesopotamia, an early farming community, was located on the Fertile Crescent of Asia. Irrigation along the Fertile Crescent allowed for mass food production, and therefore, sustainability of a larger population than previous violations could hold. The population was so large, in fact, that it began to develop city-states. A city-state is a free governed city that shares the agriculture of the adjoining land. The city-states all had similar cultures, yet each one had a different god or goddess that guarded them. Along with the large population of Mesopotamia came a complex social order of the citizens. At the top of the social class were kings and queens; at the bottom, slaves. Egypt was another civilization which much like Mesopotamia, was able to thrive due to the fertile soil of a river bank. The Nile River revived Egypt with the soils it needed to develop irrigation systems and build villages. Pharaohs were in charge of the Egyptian villages, and were at the top of the social class. Elaborate pyramids were built as tombs for the pharaohs, due to the religious beliefs of an afterlife. The pyramids were home to many high level paintings and sculptures of the gods and nature at that time, as well as hieroglyphics. Unlike the history of Egypt or Mesopotamia, the history of the Indus River Valley Is very unclear, due to the mystery of their written language, made up of over 400 symbols. Urbanize cities with grinded walls, temples, marketplaces, broad streets, and even separated areas of social classes have been found. The Aryan peoples Inhabited Indus around 1 700 BCC, but left little trace of their existence In the valley. What Is known about the Aryans Is from Veda, or a collection of sacred hymns, songs, and poems. Social status was based on your Verna, which was a part of the Aryan caste system. Indus had trading connections with Mesopotamia and Persia, which held 1500 BCC. The Yellow River or Hung He was the first river valley civilization to develop in China. The valley was ruled by the Sang Dynasty from 1766 to 1122 BCC. An important achievement from the dynasty was the development of Chinese pictograph characters. Oracle bones are used to prove the existence of the Sang Dynasty, containing predictions about the future written in the bones. The ruling of the Chou Dynasty followed the end of the Sang Dynasty. The Chou lasted longer than the Sang, and also had a greater impact on Chinese culture. The Mandate of Heaven and the veneration of ancestors were two large themes that were practiced during the ruling of the Chou Dynasty. The Mandate of Heaven was a concept that told the people there was a direct connection between rulers and gods. Floods, earthquakes, and other disastrous happenings were thought of as signs from the gods that the end of a dynasty was near. Though the Chou Dynasty was very structured, it eventually lost its power around 771 BCC. In the river banks of the Gulf of Mexico, the Elms settled in around 1500 BCC. Their most important settlements were San Lorenz and La Event. San Lorenz was the center for all things religious, political, or economical. Social class of the citizens in the settlements could usually e determined based off of the elaborateness of their clothing. The more elaborate, the higher they stood on the social ladder. During their time in the Gulf, the Elms built Colossal Heads, but how they achieved this is unknown. How the fall of the Elms occurred is unknown due to the abandonment of their ceremonial centers. Around the same time as the Elms were settling in the Gulf, a religious cult called the Chapin was gaining influence in South America. Both the civilizations of the Elms and the Shaving had influences on the empires and civilizations that came later on in the Americas.