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Mesopotamia (Iraq), Egypt, central coast of Peru between 3500 and 3000 BCEFirst Civilizationssmall islands of innovation in sea of people living in much older waysover next 4,000 years, spread globallyby 1200, considerable majority of humankind lived in a civilization
definition: societies based in cities and governed by statesproduct of age of agricultureonly highly productive agricultural economy can support substantial numbers of people who don’t produce their own foodhuge change compared to bands of Paleolithic peoples and villages of farming communities
mostly remained in rural areas but cities were central featurepolitical and administrative capitalscultural hubsgenerated works of art, architecture, literature, ritual, ceremonymarketplaces for local and long-distance tradehoused major manufacturing enterprises
governing structures organized around particular cities/territoriesusually headed by kingsemployed variety of ranked officialsused force to compel obedience
new degree of specializingscholars, merchants, priests, officials, scribes, soldiers, servants, entertainers, artisanssupported by peasant farmers (majority)unprecedented inequalitieswealthstatuspowergenderpatriarchymale superiority and dominance
artistic, scientific, technologicalChinese civilizationinvented bureaucracy (non-elected government officials)silk productionpapermakingprintinggunpowderIslamic civilizationmathematicsmedicineastronomymetallurgywater managementwritten literaturespoetrystorieshistoryphilosophypaper texts
River valleys → productive agricultureMesopotamiaEgyptPeruIndiaChinamountainous terrain (Greece) → city-states over unified empirebottleneck of Panama/rainforests → hard to interact between Mesoamerica and Andes civilizationsoceans → separation of Afro-Eurasian world and Western Hemisphere
larger populations/intensive agriculture of civilizations had greater effect than Paleolithic, pastoral, agricultural villagessouthern Mesopotamia: by 2000 BCE irrigation made soils white as salt accumulatedwheat largely replaced by barley (more tolerant of salty conditions)growth often meant extensive deforestation, soil erosionarea around Athens “a mere relic of the original country. ... All the rich soil has melted away, leaving a country of skin and bone” (Plato)Chinese expanded southward towards Yangzi River valley after 200 CEdestroyed old-growth forestselephants retreatedmountains now gullies (ravines from water)“I believe that the forest ... covers the land to no purpose and hold this to be an unbearable harm” (German abbot, Europe)Mayans“almost totally engineered landscape” that supported agriculture and increasing populationcontributed to its collapse by 900 CEpopulation growth: pushed to 5 million or more, outstripping resourcesfarmers:drained swampsleveled foreststerraced hillsidesconstructed cities, roads, irrigation ditches, canals
earliest: geographically limitedlater (Chinese, Persian, Roman) extended over larger regions, empires with culturally different peopleArab Empire (after death of Muhammad in 632 CE): much of North Africa, Middle East, parts of Spain and western IndiaMali, Songhay (both West Africa), Inca (South America) were also imperialsome had competitive city-states, making unified empires difficultGreek (Europe)Swahili (East Africa)Maya (Mesoamerica)
birth determined social statuslittle social mobilitygreat inequalityreligious/cultural traditions defined inequalities as natural, eternal, ordained by gods
highest ranking given to elite bureaucracy from landlord class, based on examinationssupported by peasant farmers who were required to pay taxes to government, rent to landlordspeasants honored as hardworking/productive backbone but oppressed/exploited, periodic large-scale rebellionsscholar-gentry, landlord, peasant, merchantexamination can allow movement between social classes
priority to religious status/ritual purityBrahmins: priestly caste, highest rankvast numbers of distinct social groups, based on occupation/perceived ritual puritymore rigid than China: different castes cannot marry or eat together
bottom in all civilizationsoften debtors/prisoners of warextent variedPersian, Chinese, Indian, West African: not central to societiesGreek, Roman: central component
very commonearly years of civilization’s development, times of upheaval: lighter, less restrictive for womenChinese: loosened when parts of northern China ruled by pastoral/nomadic peoplesGreek city-states: more confining in Athens than SpartaSparta: women competed in sports with men, could divorce with ease, owned landed estateselite women both more privileged and more restricted (stuck in home) lower-class
very influentialRomans dominated Mediterranean for most of 500 BCE to 500 CEChinese directly shaped cultural history of much of eastern Asia, indirectly influenced Eurasia600-1450: Islamic civilization most expansive, influential, pervasive throughout Afro-Eurasialimited rangeAxum: mostly Ethiopia/EritreaSwahili: coastal eastern AfricaMaya: Central America, regional
Civilizations
Early civilizations
Definition
Major cities
States
Occupational specialization
Innovations
Impact of and to environment
Impact of environment
Impact to environment
Comparing civilizations
Structure
China/India similarities
China
India
Slaves
Patriarchy
Range/extent of influence
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