Page 63 - Western Civilization A Brief History, Volume I To 1715 9th - Jackson J. Spielvogel

The peoples of Southwest Asia and Egypt laid the foundations of Western civilization. They developed cities and struggled with the problems of organized states as they moved from individual communities to larger territorial units and eventually to empires. They invented writing to keep records and created literature. They constructed monumental buildings to please their gods, give witness to their power, and preserve their culture. They developed new political, military, social, and religious structures to deal with the basic problems of human existence and organiza- tion. These first civilizations left detailed records that allow us to
CHAPTER TIMELINE
view how they grappled with human relationships, the nature of the universe, and the role of divine forces in that cosmos. Although later people would pro- vide different answers from those of the Mesopotamians and Egyp- tians, it was they who first posed the questions, gave answers, and wrote them down.
Mesopotamia
Egypt
India
China
Central Asia
South America
3000 B.C.E.
Beginning of cuneiform
2500 B.C.E.
Great Pyramid
Egypt—Old Kingdom
2000 B.C.E.
Egypt—Middle Kingdom
1500 B.C.E.
Code of Hammurabi Babylonian kingdom
1000 B.C.E.
Akhenaten’s religious upheaval
Emergence of Egyptian civilization
Indus valley civilization
Caral,
Supe River valley of Peru
Central Asian civilization
Shang dynasty
CHAPTER REVIEW
Upon Reflection
Q What achievements did early humans make during the Paleolithic and Neolithic Ages, and how did those achievements eventually make possible the emergence of civilization?
Q What roles did geography, environmental conditions, religion, politics, economics, and
women and families play in the civilizations of Southwest Asia and Egypt?
Q What do you think Western civilization has derived from the civilizations of the ancient Near East?
Chapter Summary • 25
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