UNIT I BEGINNINGS OF CIVILIZATION

World History

WHAT IS HISTORY VS. PRE-HISTORY?

PRE-HISTORY HISTORY

Refers to the time before written records.

How do you think we figure out what happened before records were kept?

Today how do we figure out happened if there is no fixed record? (For instance at a crime scene.)

History is what we found through primary resources.

So what are Primary Resources?

What is their advantage over Secondary sources?

QUICK HISTORICAL TERMINOLOGY NOTE. B.C. & A.D. Commonly used system of measuring time based on

the birth of Christianity. What are the problems with this system? B.C.E. & C.E. Same years, more politically correct terminology.

B.C.E. = Before Common Era (the same as B.C.)

C.E. = Common Era (the same as A.D.)

HOW DO WE FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED IN PREHISTORIC TIMES?

Archaeologists are scientists who learn about early people by excavating and studying traces of early civilizations.

Evidence is gathered through archaeological digs.

Artifacts are pieces found at digs. From this archaeologists use

evidentiary guesswork. Think prehistoric CSI.

THE PALEOLITHIC AGE2,500,000 B.C.E - 10,000 B.C.E.

Means “Old Stone Age” Made Tools They were Nomadic (moved from place

to place.) Men = hunted. Women = gathered.

EVOLUTION OF MAN

WHAT ARE HOMINIDS?Hominids are creatures that walk upright.

They have opposable thumbs.

LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS 1974 in Ethiopia a female hominid skeleton was

found. “Lucy” was about 3.5 million years old.

ARDI DISPLACES LUCY AS OLDEST HOMINID SKELETON

The female skeleton, nicknamed Ardi, is 4.4 million years old, 1.2 million years older than the skeleton of Lucy.

discovered in Ethiopia.

ARDI

THE 1ST TOOLMAKER & THE TECHNOLOGY OF UPRIGHT MAN. Homo Habilis (Man of Skill) 1st hominid to use tools (Lava Rock) East Africa about 2.5 million years

ago

Homo Erectus (Upright Man) Adapted tools to meet needs. 1.6 million years ago 1st to migrate out of Africa

NEANDERTHAL Are hominids but are NOT ancestors of

modern humans. Powerfully built, well developed

muscles, thick bones. Lived between 200,000 and 30,000

years ago. 1st to develop religious beliefs and

rituals (Funeral Sites)

NEANDERTHAL

HOMO SAPIENS

CRO MAGNON Appeared about 40,000 years ago . Identical to modern humans. Planned their hunts, studied animal

habits and stalked their prey. Advanced hunting and language skills

allowed them to survive easier.

CRO MAGNON

CRO MAGNON

END OF THE ICE AGE Earth is warmer. Ideal for farming. Anyone have an idea?

NEOLITHIC REVOLUTIONThe end of the Ice Age led to the rise of Agriculture.

Part of Agriculture was the domestication of animals.

Some were used for labor, some were raised for food.

As people farmed more they got better at it and better farming techniques like irrigation led to a

surplus of food.What changes could this surplus cause?

FIRST CIVILIZATIONS EMERGE Most historians agree that the 1st

civilization began in Mesopotamia. The city of Sumer.

Unification of the villages benefited from shared resources, trade, and

alliances. How would sharing these things be

beneficial?

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A CIVILIZATION?

Civilizations share five characteristics. Advanced Cities – centers of trade for a larger area. Specialized Workers – Traders, Government, Priests,

and Artisans (skilled workers that made goods by hand) Complex Institutions – Growing populations needed

a system of ruling the civilization (economy & religion). Record Keeping – Most civilizations developed a

system of writing to keep records. Scribes were professional record keepers.

Advanced Technology – necessary to make complex life more livable.

ANCIENT EGYPT - GEOGRAPHY Location: Egypt Supported by Nile

River. Nile flooded

regularly. Upper and Lower

Egypt Surrounded by

natural barriers. Deserts.

RELIGION – BELIEVED IN THE AFTERLIFE

Religion: PolytheisticRa – Jackal, the

Sun GodHorus – Hawk,

the Sky God Believed in

Reincarnation.

NILE RIVER CIVILIZATION Type of Writing: Hieroglyphics, Pictographs

(Rosetta Stone)

Government: Theocracy Menes united Upper & LowerPharaoh was a God and a King Responsible for all good & bad in Egypt.

Economic System: Agrarian – mostly specialized in Religion & Architecture.

Educational System: To win the highest positions, one must be able to read and write.

NILE RIVER CONTINUED

Architecture: Pyramids, Massive SculpturesValley of the Kings

Major Books: Paprus = Paper

Other Contributions: System of Written Numbers365 Days a year12 Months with 30 days each5 Days for Holidays

TIGRIS-EUPHRATES VALLEY (MESOPOTAMIA & SUMERIA) Type of Writing: First System of Writing

Cuniform – 3000 B.C.E.Scribes were record keepers

Government: City-StateAt first priests ruled gradually militaryleaders took control

Economic System: Traded grain, cloth & craftedtools for wood, stone & metal. Finished goods for Raw Materials.

Educational System: Few female scribes.Upper Class boys taught to read & write

MESOPOTAMIA (SUMER) Religion: Polytheistic

Each city-state had its own God.

Architecture: Ziggurats large pyramid like structureSun dried mud bricks

Major Books: The Code of Hammurabi The Epic of Gilgamesh

Other Contributions: Wheel, Sail, Plow, IrrigationFirst with 60 seconds in a minute.360 degrees in a circle.

HAMMURABI’S CODE Civilizations need laws. Babylonian Empire – took over

Mesopotamia. Hammurabi’s laws

282 specific laws dealing with everything that affected the community.

Reinforced the principle that government had a responsibility for what occurred in society.

INDUS RIVER VALLEY Type of Writing: Pictographs

Most likely no written language

Government: Organized and relatively peacefulStrong Central Government

Economic System: Agrarian, Based on TradeProsperous (Wooden Toys found)

Educational System: Unknown

INDUS RIVER VALLEY / MOHEJO-DARO Religion: Similar to modern Indian religion

Mother Goddess, Fertility Gods, Cattle worship

Architecture: Advanced Indoor plumbing, sewer system

Major Books: Unknown

Other Contributions: UnknownMysterious disappearance around 1500 B.C.E.

CHINESE RIVER CIVILIZATIONS (HUANG HE AND YELLOW RIVER ) Type of Writing: Pictographs, every word was a different

character

Government: Dynastic with a powerful central KingFeudal System justified by the “Mandate of Heaven”

Economic System: TradeCoins used most likely to barter.

Educational System: Noble Class learned to read and write

CHINESE RIVER CIVILIZATION Religion: Family is linked to religion

Worship of Gods, Ancestors and Spirits

Architecture: Bronze Sculptures

Major Books: Unknown

Other Contributions: Silk and Fabrics

VILLAGE GAME