The first civilizations, the foundations for future empires, were all founded and created between 3500 B.C.E. and 500 B.C.E. by groups of nomadic peoples who decided to settle in an area for certain group specific reasons. Some of the main states of the first civilization were Mesopotamia, Norte Chico, Egypt, Indus Valley, China, and Olmec. The second wave civilizations, built between 500 B.C.E. and 500 C.E., included the Persians, the Greeks, Romans, Chinese (Qin and Han), and India (Mauryan and Gupta). The first wave civilizations were sparked by the agricultural movement that led to the settlement of large groups of people in areas that became the cities and states that formed these first civilizations. The rise of civilization led to …show more content…
The key similarities between the two waves of civilizations are important and were continued throughout history even further than the empires of the second wave. These similarities included slavery, treatment of women, and the patriarch and monarch rulers; these similarities were intertwined in both waves. Hierarchies of gender declared that women and men were not equal because “to be gendered as masculine or feminine defines the roles and behavior considered appropriate for men and women in every human community.” The hierarchy of gender led to the creation of patriarchy, the concept that women are lesser or subordinate to men in all aspects of life. This idea of patriarchy meant sons were valued more than daughters, men had more opportunities in society and with jobs, the opportunity to rule, and men were the heads of their households. However, this wasn’t true for every society, even in the first civilizations there were cities and groups of people living within some states that allowed women to do what they wanted to do out in society. The Egyptians were a good example of equality as women were legally viewed equal to men. They were able to own land and slaves, initiate divorce, and rarely they would reach the position of queen, the most famous being Hatshepsut. On the more extreme side, in ancient Mesopotamia, patriarchy took root quickly in the form of actual written law. The code of Hammurabi was created in 1750 B.C.E. creating very submissive laws for
Every single civilization, past or present, had different types of achievements. These achievements such as cultural, mathematical, scientific, etc. help define how successful that civilization was. There were always scientific and mathematical achievements of different magnitudes in every civilization. The three civilizations that really stand out in their mathematical and scientific achievements are the Greek, Chinese, and Indian civilizations. Ancient India began around 2600 B.C. and ended around 500 A.D. The civilization flourished around the Indus River, which is one of the greatest rivers in Asia. They were a well-organized and farming people. They had so many natural boundaries that protected them, so they didn’t have to take time to create a military, which let them prosper and have very important achievements. Ancient China began around 2205 B.C. and really ends around 256 B.C. Ancient China was a very large, long, and powerful empire. They were the longest civilization and they are still around today, and still use the beliefs of the ancient times. In China, people farmed, people were warriors, people were merchants, etc. There was really no preferred job in Ancient China. The abundance of the variety of jobs led to the discoveries of many different achievements. Ancient Greece began around 700 B.C. and ended around 146 B.C. Its geography was mainly mountainous and only twenty percent of the land was suitable for farming. The lack of farmland and isolation from
Each civilization was able to develop their own form of writing, political and religious establishments, cities, manufacturing of trade, and government. However, within these civilizations there were some drawbacks, mainly involving inequality. As they settled, the men and women had more time to have children, in which the woman would usually end up caring for the infant, while the man of the household would proceed the leadership roles in the cities. Eventually this resulted in patriarchy and forms of hierarchy such as kings and queens who held all
Men had privileges that woman did not have. Some laws protected the women in some ways, for example, “if a man divorced his wife because she did not bear him a son, he had to provide her with money”. (3) Other laws direct to the thought of women being way less than men. Where women’s word does not matter, only her negative actions and they are equally punished. The Mesopotamian government shows more violent solutions to their crimes and the Egyptians themselves.
Both civilizations in Southwest Asia and South Asia slowly developed a patriarchal system. The distinction of gender roles in these civilizations offered the insight that the individuals of the societies had reached a level of sophistication that called for labels that maintained order. In these societies, women were bound by specific laws. In Mesopotamia, the Hammurabi Laws offer limited protection for women and in the
Women were treated similarly in both civilizations, but they had their differences. The women in Egypt had more privileges compared to the women of India. In either civilization, the women are definitely not equal to men, there are sometimes when the powers get close, but they are never fully equal. Even in modern times, a man and a woman could have the same job and work the same hours, but women today get paid 79 cents to every man’s dollar. The roles of women have always been to remain submissive and care for the family, today that is still an expectation, it is just worded
The first civilizations were the Olmec civilization, Norte Chico civilization, Mesopotamian Civilization, Nile Valley Civilization, Oxus Civilization, Indus Valley Civilization, and the Chinese Civilization.
