The Ancient Era(4000 B.C. – 476 A.D.)

WHAT? ◦ These are the first major groups in human history

who meet a 7 of the criteria for becoming a civilization. Many of them have a long lasting cultural impact on modern life.

WHO?◦ The first civilized human beings including; China,

India Mesopotamia, Egypt, Rome, and Greece.

WHEN?◦ The Ancient Era lasts from around 4,000 B.C. to

476 A.D.

WHERE?◦ The Ancient Era takes place all over the world,

however the major civilizations form mainly around large rivers that provide fresh water for irrigation and survival.

WHAT? ◦ These are the first major groups in human history

who meet a 7 of the criteria for becoming a civilization. Many of them have a long lasting cultural impact on modern life.

WHO?◦ The first civilized human beings including; China,

India Mesopotamia, Egypt, Rome, and Greece.

WHEN?◦ The Ancient Era lasts from around 4,000 B.C. to

476 A.D.

WHERE?◦ The Ancient Era takes place all over the world,

however the major civilizations form mainly around large rivers that provide fresh water for irrigation and survival.

Learning Goal

◦ Students will be able to describe specific examples of the 7 elements of civilization found in each of the major ancient civilizations.

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt Founded in the Nile River Valley in Northern Africa around 3200

B.C. Exists until around 30 B.C. Famous Cities – Cairo, Thebes, Luxor, Alexandria, Aswan Writing – One of the earliest writing systems called hieroglyphics,

where full pictures would be drawn to represent words. Government – Formed a monarchy with one ruling family at the

top. The king of the government, the pharaoh, had total power and claimed that he was related to the gods.

Religion – Polytheistic. Had many gods the were responsible for different things and had different powers. The gods often competed with each other power and followers. Included: Ra – God of the Sun, Osiris – God of the Underworld, Set – God of violence and disorder, Hapi – God of the River.

Art, Architecture, & Culture – Famous art and hieroglyphics covered major buildings and tombs. Built on the 7 Wonders of the World, the Great Pyramids of Giza. Also know for their unique culture of mummification and burying their dead in rich tombs called sarcophagus.

Ancient mesopotamia

Ancient Mesopotamia Founded in the Tigris and Euphrates River Valley in the Middle East

around 3600 B.C. Several empires come and go in Mesopotamia including: Sumerians, Babylonians, Akkadians, Assyrians, Persians, and Greeks.

Famous Cities – Ur, Babylon, Uruk, Nippur. Writing – Sumerians invent the world first writing system, called

cuneiform, around 3600 BC.. Government – Most of the empires that came from Mesopotamia were

monarchies with a single king or emperor who used local governors to rule the major cities of their empire.

Religion – Some polytheistic and some monotheistic. The most famous religions from Mesopotamia were both monotheistic, Zoroastrianism and Judaism. Judaism is still one of the most 5 popular religions in the world today.

Art, Architecture, & Culture – Created one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Hanging Gardens in Babylon. Also known for several major inventions including the wheel around 3300 BC and the first law code by the Babylonian king Hammurabi. Also known for enormous temples and sculptures to glorify their kings.

Ancient China

Ancient China Founded along the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers around 3200 B.C.

Many different dynasties rule throughout China’s history including; Shang, Xiu, Wu, Wei, Shu, Tong, and Xue.

Famous Cities – Luoyang, Guangzhou, Peking, and Hong Kong. Writing – Developed writing around 3100 BC. That same system

of writing is in use today, making it the longest running written language in use.

Government – A monarchy with an emperor at the head of the government which ruled separate areas through the use of military generals to keep their land under control.

Religion – Atheistic and Animistic. Several different religions were popular including; Confucianism, Buddhism, and ancestor worship.

Art, Architecture, & Culture – Built one of the 7 Wonders of the World, the Great Wall of China. Famous for many important inventions such as the first paper, gunpowder, the abacus, fireworks, and several forms of martial arts.

Ancient India

Ancient India Founded in the Indus River Valley in Northern India around 4000 BC. Famous Cities – Harrapa, Mohenjo-Daro, Dehli, Mumbai. Writing – Had several different written languages present in India

during this time, the most famous and wide-spread was called Sanskrit which is one the earliest languages invented.

Government – Had numerous kings and princes which ruled separate provinces and were often at war with one another over land and money.

Religion – Polytheistic and Atheistic. Ancient Indians created two of the worlds most popular religions, Hinduism and Buddhism. Hinduism is polytheistic with many gods who control certain areas of people’s lives. Buddhism is atheistic with a set path to moral goodness and spiritual perfection.

Art, Architecture, & Culture – Famous for their many grand sculptures and temples, both Buddhist and Hindu. Built the first working sewer system in the city of Mohenjo-Daro. Also, invented to concept of the number 0. Culturally, invented the technique of tattooing.

Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece Founded on the southern coast of Europe near the Middle East around 800

B.C. Exists until around 150 B.C. Famous Cities – Athens, Sparta, Thebes, Delphi, Corinth, Olympia. Writing – One of the first civilizations to used alphabetical writing, where

letters represent sounds and are joined to form words. The Greek alphabet is still in use today and is the basis for many other modern languages.

Government – Many different styles of government. Each city, called a polis, in Greece formed it’s own government and ruled the surrounding lands. The city of Athens was the inventor of democracy.

Religion – Polytheistic. Had many gods the were responsible for different things and had different powers. The gods often competed with each other power and followers. Included Zeus – King of the Gods, Poseidon – God of the Sea, Ares – God of War, Aphrodite – Goddess of Love. Greek mythology has become some of the most famous stories of all time and is still a part of our culture today.

Art, Architecture, & Culture – Created several Wonders of the World, including the Parthenon in Athens, The Colossus of Rhodes, and the Sculpture of Zeus in Olympia. Also, know as the greatest artists of the ancient world in literature, sculpture, and theatre. Numerous famous scientists and philosophers as well. Also inventors of the Olympic Games.

Ancient rome

Ancient Rome Founded in the Tiber River Valley in Southern Italy around 753 B.C. Exists until

around 476 A.D. Famous Cities – Rome, Alexandria, Carthage, Constantinople. Writing – Created a very similar style of writing to the Greeks, using an

alphabet. The Roman language, Latin, became the most widely used language in the world during Roman times. It was the basis for Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, and many other languages. Still in use today in medicine and biology.

Government – Used two types of government during its time. Invented the republic, then eventually switched to a dictatorship. Was the largest empire in the world at the time. Was the inspiration for many modern governments.

Religion – Polytheistic and Monotheistic. Had many gods the were responsible for different things and had different powers, very similar the Greek gods. The gods often competed with each other power and followers. Jesus of Nazareth was born under the Roman Empire and later Christianity spread through the entire empire and became to official religion of Rome.

Art, Architecture, & Culture – The most famous builders of the Ancient world. Built roads, bridges, sewers, and aqueducts across their entre empire to provide water and transportation to their people. Also built many famous structures like the Coliseum. Great inventors as well. Invented modern medicine and biology, as well as practical things like concrete.