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Comparisons of Early River Valley Civilizations

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Comparisons of Early River Valley Civilizations 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 artisans states & frequent invasions on 60 3. slaves for domestics Î less political stability 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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