First Cities and Civilizations

First Cities and Civilizations

by Mrs. RISER

​Features that define civilization

First Civilizations

• ​The Neolithic Revolution led to the rise of Civilization.

• ​River Valley Civilizations were the world's earliest civilizations.

• ​River valley's offered benefits to the Neolithic farmers

​Civilizations contain

• ​A well organized government

  ​Complex religions

  ​Job specialization

  ​Social Classes

  ​Arts and architecture

  ​Public Works

  ​Writing

​River Valley

• ​The world's earliest civilizations developed independently in four river valleys

• ​Sumer

• ​Egypt

• ​Indus River

• ​Shang

Multiple Choice

Civilization is marked by complex

• government

• religions

• Job specialization

• ​Public Works

• All of the answers

Multiple Choice

Ancient River Valleys include

• Indus

• Sumer

• Egypt

• The Shang

• All of these answers

​Mesopotamia

• ​Mesopotamia is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent.

• Ancient civilizations include Sumerian, Assyrian, Akkadian, and Babylonian civilizations.

• Mesopotamia occupies most of present-day Iraq and Kuwait.

• The historical region includes the head of the Persian Gulf and parts of present-day Iran, Syria, and Turkey.

​Fertile Crescant

• ​Named for its rich soils, the Fertile Crescent, often called the “cradle of civilization,” is found in the Middle East. Because of this region's relatively abundant access to water, the earliest civilizations were established in the Fertile Crescent, including the Sumerians.

Multiple Choice

Mesopotamia include ancient the following civilizations of

Sumerian, Assyrian, Akkadian, and Babylonian civilizations.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Fertile Crescant was named for its rich soils

• True

• False

Ancient River Valleys

​Sumer

• ​The Sumer civilization, the world’s first, thrived in Mesopotamia, the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

• Seasonal flooding deposited fertile soil that was good for growing crops.

• Developed early forms of writing, astronomy, and medicine.

• ​Worshiped many gods

• The region now encompasses portions of Syria, Turkey, and Iraq.

• The Sumerians were the first to settle the region, around 3500 B.C.

• The Sumerians had thriving cities thanks to trade along the rivers.

• Invented a system of writing called cuneiform.

• ​The people who lived in Sumer were called Sumerians

​Cuneiform:

​ancient form of writing carved in clay tablets invented in Mesopotamia

Multiple Select

Sumer is in between what TWO rivers

• Tigris

• Kanawha

• Euphrates

• Indus

Multiple Choice

Sumerians worshiped many gods

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Cuneiform is an ancient form of writing carved into clay tablets

• True

• False

​Egypt

• In northeast Africa, the ancient Egyptian civilization lasted some 3,000 years.

• The Nile River was the lifeblood of ancient Egypt.

• Every year, the river overflowed its banks, leaving thick, rich, fertile soil behind. It provided the region with food and with a method of transportation that allowed goods to be traded.

• The Egyptians were one of the first civilizations to develop a system of writing.

• They also created a calendar that divided the year into 12 months, and day into night.​

Multiple Choice

Egyptians worshiped

• One God

• Multiple gods

• no god

Multiple Select

Egyptians invented...

• a calendar that divided the year into 12 months, and day into night.

• the first computer

• system of writing

• the car

Multiple Choice

Papyrus

• A tax collector

• The first form of paper made of a plant used for writing

• Clay tablets used for writing

• A mathematical system

Multiple Choice

Pharaohs were believed to become gods when they died

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Egypt could be found along what river

• The Euphrates

• The Tigris

• The Nile

• The Indus

Multiple Choice

hieroglyphic

• Egyptian queen

• Egyptian for of writing

• Egyptian boat

• Egyptian god

​Indus

River

Valley

• ​The Indus River valley of northern India was home to one of the oldest civilizations in the world.

• Indus settlements along the river grew into well-planned cities with organized governments. Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were the first cities.

• Houses that were built with standardized bricks and featured complex plumbing systems show how advanced the Indus were. Artisans created pottery, as well as clothes made from cotton.

• The mysterious decline of the thriving Indus civilization is attributed to earthquakes, floods, invaders, or a combination of events. 

​Indus River Valley Contributions

• ​Made major contributions of math, science and art

• ​Created the earliest forms of math

• ​Believed to have created a decimal place value system

• ​Believed to have created one of the first forms of weights and measure

Multiple Choice

What was the major contribution of the Indus River Valley

• Math

• Science

• Art

• All of these

Multiple Choice

The first cities of the Indus Valley were...

• Charleston and Belle

• Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

• Sumer

• Tigris

Multiple Choice

The Indus River Valley could be found in

• India

• China

• Egypt

• Spain

​The Shang

• ​The valley between the Huang and Chang rivers is called the ‘cradle of Chinese civilization.’

• This fertile valley supported large populations. However, floods from the Huang could destroy crops, leading to famines.

• Strong central governments organized projects to control flooding.

• The Shang was China’s first dynasty. Shang kings left most of the governing to loyal princes and local nobles.

• Shang artisans produced bronze weapons, silk robes, and jade jewelry.

• The Zhou people eventually overthrew the Shang dynasty.

​Dynasty

​a family of rulers who rule over a country for a long period of timea dynasty that ruled China for nearly 300 years

Multiple Choice

The Shang Dynasty was located in

• China

• Indus

• Sumer

• Egypt

Multiple Choice

A dynasty is

• a family of slaves

• a system of government who is ruled by a priest

• a family of rulers who rule over a country for a long period of time

• a system of government with elected officials

Multiple Choice

China's first dynasty was named

• Obama

• Shang

• Biden

• Trump

Multiple Choice

The Shang Dynasty was located in between

• Tigris and Euphrates rivers

• the Huang and Chang rivers

• the Kanawha and Gauley Rivers

• Indus and Nile Rivers

Multiple Choice

Which was NOT one of the first four river valleys

• Egypt

• Sumer

• London

• Indus

Multiple Select

What features do these four civilizations have in common?

• Organized governement

• Complex religions

• specialized jobs

• social classes

• arts and architecture

Multiple Choice

Civilization

• an advanced stage of human society marked by an organized government

• a group of nomads looking for food

• a group of cave dwellers seeking shelter

• a bunch of wild horses

Multiple Select

Sumer is the region now encompasses portions of what countries?

• Syria

• Turkey

• Iraq

• The Netherlands

Multiple Select

Sumer is in between what TWO rivers

• Tigris

• Kanawha

• Euphrates

• Indus

Multiple Select

Egyptians invented...

• a calendar that divided the year into 12 months, and day into night.

• the first computer

• system of writing

• the car

Multiple Choice

The Indus River Valley could be found in

• India

• China

• Egypt

• Spain