Today we will begin our study of river valley civilizations in China, India, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. Our focus today will be the growth of empires in these places and the development of political systems to govern and unify the people of each region.
Question of the Day
What were the similarities and differences between the political systems of the ancient river valley civilizations both in regard to why they arose and how they functioned?
Focus Questions
In what ways did urbanization cause the development of more organized and complex political systems?
What role did military conquest play in the development of empires?
How did the rulers of these empires legitimize their regimes and unify their people?
What role did government bureaucracies play in administering each system?
agricultural surplus
primary source
urbanization
city-state
trade
religion
political system
Today you'll have to define one of the vocabulary terms from last class and write a paragraph answering this question: How did the Neolithic Revolution transform the lives of those affected by it?
Writing assessment on the Neolithic Revolution.
As a class, we will explore how a single historical document or artifact can help us understand history. I have chosen a document from ancient Egypt. For our purposes we will define a historical document or artifact as anything that helps us to understand its time place, place, and culture.
Then you will do some analysis of your own. There are three objects (artifacts) for you to analyze. You will need to be able to answer each of the following for each object:
When was it produced (time)?
Where is it from (place)?
Who are the people that created it (culture)?
What does the object tell us about its time, place, and culture, especially in regard to the development of civilization?
The three objects are a Maya maize god statue, an Indus seal, and an early writing tablet from ancient Mesopotamia. You can find the information necessary to answer the three questions above and a podcast about each object at the following links:
You will have to define one of the vocabulary terms above at the beginning of next class and explain how it helps us to answer today's question of the day or one of the focus questions. I will choose the term.
Then you will write a paragraph explaining how one of the artifacts you studied for homework helps us to understand how civilization developed in its time, place, and culture.
Standard of Ur: This is one of the 100 objects from the British Museum that the BBC has used to tell its history of the world. Like the others we've looked at as part of this lesson, it helps tell the story of the development of complex societies.
Jade Axe: This is one of the 100 objects from the British Museum that the BBC has used to tell its history of the world. Like the others we've looked at as part of this lesson, it helps tell the story of the development of complex societies.
Flood Tablet: This is one of the 100 objects from the British Museum that the BBC has used to tell its history of the world. Like the others we've looked at as part of this lesson, it helps tell the story of the development of complex societies.