Sixth Grade History-Social ScienceWorld History and Geography: Ancient Civilizations
Development of humankind
Mesopotamia
Egypt
Hebrews
Greece
India
China
Rome
Lucy
Australopithecus afarensis
Early bones found in Africa - Olduvai Gorge
Proved that early humans walked upright
Discovered by Donald Johanson
Early Hominids
Homo habilisHomo habilis - Handy man – tool maker
Homo erectusHomo erectus – Upright man – discovered how to control fire
Homo sapiens NeanderthalensisHomo sapiens Neanderthalensis – Wise man – found in the Neander Valley in modern Germany – sense of community
Homo sapiens sapiensHomo sapiens sapiens – Doubly wise man – early modern humans
Hunting and Gathering Farming
*The transition from hunting and gathering to farming is one of the most important advance people have ever made.
*Tools – advanced from simple stone tools to complex metal ones
Early Humans
Early humans sites are found all over the world
Two theories:
Out of Africa
Multicentric
River Valleys
Most early civilizations developed around a river
Tigris and Euphrates
Nile
Indus
Huang He
Agricultural Advancements
Irrigation
Economic Surplus
Division of labor
With the new time, early people were able to create new inventions – plow and writing
The Code of HammurabiOne of the first codes of law (1792 – 1750 BCE)
Babylonia
Based on the concept of “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”
Written on stone pillars (stele) for all to see
The laws applied to all people.
CuneiformAn early form of writing
Developed in Mesopotamia
Scribes were trained to read and write it
Used mostly for trade
Egyptian – hieroglyphics
India - sanskrit
Egyptian and Mesopotamian Architecture
Egyptian Pyramids
Mesopotamian Ziggurats
Egyptian Leadership
Pharaohs controlled Egypt
Queen Hatshepsut
Promoter of Egyptian Trade
Ramses II (the Great)
Military Leader and Master Builder
Abraham – “Father of the Hebrews”
He was a polytheist who devoted his life to one god and became a monotheist
Led his followers (they will come to be called Hebrews) from Mesopotamia to Canaan
Established the beginnings of the religion called Judaism
Moses – Leader and Prophet
He led the Jews out of Egypt back to their homeland.
This event is called the Exodus
On the journey, Moses received the Ten Commandments from his god
Christianity
Jesus of Nazareth
Raised as a Jew
Great teacher and speaker
Sermon on the Mount
Parables
His followers established the religion called Christianity
Greek Democracy
Monarchy
Oligarchy/Aristocracy
Tyranny
Democracy
Pericles – Funeral Oration
City-States: Sparta vs. Athens
SpartaSparta AthensAthensMilitary State Democracy
Agrarian Economy Trade Economy
Fought each other in the Peloponnesian War.
Greek Architecture
Greek MythologyGreeks explained their world through their mythology
Trojan Horse
Pandora’s box
Homer
Iliad and Odyssey
Zeus Poseidon Hades
Ares Athena Apollo
GreekPhilosophy“Love of Wisdom”
SocratesEncouraged people to question the things they thought they knew.
PlatoStudent of Socrates
AristotleStudent of Plato
Taught Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great
*Ruler of a vast empire from Macedonia to India in the 300s BCE.
*As he conquered an area, he usually showed respect for the culture and religion of the area
*Spread the ideas of the Greeks throughout his empire - Hellenism
Alexander’s Empire
India
HinduismDharma – perform one’s duties and so to live as one shouldSamsara – Reincarnation – cycle of birth, death, and rebirth Karma – the right way to live
Buddhism
Siddhartha Gautama – the Buddha or the “Awakened One”
Discovered that life is suffering – aging, sickness, and death
Moving towards Enlightenment and Nirvana
China - Philosophies
Confucianism: “Lead by example.”
Moderation in conduct and emotion
Respect of elders
Daoism: “If you must rule, rule as little as possible.”
Legalism: “Set clear laws and harshly punish those who disobey them.”
China – Dynasties
Shang Dynasty – powerful kings, ancestor worship
Zhou Dynasty – feudal, stabilized China
Qin Dynasty – unified China and expanded the borders, built the Great Wall
Han Dynasty – time of peace, wealth, and achievement
China – Silk Road
Rome – Government
Etruscan Kings
Republic (509 BCE)
Patricians Plebeians
Julius Caesar (49 BCE)
Augustus Caesar First Emperor
(37 BCE)