Chapter 3: First Civilizations ? Cities, States, and Unequal Societies, 3500?500 B.C.E. ?escape from civilization? constraints, artificiality, hierarchies, and other discontents greater oppression and inequality I. Something New: The Emergence of Civilizations independent global phenomenon A. Introducing the First Civilizations 1. Sumer, Egypt, & Nubia, 3500?3000 B.C.E. 2. Norte Chico, 3000?1800 B.C.E. Supe River Valley, along the central coast of Peru desert, little rainfall, dozens of rivers monumental architecture, large public ceremonial structures, stone residential buildings & other signs of urban life economy based on an extremely rich fishing industry quipu, may have been an alternative form of writing smaller cities with no defense walls