The First Civilizations - Baby's First Year

Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Name Date Class
TAKE-HOME REVIEW ACTIVITY 1
The First Civilizations
Some of the first civilizations arose in southwest Asia. The people of
these civilizations gradually learned how to farm and developed systems
of government, writing, and religion.
The site of ancient Jericho is one-third of a mile (one-half a kilometer) away
from modern Jericho at a depth of 820 feet (250 meters) below sea level.
Jericho, one of the oldest known communities, is located in the West Bank
between what are now Israel and Jordan.
REVIEWING CHAPTER 1
Early Humans
• Early humans were nomads who moved
around to hunt animals and gather food.
They built shelters and used fire to survive.
In time, they developed language
and art.
• Paleolithic people adapted to their environment
and invented many tools to
help them survive.
• In the Neolithic Age, people started
farming, building communities, producing
goods, and trading.
• During the farming revolution, people
began to grow crops and domesticate
animals, which allowed them to settle
in villages.
Mesopotamian Civilization
• In early Mesopotamian civilizations, religion
and government were closely
linked. Kings created strict laws to govern
the people.
• Civilization in Mesopotamia began in
the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers. In time, farming villages devel-
STANDARDIZED TEST PRACTICE
Multiple Choice
1. The first city-states developed in
A
Sumer. C Chaldea.
B
Assyria. D Mesopotamia.
oped into civilizations with governments,
art, religion, writing, and social
class divisions. The first city-states
developed in Mesopotamia.
• Many cities had formed in southern
Mesopotamia in a region known as
Sumer. Sumerians invented writing and
made other important contributions to
later peoples.
• Sumerian city-states lost power when
they were conquered by outsiders.
The First Empires
• New empires arose in Mesopotamia
around 900 B.C. These civilizations
included the Assyrians and the
Chaldeans. They used powerful armies
and iron weapons to conquer the region.
• Assyria’s military power and wellorganized
government helped it build a
vast empire in Mesopotamia by 650 B.C.
• The Chaldeans built a large empire that
included Babylon, the largest and richest
city in the world at the time. The
Chaldeans developed the first calendar
with a seven-day week.
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CHAPTER 1