2. The main feature of a civilization is the rise of
cities
Many cities of early civilizations in the Middle
East, India, and China were all located next to
rivers
Flood waters spread silt across valleys
renewing the soil, animals flocked to the
rivers to drink and were another source of
food, there was a steady water supply, and a
means of transportation
3. Ancient cities were frequently surrounded by
high walls
Two examples: Babylon and Jericho
4. The main point of many early cities was to
serve as religious centers
Early priests used
ceremonies, dancing, prayers, hymns, and
sacrifices (animal and human)
5. People in cities had specialized jobs
Examples:
artisans, bricklayers, soldiers, merchants, and
entertainers
People were ranked socially in cities
according to their jobs
“Social Pyramid”
6. Cities needed certain construction projects in
order to survive
Examples: irrigation
systems, roads, bridges, defensive walls
7. The critical new skill developed by the earliest
civilizations was the art of writing
Records and history could now be kept
8. Environmental challenges could hurt early
civilizations and had to be overcome
Examples:
volcanoes, overfarming, famine, earthquakes,
deforestation
9. Cultural Diffusion---the spread of
ideas, customs, and technologies from one
people to another
Cultural diffusion occurs three ways:
migration, trade, warfare
