Characteristics Of Ancient Civilizations - 1752 Words

The distinct characteristics of Ancient civilizations laid the foundation for future civilizations. Early civilizations developed distinct characteristics such as complex government, social, and economic structures. They also had distinct religion and major innovations. Some of the Ancient civilizations with distinct characteristics are Sumer, Babylon, Ancient Egypt and Israel. These civilizations existed between the time periods of about 3300 B.C. and about 332 B.C. Sumer was the worlds first civilization that developed in southeastern Mesopotamia around 3300 B.C. Sumer’s downfall was around 1900 B.C., due to a conquest of armies. In Sumer chief servants of the gods became rulers. Sumer had a complex government. Each of the 12†¦show more content†¦Cuneiform was invented around 3200 B.C. and marked the period when writing began. Scholars from Sumer studied the skies, and the movement of stars and planets. They also established a number system based on six. Such as, dividing the hour into sixty minutes and dividing the circle into 360 degrees, much like times today. The ancient civilization Babylon is one of the first civilizations that arose in Mesopotamia. In 539 B.C., Babylon fell to the Persian armies of Cyrus the Great. Hammurabi and Nebuchadnezzar are two notable rulers of Babylon. Around 1790 B.C., during Hammurabis reign, he codified or set down in writing, a set of laws known as the Hammurabi Code. Hammurabi wanted to ens ure that everyone in his empire knew the legal principles his government would follow. Addressed in Hammurabis Code was civil and criminal law. The branch of civil law dealt with private rights and matters. Business contracts, property inheritance, taxes, marriage, and divorce are some of the matters dealt with under civil law. Hammurabi’s civil code was designed to protect the powerless, such as women or slaves. The branch of criminal law deals with offenses against others, which include, robbery, assault or murder. The punishments in Hammurabi’s Code followed the principle of â€Å"an eye for an eye and a life for a life.† The men in Babylon much like the men in Sumer had more legal rights than women. The Babylonian civil law gave a husband legal authority over his wife.Show MoreRelatedCharacteristics Of Ancient Civilizations1959 Words   |  8 Pages Were ancient cultures actually considered civilizations? Four of the most important ancient civilizations were Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt, ancient India, and ancient China. In order to be considered a civilization a culture must have seven different characteristics. These seven characteristics of a civilization are writing system, social classes, organized government, public works, arts and architecture, job specialization, and complex religions. 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