Strayer begins the chapter by stating that just as agriculture was a global phenomenon, so was the concept of civilization. The earliest civilization emerged around 3500 bce to 3000 bce in three places. One of the places was the "cradle" of Middle Eastern civilization. The others were the Egyptian civilization and the less known, Norte Chico. Strayer also mentions Norte Chico's cities were smaller than the ones of Mesopotamia and there was less specialization in economics. All of the civilizations had their roots in the Agricultural Revolution, which is the reason why they appeared later in the "human story" (68). Strayer mentions, "Ritual sacrifice, sometimes including people, accompanied the growth of civilization, and the new rulers normally served as high priests, their right to rule legitimated by association with the sacred" (69). It was interesting to read about how early civilizations developed in different ways. The chapter also includes an excerpt of the Epic of Gilgamesh, Mesopotamia's ancient epic poem. The cities of Mesopotamia were political/administrative capitals, functioning as a hub of production of culture, art, architecture, literature, etc. (70). As social hierarchies of class developed, so did the inequality that was expressed in early civilizations. For example, inequality and hierarchy became normal and natural. The upper classes enjoyed wealth, avoided physical labor, while the free commoners required labor and tribute payments that supported the upper classes. The hierarchies of gender also developed as "the patriarchal ideal regarded men as superior to women and sons preferable to daughters." For example, men had legal and property rights while women were defined largely by their relationship to a man. I also thought this part was interesting, most especially where Strayer mentions, "A few women also operated in roles defined as masculine, acting as rulers, priests, and scholars, while others pushed against the limits and restrictions assigned to women" (73). This part reminded me of my World History II project last semester. I did my research project on Sophie Germain, an undervalued scientific woman during the Age of the Enlightenment. I thought this was eye-opening to observe how this view of women continued from the earliest civilizations to the Age of the Enlightenment. The chapter also has a section about Mesopotamia and Egypt as well as comparing the two. The civilizations of both grew up in river valleys and "depended on their rivers to sustain a productive agriculture in otherwise-arid lands" (80). Egypt had a more sustainable agricultural system, while Sumer (southern Mesopotamia) had a decrease in crop yields. These early civilizations were important because they were part of a shared culture and had many commonalities.
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