The First Cities (Lesson 3 & Quiz) - World History A Unit 2

What does Mesopotamia mean?

"The land between two rivers." (Page 2)

Define Yellow River

(Also known as the Huang-He.) The second longest river in China. The majority of ancient Chinese civilizations originated in its valley. (Page 7)

What were some of the discoveries from the ancient City of Shang?

1. Oracle bones, inscribed with the earliest Chinese writing. 2. In 1975, a huge and complex tomb was uncovered at this site. (Page 4)

What two things jump-started Egyptian civilization along the Nile?

1. The annual flood created rich soil for farming. 2. People working together to manage the flood water. (Page 3)

Define Indus River

A river in South Asia that flows from the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea. It also flows through Pakistan. (Page 7)

Euphrates River

A river in southwestern Asia that flows through the southern part of the Fertile Crescent.

What role did agriculture play in building the first cities?

Agriculture (farming) allowed groups of people to produce surplus food, which freed up some people to do other things besides farm. This change led to a class of city dwellers who did not grow their own food. (Page 10)

Define Currency

Any material that represents or stands for an item of trade (or money).

How do archeologists know that some ancient civilizations traded with one another, across long distances?

Archaeologists know that trade routes were extensive because some artifacts are made with materials that are not local to the region they are found in. They had to be brought in from somewhere else. Ex: One example is the Sumerian Standard of Ur, which is made with blue lapis lazuli available only in the region of present-day Afghanistan. The Standard of Ur also contains shells from the Persian Gulf, and bichiman, or petroleum glue, from the far north region of Mesopotamia. (Page 8)

This image, taken from Tomb of Ipuy at Deir-el-Medina, on the west bank of Thebes, shows a gardener using a shaduf. How did the shaduf and inventions like it increase the usefulness of the Nile River?

By making widespread irrigation possible. (Page 3)

How did the spiritual beliefs of ancient Chinese and Indian civilizations differ?

Chinese civilizations worshiped their ancestors while ancient Indian civilizations seemed to worship a goddess figure primarily. (Page 10)

What would participating in long-distance trade require a society to do?

Create an industry in certain trade goods, invest in animals to carry the goods long distances, and create a group of people to oversee and protect the trade. Ex: If the coastal society's seashells become popular hundreds of miles away in China, that society will want to develop a trade with China. Seashells could be exchanged for silk. The coastal people will have to expand their seashell production and invest in getting the shells to China. A whole new class of people will emerge who give people permission to make the journey, record how many shells they're taking, provide the animals and security for the journey, and get a cut of the profits when the seashell traders return with the silk. (Page 8)

What made obsidian a valuable form of currency?

Currency must be something that holds or represents value and is treasured by those who use it. Note: For the people of Çatal Hüyük, obsidian was desirable, portable, and able to hold symbolic value as currency.

What civilization grew up along the banks of the Nile River?

Egypt (Page 10)

How did farming contribute to the birth of the first civilizations?

Farming as a method of survival allowed groups of humans to produce food surpluses (extra food), which freed up some people to work as priests, rulers, doctors, musicians, scribes, traders, merchants, craftspeople, and soldiers. (Page 2 (& Page 8))

What is the land like around the Nile River?

Fertile Note: The Nile River makes the land around it very fertile when it floods its banks each year and leaves behind silt, an especially rich type of soil. It also provides a way for farmers to irrigate land (Page 3)

Quiz: What did rivers contribute to the development of early civilizations?

Fertile land, irrigation, and transportation

How did the development of agriculture cause city life to emerge?

Fewer people were needed to find food since farming produced a surplus.

An example of currency in ancient times.

If you had some grain to trade, and you met someone who didn't need grain, but had something you needed, you could offer the other trader some type of currency instead of grain.

Where is the Indus River located?

In present-day Pakistan, and the site of ancient Indian civilization (Page 7)

Where did the world's first cities emerge?

In the area known as Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates, in the Sumerian civilization. (Page 10)

What made Mesopotamia different from China or the Indus River Valley?

It developed many different yet related civilizations.

What made Olmec civilization different from Mesopotamian or Egyptian civilization?

It did not develop along a river. (Page 5)

How did the Nile River help ancient Egyptians build a civilization?

It flooded its banks once a year, leaving behind fertile soil. It also provided transportation between Upper and Lower Egypt and helped irrigate crops. (Page 10)

What geographic features do you notice surrounding the Indus River Valley Civilization?

It is surrounded on most sides by mountains and ocean. (Page 6)

In what ways did the Nile River help build the ancient Egyptian civilization?

