Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Artisans,
merchants,
farmers, and
fishers
Enslaved people
More ziggurats
Hanging Gardens of Babylonia
Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar II.
Made up of
sound and
picture
symbols
Only scribes
(men) were
taught to
write
Hieroglyphics
What did Egyptians write on?
Papyrus
Also used to
make baskets,
sandals and river
rafts
The Great Sphinx is
located on the Giza
plateau, about six
miles west of Cairo.
Egyptian Social Classes
Nubia
People around the
world have learned
about the glorious past
of the Egyptian empire,
but most have failed to
learn of the Nubia,
which was sometimes
even stronger than the
Egyptian empire. Nubia
rivaled Egypt in wealth
and power, and they
mutually influenced
each other.
Egyptian Economy
Although Egypt looks
really sophisticated, the
economy is a traditional
economy based on
farming and trade.
Egyptians traded up and
down the Nile, with
Mesopotamians and
sometimes with the Indus
Valley (in Pakistan)
Indus Valley Civilization
G: In what modern day country
was the Indus Valley civilization?
Pakistan
Indus River Valley
This civilization is still
mysterious.
The writing has not
been translated.
Indus River Civilization
We do know the cities
were sophisticated
enough to have brick
walls surrounding
them for protection
against flooding from
the Indus River.
Ancient India’s Social Classes
Various artifacts found
What are artifacts?
Artifact—a human-made
object, typically of cultural or
historical interest
Ancient India’s contributions
Farmers raised cattle, made the cow sacred
and could not be killed.
Grew wheat, millet, barley, and rice
Developed iron plow
Developed a written language – Sanskrit
Ancient India’s religions
Hinduism
Buddhism
Hinduism
3rd largest in the world
Four Vedas (sacred writings)– basic
principles formulated here
Brahman – one universal spirit with
different parts
Brahmins – priests
Upanishads – sacred texts
Reincarnation
Dharma – divine law
Major Hindu Deities
Buddhism
Founded by Siddhartha
Guatama
Nirvana – state of wisdom
4 Noble Truths
1. Life is full of suffering.
2. People suffer because they desire
worldly things and self-satisfaction.
3. The way to end suffering is to stop
desiring things.
4. The only way to stop desiring things
is to follow the Eightfold Path.
Eightfold Path
1. Know and understand the Four Noble Truths.
2. Give up worldly things and don’t harm others.
3. Tell the truth, don’t gossip, and don’t speak badly of
others.
4. Don’t commit evil acts, like killing, stealing, or living
an unclean life.
5. Do rewarding work.
6. Work for good and oppose evil.
7. Make sure your mind keeps your senses under
control.
8. Practice meditation as a way of understanding reality.
Buddhist followers split
into two groups
Theravada – did not view him as a god
Mahayana Buddhism – Buddha was a god
who came to save people
Believe worshipping Buddha (instant of the
Eightfold Path) will get you to heaven.
Tibet – Buddhist leaders are called lamas run
the government (Theocracy)
Indus Economy
Just like the other river
valley civilizations, the
Indus river valley people
were mostly farmers.
Traditional economy
They traded with the
Chinese, with the
Sumerians
(Mesopotamians) and
sometimes with the
Egyptians.
Ancient India rulers
Dynasty – a series of rulers from the same
family.
1st dynasty – Mauryan family
Gupta dynasty
Mahabbarata
ANCIENT CHINA
Great Wall
Began 2000 B.C.
Mandate of Heaven
Dynasties
Silk
Astronomy
As in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and along the Indus
River, Chinese civilization began within a major river
valley. Modern China itself is a huge geographical
expanse. Around 4000 BC, this huge area contained an
almost infinite number of ethnic groups and languages.
This history, in which a vast area populated by diverse
ethnic groups became, over time, a more or less single
culture, began in the Yellow River Valley.
Yellow River
Civilization
G:Ancient China
was formed around
the Yellow River.
The color yellow
symbolized
“centrality”, as in
China is the center
of the world.
Huang He
(Yellow River)
Chinese Accomplishments
During the Zhou and
Shang periods
achievements in
astronomy and
bronze work
learned to make silk
create books
developed a complex
system of writing.
S:Chinese Astronomy
2137 BC- Chinese book 书经 records the earliest known
solar eclipse on October 22nd.
ca. 2000 BC - Chinese determine that Jupiter needs 12 years
to complete one revolution of its orbit.
ca. 1400 BC - Chinese record the regularity of solar and
lunar eclipses and the earliest known solar variation日珥.
ca. 1200 BC - Chinese divide the sky into twenty eight
regions 二十八宿 for recognitions of the stars.
ca. 1100 BC - Chinese first determine the spring equinox 黄
赤交角.
776 BC - Chinese make the earliest reliable record of solar
eclipse.
The Chinese Language
Pictographs
Ideographs – join together two or more
pictographs to form an idea
Most characters in their language
represent whole words and not sounds.
Ancient Chinese Social Classes
Landowning
aristocrats
Peasant
farmers
Merchants
E:Chinese Invented Silk
Silk was exotic and
expensive, so it was
good for trading with
the rest of the world.
It is made from silk
worms.
Silk also makes
“paper”
Silk worm
Ancient China Economy
•Farming and
trade
•Traditional
economy
•First to
develop terrace
farming
•This method is
still used today
for rice and Chinese Rice Terrace
other crops.
dyn
In the Middle Ages, the Arabs made known throughout
Muslim Spain a material which was to replace all its
predecessors. This was paper, whose manufacture they
imported from far distant and mysterious realm of China.