Comparisons of Early River Valley Civilizations Culture-Literature, Political Social Structure Art, Religion Organizations Cuneiform writing w/ wedge City-states & warrior kings in Job specialization- farmers, shaped characters; 2000 symbols almost constant conflict w/ metallurgist, merchants, reduced to 300. one another craftsmen, political Mesopotamia Extensive trade w/ Egypt an the Large empires in later times administrators, priests Indus Valley Hammurabi’s Code & lex Social classes: Epic of Gilgamesh talionis (law of retaliation) 1. free landowning class Early use of bronze tools, chariots Competition among city 2. dependent farmers & Advanced astronomy; math based states & frequent invasions artisans on 60 Î less political stability 3. slaves for domestics Pessimistic view of world, perhaps than in Egypt service (could purchase due to irregular, unpredictable freedom) flooding of the rivers Merchant class important Polytheism- gods powerful & often Marriage contracts, veils for cruel women; women of upper Kings powerful, but not divine classes less equal than lower class counterparts No epic literature Divine Kingship-the pharaoh; Smaller nobility than Concerned w/ decorative arts, highly centralized, Mesopotamia; fewer shipbuilding, some medical authoritarian government merchants knowledge Generally stable government Some social mobility through Less advanced in math & throughout the 3 kingdoms the bureaucracy astronomy than Mesopotamians Extensive bureaucracy; Priests have high status Less extensive trade, especially in pharaoh’s power channeled (only ones who understand through regional governors Egypt earlier eras the complex hieroglyphic written language) (developed by Polytheism, w/ pharaoh as a god 3000 BCE) Optimistic view of life (regular, Women-probably higher in controllable flooding of the river) status than in Mesopotamia; love poetry indicates some Strong belief in the afterlife; Book importance based on of the Dead male/female relationships Hieroglyphics- complex, pictorial One female pharaoh- language Hatshepsut Influential wife of pharaoh- Nefertiti Writing system only recently Assumed to be complex & Priests have higher status, decipherable thought to be centralized based on position as Soapstone seals indicate trade w/ Limited information, but large intermediaries between gods both Mesopotamians & China granaries near the cities & people Pottery making w/ bulls & long- indicate centralized control Differences in house sizes horned cattle a frequent motif indicate strong class Indus Valley Small figurines of women distinctions (developed by Cruder weapons than Statues reflect reverence for 2500 BCE) Mesopotamians-stone female reproductive function arrowheads, no swords Polytheism-naked man w/ horns the primary god; fertility goddesses Two cities: Harappa & Mohenjo- Dara Comparisons of Early River Valley Civilizations Political Culture Social Structure Organizations Oracle bones used to Centralized government, Job Specialization- communicate w/ ancestors power in the hands of the bureaucrats, farmers, slaves Pattern on bones formed basis for emperor Social classes- warrior writing system; writing highly Government preoccupied w/ aristocrats, bureaucrats, valued, complex pictorial flood control of the rivers farmers, slaves language w/ 3000 characters by Patriarchal society; women as end of dynasty Shang China wives & concubines; women Uniform written language became were sometimes shamans (developed by bond among people who spoke 1700 BCE) many different languages Bronze weapons & tools, horse- drawn chariots Geographical separation from other civilizations, though probably traded w/ the Indus Valley Olmecs in Mesoamerica; Olmecs; apparently not united Olmec; craft specialization; Highly developed astronomy; politically; unusual for ancient priests have highest status; used to predict agricultural cycles civilizations capital city dominated the & please the gods (Polytheism); Chavin; probably political hinterland s; most people were religious rituals important, unification; public works farmers shamans as healers operated by reciprocal labor Ritual ballgames obligations; had a capital city Meso & South Irrigation & drainage canals America Giant carved stone heads; (developed by probably w/ religious significance 1200 Jaguar symbol important BCE) Chavin in Andean region; Polytheism; statues of jaguar men Square stone architecture, no mortar Well-developed agriculture based on maize Unique geography; lived on coast, in mountains, & in jungle
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