Neolithic Revolution and Early Civilizations Flashcards
(20 cards)
When was the Neolithic Revolution?
8000-3000 BC
How did humans change during this period?
They switched from being nomads to settled farmers who lived in permanent villages
What did humans discover in this time?
They learned how to perform agriculture (farming) and to domesticate (raise) animals
What would these permanent villages created eventually become?
The world’s earliest civilizations
What does does the word surplus mean for early civilizations?
Food surplus (or extra) was a key factor in the development of civilizations
When did the first civilizations develop and where?
3000 BC in river valleys
Where was the Nile river?
Northeast Africa (Egypt)
Where were the Tigris and Euphrates rivers?
Middle East
Where was the Indus River?
South Asia (India)
Where was the Yellow River?
East Asia (China)
What writing system did the Sumer civilization in Mesopotamia develop?
Cuneiform (using wedge-shaped symbols)
Who was the ancient Babylonian rulers and what was he known for creating?
Hammurabi created the world’s first known set of written laws
What civilization was in the Indus River Valley?
The Harappan civilization
What does being Polytheistic mean and how was it significant at this time?
The earliest civilizations were all Polytheistic (believed in more than one god) and many of their gods were associated with nature (sun, rain, etc.)
What was the Mandate of Heaven?
This was the Chinese belief that heaven or god granted emperors with the right to rule, and it was later used in many different civilizations and empires as well
What was the earliest form of Chinese writing?
Oracle bones (inscribed animal bones or shells)
What was a ziggurat?
A tiered temple structure in Mesopotamia serving religious and administrative functions
What is a city-state?
An independent urban center and its surrounding territory governed by its own ruler
What is irrigation?
It is the artificial application of water to land (such as canals) to support farming in arid or flood-prone regions. River valley civilizations used irrigation to sustain agriculture and cities along major rivers
What was the tributary system?
A method of supporting the state through periodic payments or labor from subject peoples, used in China
