1.1. The first civilizations arose near rivers. One such civilization was in India. Its people farmed along the Indus River
1.2. There are too few examples of each symbol to be sure of its meaning. Most experts think that these marks are a form of writing. However, they do not know if these markings are names, records of sales, or something else
1.3. Scholars are not sure, but the citadel may have been a center of government, religion, or both.
2. Egypt
2.1. Like the Fertile Crescent, Egypt was home to one of the world’s first great civilizations. As in the Fertile Crescent, Egypt’s civilization developed in a river valley with rich soil
2.2. Hieroglyphic is a drawing or symbol that represents a word or a sound. Most ancient Egyptians did not know how to write. Scribes, or officials who knew how to write, were valued for their knowledge.
2.3. Egypt’s bureaucracy and system of taxation were a model for later governments, including those of today.
3. Sumeria
3.1. The Fertile Crescent is a region of the Middle East that stretches in a large, crescent-shaped curve from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea
3.2. The Sumerians invented cuneiform, which were wedge-shaped characters written on clay tablets
3.3. In times of war, priests helped choose the best person to lead the city-state into battle. After the war was over, this leader was expected to give up his power and return to normal life.
4. Huang
4.1. Much of China is covered by rugged mountains and vast deserts.
4.2. The earliest written records from China are oracle bones from the Shang dynasty. Oracle bones are animal bones or turtle shells carved with written characters that the Shang kings used to try to tell the future.
4.3. Rule passed from brother to brother and from the youngest brother to his oldest son. The huang leaders organized groups of farmers to clear and prepare new land. The result was larger harvests.