It transported food, people, and ideas. It helped people increase crop production, and thus food supplies. It provided fresh water for people, plants, and livestock. (Page 3)

What made obsidian a good form of currency?

It was desirable and portable, and could carry symbolic meaning. (Page 10)

Define Nile River (vocab)

Located in present-day Egypt, is not only the longest river in the world and it is also a great resource for the people who live near it. (Page 2)

What freshwater resource was used by the Mesoamericans?

Mostly rainwater (of which there was plenty) (Page 6)

Could the pyramids have been built if the Nile had not had an annual flood?

No; the pyramids were built by farmers who had an off-season because of the flood. If there had been no flood, people would have had to be farming all year long to raise enough food to feed the population. (Page 3)

Who ruled the first cities?

People who controlled important resources, like water or the crop surplus; these were often kings and priests. (Page 10)

What did ancient Chinese civilizations invent that became a major source of trade?

Silk. (Page 10)

What is similar about where these civilizations are located on the map?

Similar latitudes, or distances from the earth's equator. (Page 6)

What were the world's first cities more like?

States or countries because they ruled the land around them and the people who lived there. (Page 2)

Mesopotamia emerged in between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. What is another name for this region?

The Fertile Crescent (Page 6)

Which river supported the development of the first Indian civilization?

The Indus River. (Page 10)

What made Shang civilization different from Olmec or Mesopotamian civilization?

The Shang worshiped their human ancestors along with gods. (Page 5)

What freshwater source was utilized by the Chinese?

The Yellow River (Page 6)

What river helped found the first civilization in what is now China?

The Yellow River. (Page 10)

Where was the Yellow River located?

The ancient Chinese dynasties (Page 7)

Where was the Nile River located?

The ancient Egyptian Civilization (Page 7)

Where is the Euphrates River located?

The birthplace of the Sumerians, Mesopotamia. (Page 7)

What is one of the oldest cities in China?

The city of Shang

What role did the Nile River floods play in the success of agriculture in that region?

The floods left behind silt that enriched the soil. (Page 3)

What helped the Egyptians move water from the Nile to farmland and water storage containers?

The shaduf Note: A shaduf is a simple tool with a bucket at one end and a weight on the other. The bucket is lowered into the water and lifted up to land. (Page 3)

What did the people of Sumer's earliest cities invent?

The wheel, the plow, and the first system of writing (cuneiform) (Page 10)

What are some examples of the sophistication of ancient Indian Civilization?

There was a sewage system, and houses had indoor plumbing for baths. (Page 10)

How was the Olmec civilization different from those in the Middle and Far East?

They got their fresh water from rainfall, not a river. (Page 10)

What does the similarity in latitude suggest about the climate of these locations?

They shared a similar climate--one that was suited to cultivating crops and one that provided abundant rainfall. (Page 6)

Where were the earliest civilizations located?

They were in Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, China, and Mesoamerica. (Page 6)

Quiz: How did the first Mesoamerican civilizations differ from early Middle Eastern civilizations?

They were not located near a river, but in an area with abundant year-round rainfall.

Where would the great cities of Egypt have been built?

They would have been built along the Nile River, in both Upper and Lower Egypt. Fun Fact: Southern Egypt is called "Upper" Egypt because it has a higher elevation than northern Egypt, which lies closer to sea level. (Page 3)

What would a society have to do to maintain trade with other societies?

They would have to create industries that produced trade goods. Ex: If the coastal society's seashells become an important part of the mountain society's religious rituals, the mountain society will want a regular supply of seashells. That means the coastal society will have to give a class of people the job of finding seashells, and another class of people the job of cleaning, polishing, and assembling the shells for use in those rituals. Producing seashells or seashell items will become part of the coastal society's economy. (Page 8)

Define Irrigate (vocab)

To carry water to crops that are not planted directly beside the river. (Page 3)

What role did trade play in building civilizations?

Trade brought desirable goods to a civilization; it also brought prestige and wealth when a civilization's goods were sought-after. (Page 10)

Define Trade (vocab)

Trade is an economic transaction in which two or more parties swap items of equal value, with the result that each feels a little richer.

Trade relied on different cities or regions producing unique items. Why was this?

Traders could take those unique items to other places and trade or sell them. Ex: If a coastal society had seashells, those would be very valuable to a society high in the mountains. Seashells could be used to make jewelry or other items, and would bring a good price in the market. (Page 8)

What makes the Indus River civilization different from Chinese or Egyptian civilization for us today?

We can't read their writing yet. (Page 5)

When would Egyptians need to use a shaduf?

When the river was not flooding, and they needed to take water from it to irrigate their land. (Page 3)