1. Huang
1.1. Geography
1.1.1. Huang is in China which is in Asia.
1.1.2. Chinese civilizations arose near the Huang River. (aka rhe Yellow river.)
1.1.3. Farmers started to settle in villages along the river valley. Overtime powerful rulers united the villages to create large kingdoms.
1.1.4. Much of China is covered by rugged mountains and vast deserts. People find needed reasources along the river valley.
1.1.5. China has two main rivers. The Huang and the Chang.
1.2. Writing
1.2.1. The earliest records for Shang's writing system is Oracle bones.
1.2.2. The Shang did not use an alphabet as their written words (characters), instead they used Pictographs later on.
1.2.3. Many ancient characters became the writing Chinese people use to this day.
1.3. Government
1.3.1. The early settlements along the Haung River (the Shang Kingdom) dominated a large part of the region to be the first known Chinese Dynasty.
1.3.2. The Shang leaders organized groups of farmers to clear and prepare new land which resulted in larger harvest. And that had a lasting influence on China.
1.4. Unique Attribute
1.4.1. In Shang, instead of a word or pictured system they once used Oracle bones as their symbols.
1.5. One conceptual question
1.5.1. When the people of Huang were once using bones as their writing system, how did they find so many different bones to represent one word and how did they know what each bone meat?
2. Sumeria
2.1. Geography
2.1.1. Sumeria is in Iraq which is in Asia.
2.1.2. The Fertile Crescent includes Mesopotamia (flat plain in present day Iraq).
2.1.3. Mesopotamia lies between two great rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates.
2.1.4. The first civilizations had to do with rich fertile soil which had many great outcomes.
2.2. Writing
2.2.1. At first, they used Pictographs
2.2.2. Pictograph example: If they were trying to record a number of fish, they would draw a fish.
2.2.3. 3400 B.C they created Cuneiform - A system of writing that uses triangular-shaped symbols
2.3. Government
2.3.1. First leaders were Priests, and they needed some system to keep track of their stored goods.
2.3.2. Leader was expected to give up his power and return to normal life.
2.3.3. Leader was expected to give up his power and return to normal life.
2.4. Unique Attribute
2.4.1. Unlike many other Ancient Civilizations the leader is not a King it is a Priest.
2.5. One conceptual question
2.5.1. How did Sumeria choose a well rounded and trustworthy leader/Priest?
3. Indus
3.1. Geography
3.1.1. The first civilizations arose near rivers - One Civilization was in India which was farming.
3.1.2. Indias first civilization grew around the valley of the Indus River. This civilization developed in an area that is dry most of the year. When the river flooded, it left behind rich soil.
3.1.3. Indus is in modern day India which is is Asia.
3.2. Writing
3.2.1. People still have not discovered how to read symbols found on the stone seals and pottery of the Indus Valley because there are two few samples.
3.3. Government
3.3.1. We believe that the Indus people had a strong central government.
3.3.2. It isn't possible to know for sure what kind of government the Indus Valley had. Some facts make us think that it seems the Kings ruled the Indus Valley.
3.3.3. The Indus Valley had many citadel in their Civilization. We believe the citadel might have been a center of government, religion, or both.
3.4. Unique Attribute
3.4.1. Unlike many other Ancient Civilizations we are still unsure how to read the Indus's form of writing.
3.5. One conceptual question
3.5.1. If we are unsure what type of government was used in the Indus, how were they keeping track of what they were and keeping track of switching the rulers?
4. Egypt
4.1. Geography
4.1.1. Egypt is in Egypt which is in Africa. (and maybe Asia
4.1.2. Egypts civilization developed in a river valley with rich soil.
4.1.3. Ancient Egyptians treasured the Nile River. Without the Nile their land would be a sun-baked desert of bright blue sky and dry sand.
4.2. Writing
4.2.1. Some are still unsure who developed the writing system.
4.2.2. Egyptians used the writing system of Hieroglyphics.
4.2.3. Most ancient Egyptians did not know how to write. Except for Scribes - officials in which knew how to write, and were valued for their knowledge.
4.2.4. The ability of the officials knowing how to write made its complex civilization and advanced technology possible.
4.3. Government
4.3.1. In 3000 B.C two kingdoms developed in Egypt. Many people believe that Narmer united the two kingdoms in about 3000 B.C. - That made him the first Pharaoh (king) of a united Egypt.
4.3.2. The pharaohs relied on a Bureaucracy - a system of offices and officials that handle the business of government.
4.3.3. The Bureaucracy collected taxes from farmers which were paid mainly in the form of extra crops.
4.4. Unique Attribute
4.4.1. Egypt has their own little form of government called a bureaucracy.
4.5. One conceptual question
4.5.1. Did the Scribes eventually share how to write to everyone, or did Egyptians not know how to write until other people from other places told the Egyptians how to write?