Civilizations, the 4 Early River Valley (~3000 BC)

Civilization	Geographical Factors	Accomplishments	Miscellaneous
Nile River Valley(present-day Egypt)	The Nile River provided predictable floods and a stable food source The River flows northward and empties into the Mediterranean but the winds blow south This enabled river travelers to move north or south along the river, which promoted trade and unity in Ancient Egypt Deserts and seas surround the valley and offered some protection from invasion	Hieroglyphics Wrote on sheets of dried papyrus plant Used geometry to survey fields and build canals as well as pyramids as tombs for the pharaoh Knew astronomy and produced a calendar of 365 days	Rigid class structure with the pharaoh at the top followed by priests, artisans, farmers. and slaves Polytheistic religion - believed in life after death
Tigris-Euphrates River Valley(present-day Iraq)	The floods provided fertile soil and a stable food supply The floods of the Tigris-Euphrates rivers were unpredictable and as a result the Sumerians believed that their gods were angry gods The valley was surrounded by deserts & hills but they were relatively easy to cross and so the peoples of this region were constantly conquered and re-conquered	Developed a system of writing called Cuneiform, which were wedge-shaped characters pressed into a clay tablet Built ziggurats and arches with sun-dried clay bricks Developed the wheel and algebra Hammurabi's Code was constructed by the Babylonians and was an early form of written laws (an eye for an eye)	Practiced polytheism Had no conception of a heaven or salvation for the deceased
Yellow River Valley(present-day China)	Flooding of the Yellow River provided fertile, yellow soil and a stable food supply The Chinese were surrounded by mountains and the Gobi desert and as a result were very isolated from other civilizations and cultures As a result of this isolation the Chinese developed an ethnocentric mode of thinking	Developed a 360-day calendar based on the moon (priests added days when needed) Predicted eclipses and kept a written history Early written language consisted of pictograms	Dynastic cycle and Mandate of Heaven
Indus River Valley(present-day India)	The Indus River and monsoons provided a food supply Monsoons were unpredictable and led to famine or floods and destruction Valley is bordered by the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush to the north, however the Khyber pass allowed for entry into the region and invasion	Developed a written language of pictograms Constructed a water system, public baths, hospitals	Practiced animism before Hinduism and Buddhism take hold The Aryans conquer the valley They bring the Vedic religion and the beginnings of the caste system