J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 1 3

Live Lesson

S O L 2

Paleolithic Era to Agricultural Revolution

Stone Age: Includes Paleolithic and Neolithic

• “Old Stone Age” Paleolithic Age

• “New Stone Age” Neolithic Age

During this time, environment shaped how early human societies lived their lives.

Homo sapiens emerged in Africa between 100,000 and 400,000

years ago.

Homo sapiens migrated

from…

AFRICA to…

Eurasia, Australia, and the Americas.

Paleolithic Age ~ Old Stone Age

� Paleolithic humans were hunter-gatherers who wandered from place to place in search of food (wild animals and plants), water and shelter.

� These hunter-gatherers were nomads who traveled in clans.

Paleolithic Age ~ Old Stone Age

� Paleolithic people created simple tools.

� They invented fire!

Paleolithic people had oral language (spoken) and cave art.

The Neolithic Age ~ New Stone Age emerges

�  When people developed agriculture and made permanent settlements, the Neolithic Age (New Stone Age) started.

Neolithic Advances

� Domesticated animals � Made advanced tools

• Made pottery •  Could weave cloth

More about Early Man…

� Archaeologists study cultures by locating and analyzing human remains, fossils, and artifacts.

Archaeologists

� Archaeologists use carbon dating and other techniques to find the age of fossils and other artifacts.

Famous Archaeological Sites

�  Stonehenge is an example of an archaeological site in England that was begun during the Neolithic Age and completed during the Bronze Age.

� People  begin  to  plant  crops  in  areas  where  they  know  they  will  grow.  

� Instead  of  leaving,  like  nomadic  people,  they  stay  near  their  crops.  

� With  more  food  being  produced,  every  person  in  the  society  is  no  longer  needed  to  hunt  or  gather  food.  

� This  is  known  is  having  a  Surplus  Population.  

� The  surplus  population  (people  who  aren‘t  farming)  can  specialize  their  labor  by  becoming  blacksmiths,  inventors,  soldiers,  priests,  etc.  

� This  specialized  labor  leads  to  the  new  technologies  and  complex  institutions  that  created  civilizations.  

� In  order  to  be  considered  a  city  it  must  have:  • Large  population  • Must  be  a  center  of  TRADE    

� Institution  –  a  long  lasting  pattern  of  organization  in  a  community  such  as:  • Government  • Religion  • Economy  

� New  tools  and  techniques  that  solve  problems  and  make  life  easier.  • Ex:  plows,  irrigation  for  fields,  bronze  weapons  

� Specialized  means  someone  has  the  skills  to  do  a  specific  kind  of  work.    

� Must  have  a  developed  system  of  writing  so  the  people  can:  • Record  business  • Write  laws  • Record  rituals  and  dates  [Priests]  

ANCIENT RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATIONS

SOL 3

River Valley Civilizations emerge…

¨  During the New Stone Age (Neolithic), permanent settlements appeared in river valleys and around the Fertile Crescent.

¨  River valleys provided rich soil for crops (silt), as well as protection from invasion.

Earliest River Civilizations (~3500-500 B.C.)

¨  Egypt (Africa) ¤ Nile River Valley and Delta

¨  Mesopotamia (South West Asia) ¤ Tigris and Euphrates River Valleys

¨  India (South Asia) ¤  Indus River Valley ¤ Ganges River Valley (*developed later)

¨  China (East Asia) ¤ Huang He Valley

Other River Valley Civilizations

¨  Phoenicians ¤ Settled along the Mediterranean coast (part of

Fertile Crescent in Southwest Asia).

Other River Valley Civilizations

¨  Hebrews settled between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River Valley (part of Fertile Crescent in Southwest Asia).

¨  Kush was located on the upper (southern) Nile River in Africa.

Cradle of Civilization

¨  River valleys were the “Cradles of Civilization” ¤ Early civilizations made major contributions to

social, political, and economic progress.

¨  Social Patterns: ¤ Hereditary rulers

n Dynasties of Kings n  Dynasty: power is inherited

n Pharaohs (*Egypt)

¤ Rigid class system; slavery was accepted

Political Patterns

¨  Government often based on religion ¨  Rulers were usually military and

religious leaders ¨  World’s first states

¤ city-states – city & surrounding land ¤ kingdoms ¤ empires – formally independent

peoples/states who come under one rule.

¨  Written law codes ¤ Ten Commandments ¤ Code of Hammurabi

Economic Patterns

¨  Metal tools and weapons ¤ bronze, iron

¨  Agricultural surplus ¤ better tools, plows, irrigation

¨  Increasing trade along rivers and by sea ¤ Phoenicians

¨  Development of the world’s first cities in river valleys

¨  Specialization of labor

Religion was important to the early civilizations

¨  Polytheism was practiced by most early civilizations.

¨ Monotheism was practiced by the Hebrews. ¤ First monotheistic religion *before Christianity

and Islam

Origins of Judaism (first monotheists)

¨  Abraham – Founder ¨  Moses – Led Jews out of slavery, received 10

Commandments ¨  Jerusalem – Site of destroyed temple, now

Western or Wailing Wall

Judaism | Beliefs

¨  Belief in one God (monotheism) ¨  Torah – Holy Book ¨  Ten Commandments – moral and religious

rules

Spread of Judaism

¨  Some Hebrews lived in exile, or forced separation from their homeland.

¨  Jews settling outside of the Holy Land is called diaspora.

Language & writing were important cultural innovations…

¨  Pictograms | earliest written symbols ¨  Hieroglyphics | Egypt ¨  Cuneiform | Sumer ¨  Alphabet | Phoenicians