Ancient river valley civilizations are one of the earliest societies in the world. The rises of these ancient river valley civilizations started the first cradle of civilization. The Indus Valley Civilization, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Mesopotamia, and Ancient China are the earliest civilizations that were successful enough to make enough food for everybody. Every one of these civilizations had three things in common: they all had a special relationship with the river, they created their own writing system, and they all relied on trade.
First Civilizations is the second edition of a popular student text first published in 1996 in Montreal by Les Editions Champ Fleury. This much updated and expanded edition provides an introductory overview of the civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. It was conceived primarily for students who have little or no knowledge of ancient history or archaeology. The book begins with the role of history and archaeology in understanding the past, and continues with the origins of agriculture and the formation of the Sumerian city-states in Mesopotamia. Three subsequent chapters concentrate on Assyrian and Babylonian history and culture. The second half of the book focuses on Egypt, begining with the physical environment of the Nile,
These three civilizations created cultures that built societies and people for future generations. Starting around 3100 BC they began. The rule of King Menes began the Egyptian civilization by unifying the Upper and Lower Egypt into one kingdom (Duiker and Speilvogel 17). The Mesopotamian civilization located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, began with the Sumerians people (Duiker and Speilvogel 9). Also, in now what is modern day India, another civilization began. It was located in the Indus River Valley with the Harappan people (Duiker and Speilvogel 38). Three early civilizations laid the foundation for what would be the progression of future civilizations, all of which would greatly influenced the world.
Social classes and hierarchies, especially patriarchy, is another common pattern in ancient civilizations. Social classes first began in Mesopotamia and Egypt when farmers who had surpluses got wealthier and more powerful then other people. As cities developed into a more urban society, social hierarchies began to appear. Mesopotamia and Egypt both had similar hierarchies. The ruling class was at the top, this consisted of royal families and wealthy landowners. Below the ruling class were merchants and craftsmen, and below them were slaves and day laborers. Patriarchy is another common pattern in these two civilizations. As societies became more urban, men became more dominant over women in all areas of society. The patriarchy in Mesopotamia and Egypt was mild at first compared to other societies, but still drastically affected a woman’s life. In Mesopotamia, females held high positions in the ruling class as priestesses, queen consorts, and even queens. A woman could only become queen though through family extensions. In Egypt, women in the ruling class also held high positions in society and were considered equal to their male counterparts. This patriarchal society is best seen in the Code of Hammurabi, law 142 states “If a women hates her husband so much that she says “You may not
Many political, social, economic, and religious institutions emerged during this time. A political institution that emerged during this time was writing. Cuneiform, which was used in the Middle East, enabled civilizations to organize more complex political structures by sending and keeping records. A social institution that emerged was communication. When people became literate, they were able to communicate with more ease on paper and in person. An economic institution that emerged was taxes due to the increased literacy rate and advanced record keeping process. A religious institution that emerged was people's dedication to their religion, and in turn, to the creation of places of worship like ziggurats and godlike leaders. In conclusion,
All the way from the start of civilization through to the Early Christianity there has been a pantheon of; destruction, recognition, wars, cultural diffusion, religious breakthroughs, laws that have been established, kings and queens crowned and dethroned. The Mesopotamian Civilization it was the land between two rivers the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers that civilization first began.
It’s no secret that Muslims and Christians have a history! Throughout our past, it seems as though Muslims and Christians just can’t seem to get along. We always hear of horrible stories such as the crusades when thinking about the two. However, back when these two great religions were formed, there wasn’t this huge resentment between one and other. Both of these religions have been able to gain many followers as well as advance the world in a large number of other aspects. So in order to answer this question of who was “the first global civilization”, it is imperative to look at what a civilization really is. According to dictionary.com, a civilization is, “the stage of human social development and organization that is considered most advanced”. This means that the answer of this question depends on how the cultures were
people lived in and their experiences living in it. Because of the harsh and unpredictable nature
The start of the great civilization was just there. People had traveled to an island that could be seen from a shore. These people had brought over the idea to run a great civilization from their teaching. The geography was full of man mountains and had a very hot summers, but cold winters. One of the greatest part to this civilization was