The Birth of Civilization
1
The Birth of Civilization
Mohenjo-Daro Figure. Scholars believe this limestone statue from about 2500 B.C.E. depicts a king or a priest from Mohenjo-Daro in the
Indus valley in present-day Pakistan.
Does this figure seem to emphasize the features of a particular person or the attributes of a particular role?
Hear the Audio for Chapter 1 at www.myhistorylab.com
CRAIMC01_xxxii-031hr2.qxp 2/17/11 3:22 PM Page xxxii
EARLY HUMANS AND THEIR CULTURE page 1
WHY IS “culture” considered a defining trait of human beings?
EARLY CIVILIZATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST TO ABOUT 1000 B.C.E. page 5
HOW DID control over water resources influence early Middle Eastern civilizations?
ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN EMPIRES page 14
HOW DID conquest and trade shape early empires in the Near East?
EARLY INDIAN CIVILIZATION page 16
WHAT INFLUENCES did the first Indus valley civilization have on later Indian religious and social practices?
EARLY CHINESE CIVILIZATION page 23
WHY DID large territorial states arise in ancient China?
THE RISE OF CIVILIZATION IN THE AMERICAS page 27
HOW DID agriculture influence the development of civilizations in Mesoamerica?
1
he earliest humans lived by hunting, fishing, and collecting wild plants.
Around 10,000 years ago, they learned to cultivate plants, herd animals, and make airtight pottery for storage. These discoveries transformed them from gatherers to producers, allowing them to grow in number and to lead a settled life. Beginning about 5,000 years ago, a far more complex way of life began to appear in some parts of the world. In these places humans learned how to increase harvests through irrigation and other methods. Much larger populations came together in towns, cities, and other centers, where they erected impressive structures and where industry and commerce flourished. They developed writing, enabling them to keep inventories of food and other resources.
Specialized occupations emerged, complex religions took form, and social
The Birth of Civilization
Mohenjo-Daro Figure. Scholars believe this limestone statue from about 2500 B.C.E. depicts a king or a priest from Mohenjo-Daro in the
Indus valley in present-day Pakistan.
Does this figure seem to emphasize the features of a particular person or the attributes of a particular role?
Hear the Audio for Chapter 1 at www.myhistorylab.com
CRAIMC01_xxxii-031hr2.qxp 2/17/11 3:22 PM Page xxxii
EARLY HUMANS AND THEIR CULTURE page 1
WHY IS “culture” considered a defining trait of human beings?
EARLY CIVILIZATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST TO ABOUT 1000 B.C.E. page 5
HOW DID control over water resources influence early Middle Eastern civilizations?
ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN EMPIRES page 14
HOW DID conquest and trade shape early empires in the Near East?
EARLY INDIAN CIVILIZATION page 16
WHAT INFLUENCES did the first Indus valley civilization have on later Indian religious and social practices?
EARLY CHINESE CIVILIZATION page 23
WHY DID large territorial states arise in ancient China?
THE RISE OF CIVILIZATION IN THE AMERICAS page 27
HOW DID agriculture influence the development of civilizations in Mesoamerica?
1
he earliest humans lived by hunting, fishing, and collecting wild plants.
Around 10,000 years ago, they learned to cultivate plants, herd animals, and make airtight pottery for storage. These discoveries transformed them from gatherers to producers, allowing them to grow in number and to lead a settled life. Beginning about 5,000 years ago, a far more complex way of life began to appear in some parts of the world. In these places humans learned how to increase harvests through irrigation and other methods. Much larger populations came together in towns, cities, and other centers, where they erected impressive structures and where industry and commerce flourished. They developed writing, enabling them to keep inventories of food and other resources.
Specialized occupations emerged, complex religions took form, and social