What’s the Significance?
Big Picture Questions
How does the use of the term “civilization” by historians differ from that of popular usage? How do you use the term?
“Civilizations were held together largely by force.” Do you agree with this assessment, or were there other mechanisms of integration as well?
How did the various First Civilizations differ from one another?
Looking Back: To what extent did civilizations represent “progress” in comparison with earlier Paleolithic and Neolithic societies? And in what ways did they constitute a setback for humankind?
Next Steps: For Further Study
Cyril Aldred, The Egyptians (1998). A brief and up-to-date account from a widely recognized expert.
Jonathan M. Kenoyer, Ancient Cities of the Indus Valley Civilization (1998). A thorough and beautifully illustrated study by a leading archeologist of the area.
Samuel Noah Kramer, History Begins at Sumer (1981). A classic account of Sumerian civilization, filled with wonderful stories and anecdotes.
David B. O’Connor, Ancient Nubia: Egypt’s Rival in Africa (1994). An overview of this ancient African civilization, with lovely illustrations based on a museum exhibit.
Christopher A. Pool, Olmec Archeology and Early Mesoamerica (2007). A scholarly and up-to-date account of the earliest civilization in Mesoamerica.
Robert Thorp, China in the Early Bronze Age: Shang Civilization (2006). An accessible and scholarly account of early Chinese civilization informed by recent archeological discoveries.
“The Indus Civilization,” http://www.harappa.com/har/har0.html. Hundreds of vivid pictures and several brief essays on the Indus Valley civilization.
The British Museum, “Ancient Egypt,” http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/menu.html. An interactive exploration of Egyptian civilization.