Civilizations First developed in Mesopotamia All civilizations have four distinct features Economic surplus Formal governments Writing Urban centers Often had men in a place of power over women Mesopotamia The civilizations that arose in the alluvial plain of the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys Had bronze and iron by 4000 BCE Sumer Sumerians joined Mesopotamia in 4000 BCE Developed a cuneiform system by 3500 BCE First known case of writing Founded astronomy Created a numbering system Developed complex religious rituals Built ziggurats Believed in multiple gods Prayers and offerings Believed in afterlife Original version of hell Developed city-states ruled by a king Government regulated religion, provided justice
Chapter 2- Early Civilizations
Civilizations First developed in Mesopotamia All civilizations have four distinct features Economic surplus Formal governments Writing Urban centers Often had men in a place of power over women Mesopotamia The civilizations that arose in the alluvial plain of the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys Had bronze and iron by 4000 BCE Sumer Sumerians joined Mesopotamia in 4000 BCE Developed a cuneiform system by 3500 BCE First known case of writing Founded astronomy Created a numbering system Developed complex religious rituals Built ziggurats Believed in multiple gods Prayers and offerings Believed in afterlife Original version of hell Developed city-states ruled by a king Government regulated religion, provided justice
Need Help?
We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.
For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.
If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.
Need Notes?
While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!