Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Unit Two: Ancient Civilization - Coggle Diagram
Unit Two: Ancient Civilization
Mesopotamia
Location: On page 6, it said that "from around 3500 BCE, the first cities, states, and empires arose." Mesopotamia also includes different regions like mountains and reed-filled wetlands. (Steele, 6) 
Writing: In the text, it said, "By around 3300 BCE the citizens of Uruk were using about 700 different symbols, or pictographs." Their writing was called cuneiform and was the first writing system. (Steele, 12)
Architecture: On page 24, it said, "A lasting symbol of Ancient Mesopotamia is the ziggurat, a massive terraced platform made of brick." It also said that the ziggurat was used as a religious temple. (Steele, 24)
Religion: The author wrote, "Enki, the god of water and wisdom, was thought to live in an underground ocean called the Apsu." Enli was thought to be the main god- the father of all the other gods. (Steele, 14)
Government: On page 10, it said, "City state rulers were honored with various titles, such as en (lord), ensi (governor), or lugal (king)." The text also tells us that rulers were thought to be ruling by the gods' will. (Steele, 10)
Art: In the text, it said "The Mesopotamians mastered many technologies and crafts at an early point in their history." Mesopotamians created a pottery wheel, metalworking, and linens. (Steele, 28)
Ancient Egypt
Writing: On page 34, the text says, "Scribes had to be experts in writing hieroglyphs, an elaborate form of picture-writing with about 700 different signs." The text also says that there were several different types of hieroglyphs over the years. (Hart, 34)
Religion: On page 24, the text says, "The Egyptians worshipped hundreds of different gods and goddesses, and sometimes it was difficult to work out who was who." We also know that the Sun god was seen as the one responsible for everything on Earth. (Hart, 24)
Location: On page 8, it said that the Egyptians lived on the "'Black Land,' named after the rich dark silt on which the farmers grew their crops." Also, the text states that the desert covers over 90% of Egypt, and this was called the "Red Land." (Hart, 8)
Architecture: On page 20, the text says, "Doors of granite and false passages were constructed to deter robbers who came in the pursuit of the rich offerings buried with the kings." The text also says that the pyramids were built to bury and protect dead pharaohs. (Hart, 20)
Art: On page 56, the text says, "Goldsmiths also made patterns using a method called granulation, in which tiny granules of gold were attached to an object by soldering." The text also says that the jewlers used semi precious stones in their jewelry, which makes it more valuable and beautiful. (Hart, 56)
Government: On page 10, the text says, "The king was not only the most powerful and important man in Egypt- he was thought to be a god." The text also says that the heir to the throne was taught and trained by the pharaoh. (Hart, 10)
Ancient China
Writing: On page 11, the text says that Shang kings used oracle bones to answer questions about important matters. The text also states, "The cracks were then read to discover the answer to a question put to the ancestors." As a result, people would write down questions and answers on the oracle bone. (Cotterell, 11)
Government: On page 16, the text tells us that Emperor Qin became the emperor by defeating enemies and uniting the empire. The text also states "He used his subjects as slave laborers to build the Great Wall and suppressed anyone who disagreed with him." This proves that he could be harsh and strict during his rule. (Cotterell, 16)
Art: On page 16, the text states, "No two soldiers have the same face - each is an individual portrait of a soldier from the Qin army." This shows that Emperor Qin cared about these soldiers so much that he put excruciating detail into each of their faces. The text also tells us that Qin had these soldiers made to help him in the afterlife. (Cotterell, 16)
Technology: On page 22 it states "Some of the world's greatest inventions came from China." It shows they invented gunpowder, the magnetic compass, and paper money. The text lets us know that all of these inventions affect the world we live in today. (Cotterell, 22)
Religion: On page 12, the text states, "The king's authority was greatly reduced as ambitious lords fought each other for power." As a result of this, Confucius learned stronger morals based in family and respect. The text also tells us that the Chinese people were able to see themselves as a family, which strengthened their bonds. (Cotterell, 12)
Commerce (Trade): On page 58, the text says "Chinese merchants amassed large fortunes by exporting luxury goods such as silk, spices, teas, porcelain, and lacquerware." As a result of this, the Mongols allowed merchants to trade without problems. The text also says that international trade flourished at this time because the merchants could travel freely. (Cotterell, 58)
Location: On page 38, the text states, "China is dominated by two great rivers, the Yellow River in northern China and the Yangzi in the south." Because of this, people used these rivers and their rich soil to farm. The text also tells us that the two rivers were connected by the Grand Canal, which was used to transport rice. (Cotterell, 38)
Indus River
Location: The text says "Around 5,000 years ago, a civilization developed along the Indus River alluvial plain (floodplain), in South Asia, due to the large amount of fertile land and proximity to a water source." A lot of settlements were created on the Indus River and areas near there. In the 1920's, archaeologists were able to find what was left of these settlements. (Prentice Hall: World Studies)
Architecture/Technology: The text says "Also, within many homes, some rooms had facilities in which waste water was directed to cover drains and these lined the major streets." This was a great advancement for the time. The Indus used drains to get rid of waste, which is an idea we still use today. (Prentice Hall: Word Studies)
Writing: The text tells us that the Ancient Aryan writing system is still a mystery to us, so it can be hard to gather information about them. The text states, "Whatever the case, the lack of decipherable texts means that we can gain no real insight into many of the details of Indus society as well as little about its government and politics." This shows that because their writing system was so difficult to decipher, we can't yet learn from it. (Prentice Hall: World Studies)
Government: The text tells us that Aryans had a very strict and structured class structure. The text states, "A caste is a social group in which people are born and they cannot change. The caste system began because the Aryans had four social classes, which they called varnas." This shows that the Aryans had a class structure that was divided into varnas. (Prentice Hall: World Studies)
Religion: The text tells us that the Aryans followed a polytheistic religion called Brahmanism. I know this because in the text, it states, "The religion of the ancient Aryans, known as Brahmanism, was polytheistic and heavily influenced the later development of Hinduism." This proves that the ancient Aryans had a similar religion to Hinduism called Brahmanism. (Prentice Hall: World Studies)