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• Formation of important cities (Uruk and Babylon, and states like Assyrian empires), and provided organized religion, centralized governments, social hierarchies, trade networks

• A political structure was required to maintain Irrigation canal and systems

• As political systems became more defined: public works, roads, tax, etc. 

• Ziggurat (of Ur), example of religion and political powers: sun dried and baked brick, massive temple and castle, dedicated to a deity, served as fortification, saw the mingling of priests (religious holidays) and astronomers (calendars)

• Astronomy, astrology, predications, religion all connect at the time

• Development of Writing and Law (The Stele (Code) of Hammurabi - Babylonian legal text, basis of irrigation laws)

• Irrigation played a KEY role in the economic and political life, building systems presented both technical and organizational problems (sediments, constant cleaning)

• Types of irrigation: basin and perennial irrigation, and devised various machines and solved complex problems EX the Noria - a small water waterwheel

Ancient Egypt

• Civilizations developed around the Nile

• Economic developments: gold mining (powerhouse), public and private property ownership, sophisticated tax collecting system (backbone of growing bureaucracy)

• Formed a sophisticated calendar organized around the regularity of floods

• Developments in Practical Mathematics: had an understanding of Pi, triangles, area, and Astronomy: star catalogs, cycles in a year (365 days solar calendar), ‘Book of Nat’ (sky goddess), star clock

• Environmental adaptations and controlling: calendars organized predictable flood periods, which left behind rich soil

• Surveying/construction instruments - building of pyramids: seasonal workers, took decades, limestone with marble covering top, aligned with stars

Egyptian Medicine

• Intertwined with religion

• Had a great understanding of anatomy because of Modification: heart is the ‘central’ organ of the body, everything went through the heart

• Pregnancy and contraception

• Was very practical: surgical was performed with tools

Ancient China (2070 to 214 BCE)

• Two major periods: Ancient and Imperial

• Ancient: Zhou Dynasty (1046-221 BCE)

• Longest-lasting dynasty in Chinese history, classical Chinese philosophy foundation, powerhouse of Iron. Involved water control projects: canals and routes (Silk route) for trade, irrigation and agriculture innovations (iron plowshare, natural fertilizer, collar harness). The Hundred Schools of Thought of Chinese Philosophy: ideas about the good and bad of nature, yin and yang. 

• Growth of commerce and manufacture

• Imperial: Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE)