Characteristics of Early Civilizations PDF

Preview

Summary

Characteristics of Early Civilizations...

Description

Characteristics of Early Civilizations

What is a Civilization? - a densely settled, agricultural society that was based on innovation   



Initiated by both demographic and environmental factors, then improved by commerce Groups of hunter-gatherers in Southwest Asia began to over-hunt with a burdening population, and needing to support their population they turned to agriculture Characteristics of a civilization: o Agriculture - most civilizations were founded on agriculture (the purposeful manipulation of a fixed piece of land to produce quantities of food) o Social order - groups of people developed specialized skills for different professions which separated into social orders o Urbanization o Metallurgy - metalworkers revolutionized societies and forged copper, tin, and bronze to build better inventions o Writing System - writing was used to record trade, ideas, and government policies o Religion - began to become entwined with politics o Government - reliance on government to enforce laws, maintain order, establish trade rules, and handle diplomatic matters o Trade - advancements in shipbuilding and animal domestication allowed for globalization o Science - advanced understanding in the fields of math, astronomy, and engineering allowed advancements of tools, like the wheel and calendar Soil's Impact on Civilizations o Soil: the combination of organic and inorganic matter atop the Earth's surface  The basis upon which all plant life and animal life exists  Considered "the tablecloth under the banquet of civilization"  When civilizations deplete their soil resources, they cause erosion, nutrient depletion, or excessive salt build up, which decreases agricultural output and can collapse societies o Good soil helped kickstart the Egyptian, Harappan, and Yellow River civilizations  Population pressures and a lack of scientific knowledge meant that all agricultural societies were unstable  Old civilizations had no way of knowing the implications of erosion, or about the chemical building blocks for plants.  Led to feeding more mouths, more intense plowing/irrigation and more damaged soil...