foundations of civilization the building blocks of society
TRANSCRIPT
Foundations of Civilization
the building blocks of society
Terms to Know
• Surplus – an excess of something (food)
• Cultural diffusion – the spread of customs, ideas, and technology from one group to another
• Traditional economy – economic decisions are based on custom, ritual, and tradition
• Civilization – a complex, organized society
What are the main features of a civilization?
• Cities• Well-organized central government• Complex religion• Job specialization• Social classes• Arts and architecture• Public works• Writing
Cities
• People need to live close together to maintain farms
• Buildings need to be permanent
• Walls are needed to protect the cities from enemy groups
Organized Governments
• Oversaw irrigation projects for farming
• Created laws• Collected taxes for
big projects• Organized defense• Sometimes became
powerful in religious ceremonies
Complex Religions
• Polytheistic• Gods often controlled
forces of nature (sun, wind, storms, rivers, etc.) and human activities (war, trade, birth)
• Priests wanted to win the favor of the gods
• People built temples, prayed, and made sacrifices when they needed help from the gods
Job Specialization
• City dwellers could not master all of the skills needed to produce everything they needed, so they began division of labor, giving people specific jobs
• People began to specialize and produce certain goods
• Artisans: skilled craftspeople - builders, blacksmiths, craftsmen, bakers, farmers, traders
• Caused increased dependency on others
Social Classes
• People ranked by their profession
• Priests usually at the top
• Government officials and military came next
• Merchants and artisans were lower
• Slaves at the bottom
Arts and Architecture
• Expressed the ideas and beliefs of a civilization
• Temples are prime example
• Big buildings often decorated
• Sculptures, jewelry, paintings, statues
Public Works
• Irrigation systems• Roads• Defense walls• Very expensive, take
a long time to build• Necessary for a
civilization to grow and be safe
Writing
• Appeared in temples• Needed to record
information about the seasons, rituals, and prayers
• Important for keeping track of events and government business
• Also important for merchants
Where did the First Civilizations Emerge?
• Africa
• Egypt
• Mesopotamia
• India
• China
• Central and South America