Exploring Asia’s Natural Environment

Asia

• Asia is a continent with several peninsulas, or pieces of land that reach out in to the sea. (water in 3 sides)• Biggest country: Russia• Most populated: China • Smallest country: The Maldives• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk_b-fE8CTI

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyIPMRci7Xw

Settling of the Asian Continent

• Descendant from ancient African clans migrates to Asia through the western Peninsula and the Indian Ocean.• Many factors helped the Asian civilization grow. Example:• Developments of a system of writing (cuneiform)• Complex social structures ( First civilizations) p.45• System based on water resources ( “hydraulic culture”) p.44-45• Developing agriculture. P.41• Developing of pottery, textiles industries and metal working .p.43• Domestication of the Camel and creation of trading routes. P.43

Developing of Agriculture

Phases of agriculture

• Keeping the land in condition that were as natural as possible.

• Wiping out the existing plant life. (slashed and burned)

• Choosing the right lands and finding sources of water. (irrigation canals)

• Preparing the soil (plowed the land)

• Farming the land (planting and protecting the crops)

• Harvesting Crops (pick up crops and realize which season will be best for planting and harvesting again)

Metal Ages

• Metallurgy or Metal working developed during the course of 4 dozen years.• The Cooper Age (4000BC- 3150 BC) – when cooper erodes the cooper shines through.

Craft people in Asia learned how to extract it to make jewelry, weapons, armor.

• Bronze Age(3150 BC-1200 BC) – bronze is a mixture of cooper and tin. Bronze was harder and more durable than cooper this led to better weapons.

• Iron Age ( 1200 BC – 550 BC) – Iron harder than bronze and its production was rather simple since it was abundant and less expensive than cooper and tin.

• Steel Age - steel made by heating iron and carbon together.

“hydraulic” cultures and nomadic culture • Hydraulic culture societies based on water resources and formed along major

rivers.• This societies used irrigation, navigation and metallurgy. This help them to grow in to

cities.

Nomadic culture:• A new kind of trading nomadic culture was forms. This nomads connected this

civilizations with others important cities, deserts and steppe.• Nomads change the culture, politics and economic strategies used by the desert people.

• Oases and camels were crucial for nomads. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAXf233i9wM

• Oases provided food and drink for livestock. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8Ex_Z_kz38

• Travel done by camelback help bring together the people who lived in arid lands. Camels can survive higher temperatures and little water.