Week Seven Blog Post

There were many other significant civilizations than those in Eurasia. In Africa, there were 3 civilizations that are worth noting. First, there was the Meroe civilization. It was located in the Nile Valley, just south of Egypt. It was governed by an all-powerful and sacred monarch. There were a wide variety of economic specialties in this civilization among the people. Meroe had rainfall-based agriculture, which meant that the people weren't dependent on irrigation. Meroe also had a wealthy and strong military power. This civilizations declined because of deforestation and loss of resources. Second, there was the Axum civilization. The economic system in this civilization was based on a productive agricultural system that used a plow-based farming system. Axum had excellent long-distance commerce. Unlike many other civilizations at the time, Christianity became the main religion around the area. Axum declined because of environmental issues and altered trade routes (due to the rise of Islam). Third, there were several Niger Valley civilizations. These civilizations didn't have states. Instead, they had complex urban centers that operated without state authority. They kind of resembled the Indus Valley civilization. There were clusters of economically specialized settlements around a larger, central town. Niger Valley civilizations had occupational castes. They also had long-distance commerce like the Axum civilization.

In Mesoamerica, there were 2 notable civilizations. The first was the Maya civilization. There were a ton of intellectual and artistic achievements made in this civilization. Intellectuals, probably priests, plotted planets, studied mathematics, and created an elaborate writing system. Mayans engineered the landscape for sustainable agriculture for their people. This civilization had a highly fragmented political system with no central authority, frequent warfare, and sacrifices of prisoners of war. It declined because of ecological and political reasons. The second was Teotihuacan. There isn't much known about this civilization, except the fact that they had an impressive city.

In the Andes, there were 4 notable civilizations. First, there was the Chavin. There was obviously an elite class and ordinary people. It is apparent through the types of houses that were found there. Chavin artwork tells us a lot about their gods and their religious life. Chavin was definitely more of a religious cult than a civilization. Second, there was the Moche. This civilization had a complex irrigation system. It was governed by warrior priests who conducted human sacrifices. The working people clearly had superb skills. The Moche civilization declined because of ecological disruption and hostile neighbors. Third, there were the Wari and Tiwanaku civilizations. Wari was located in the northern highlands, while Tiwanaku was located to the south. Both of these civilizations were centered in big urban capitals and their governments collected surplus food in case of drought. Neither civilization controlled a continuous band of territory. Wari used elaborate system of hillside terracing and irrigation. Tiwanaku used a raised field system. Wari's cities were built according to a common plan with highways, making it obvious that there was a tighter political system there than Tiwanaku. The Wari and Tiwanaku civilizations had little contact with each other. Both civilizations ended up abandoning their cities.

In terms of communities, there were a few worth noting. The first was the agricultural Bantu in Africa. These people encountered hunter-gatherers and had several advantages over them. First, agriculture was greater for the economy than hunter-gathering. Second, they brought diseases to the hunter-gatherers, who didn't have immunity to these diseases. Third, they brought iron tools and weapons. These Bantu people became "forest specialists". They had less strict gender systems than other civilizations. Their political systems varied. Their religion was based on ancestral and nature spirits.

The next community was located in North America. The Pueblo people first built houses, then started to build pueblos. Dependence on agriculture, increasing population, and exchange gave rise to the pueblos. These people abandoned their communities. The next community was located in the Eastern Woodlands. This area had a completely independent Agricultural Revolution. The people here would build mounds for burial rituals or to predict lunar eclipses. The rise of the growing of corn helped increase population and create more complex societies there. Like the Pueblo people, these people also abandoned their communities.