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Hunter/Gatherer Societies
The life of early hunter/gatherer societies was shaped by their physical environment
Survival depended on availability of wild plants and animals
Development of Man
Early Man Homo Habilis
Appeared in east Africa 2.5 million years ago First hominid to use tools
Homo Erectus
Appeared 1.6 million years ago First hominid to migrate out of Africa Used extensive technology More intelligent, larger brain Used fire and developed spoken language for the first time
Homo Habilis
Homo erectus
Development of Man
Cro-Magnon Man
40,000 years ago Identical to modern humans Studied animals and their habits in order to plan hunts Had greater control of language which helped them to organize (gave them an edge over Neanderthals and helped them increase their population)
Homo sapien-Neanderthal
Homo sapien-Cro-Magnon
The Paleolithic Era (Old Stone Age) 2.5 million years ago until 8,000 B.C.
Nomadic
Migrated in search of food, water, and shelter
Invented the first tools including simple weapons Learned how to make fire lived in clans developed oral language created cave art
8,000 years ago until about 3,000 B.C. Also known as the agricultural revolution
Developed agriculture and domestication of animals
Eliminated nomadic tendencies Slash and burn farming technique
-cut and burned fields of trees or grass; leftover ash fertilized soil; used field for 1-2 years and then moved on
Slowly tamed animals and used them for food and labor Steady food source=settling down of man
Archaeology
Archaeologists study past cultures by locating and analyzing human remains, fossils, and artifacts Show us how people dressed, worded, worshipped, etc. Apply scientific test such as carbon dating to analyze fossils and artifacts Famous Archaeological Finds
Mary Leakey -1978 Laetoli in Tanzania (East Africa) Pre-Historic footprints of humanlike beings called Australopithecines Donald Johanson -1974 Ethiopia (Africa) Lucy is 3.5 million years ago (oldest hominid found to date)
Archeaelogy
Archaeology-Stonehenge
Stonehenge -archaeological site in England that was begun during the Neolithic Age and completed during the Bronze Age (begun around 3000 B.C. when people began to use bronze (copper and tin mix) to make tools and weapons instead of stone or wood)
Stonehenge-England
Population grows as nomadic hunter-gatherers settle into village life Economic changes
Large cities build irrigation systems to raise more crops which result in food surpluses Some individuals can now pursue other jobs and develop new skills Ancient settlers become craftspeople (make metal objects, pottery, woven goods) Merchants now had more goods to trade The wheel and the sail enable traders to transport more goods over longer distances
Social Changes
More complex and prosperous economy results in a more complex set of social classes People with varying degrees of wealth and power start to emerge as cities grow
Civilization in Ur:
One of the earliest cities of Sumer (around 3000 B.C.) on the banks of the Euphrates river
Agricultural Economy: ox-driven plows, irrigation systems help to create food surpluses City Life: most live in one-story homes, wealthy live in two-story homes; artisans keep shops Trade: artisans, farmers, and merchants trade their goods and scribes keep track (barter system: trading goods and services without money) Ziggurat: the temple of the city, terms means mountain of god; the center of the city where priests do rituals
Ziggurat in Ur
Mesopotamian Civilization
Solution: build city-states with government and armies to try to protect cities
Natural resources were limited
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamian Civilization
Sumerian City-States and Social Hierarchy
Sumer is the first civilization, set apart by five characteristics -advanced cities
-complex institutions -specialized workers -record keeping advanced technology
City-state (Sumers city-states include: Uruk, Kish, Lagah, Umma, and Ur) -each city was part of Sumer but had its own independent
government, rulers, and army
Sumers Government and Social Hierarchy Social Hierarchy (rigid class system where slavery was accepted) -Priests: powerful because they were the intermediary between god
and city -Monarchs: leaders of armies became head of government, even in times of peace; would hand power over to heir creating a dynasty (power remains in hands of one family-hereditary rulers) -Merchants: wealthy traders -Artisans and farmers -Slaves
Mesopotamian Civilization
Sumerian Religion Religion is central in Sumerian city-states and other ancient civilizations Polytheistic: belief in many gods; belief that gods are much like humans except they have special powers and are immortal
empire brings together peoples, nations, or independent states under one ruler
Sargon of Akkad (Semitic leader who took control about 2350 B.C.; dynasty lasted about 200 years)
-Defeated Sumerian city-states but had already adopted and spread Sumerian culture -created first empire which fell 200 years later due to internal fighting and invasion
Babylonian Empire (Amorite invasion, established around 2000 B.C.; lasted about 200 years)
-established capital at Babylon on banks of Euphrates river -peak of power under Hammurabi from 1792-1750 B.C. -First code of law: Hammurabis Code put together 282 different laws -covered many issues (family, land, etc.; punishment was often retaliatory (eye for an eye) -reflected belief that government has a responsibility to those it governs -reflected class differences
The two most important rivers whose annual flooding provided rich silt for agriculture in the Indus River Civilization were the Indus and the Ganges Physical barriers such as the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush, and the Indian Ocean made invasion more difficult
Mountain passes in the Hindu Kush provided invasion routes into the Indian subcontinent
Because the rivers flowed into the Indian Ocean they opened up the civilization to trade with other peoples, including the Mesopotamians
Vedas-sacred literature which consisted of prayers, spells, and instructions for rituals
left us a good record of Aryan life
The Gupta Empire 300 A.D. (Named for founder Chandra Gupta)
Chandra Gupta established Indias second great empire in 320 A.D. by marrying the daughter of an old influential family Reaches peak around 375 A.D. and empire begins to break up with the death of Chandra Gupta II around 415 A.D. Golden Age of classical Indian culture and its contributions
this period started a highly productive period in literature, art, science, and mathematics that continued until roughly A.D. 500 Mathematics: modern numerals, the zero, and the decimal system; value of pi and calculation of the solar year new textiles literature
Hinduism
Origins and beliefs
Sacred writings: Vedas and Upanishads (meditations and comments on Vedas and other important questions (what is morality, is there eternal life, what is the soul, etc.) reincarnation: (rebirth) an individual soul or spirit is born again and again until moksha is achieved (perfect understanding) karma: (souls good or bad deeds) follows from one reincarnation to another; influences specific life circumstances caste system in religious law based on occupations (as above-untouchables labeled by job)
Ancient China
Geography
Chinas Heartland (between the Huang He (Yellow) river and the Yangtze river): Fertile land which produced food supply and remained central focus of Chinese civilization. Loess is fertile soil left by flooding of the Huang He river Two-thirds of China is desert or mountain, with remaining land mainly found between the two rivers Barriers of desert and ocean left China fairly isolated from trade but migratory invaders were able to raid Chinese settlements from the North
Ancient China
Family is central to Chinese society and respect for elders is most important Religious beliefs centered around family as well dead family members could help or hinder those left in life Chinese writing was universal and the same throughout China, but it had an enormous number of symbols which made it difficult to learn Social classes were distinct: The king came first, then the ruling class of nobles/warriors, then the peasants and farmers Technology
-Bronze working (bronze only for the wealthy) -development of silk clothing -iron used for weapons and tools which made farming more productive
Buddhism
Founder: Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) Four Noble Truths: (1)life is suffering, (2)cause is desire, (3)end desire to end suffering, (4)attain enlightenment through Eightfold Path to end desire Eightfold Path to Enlightenment (the Middle Way): (1)Right Views, (2)Right Resolve, (3)Right Speech, (4)Right Conduct, (5)Right Livelihood, (6)Right Effort, (7)Right Mindfulness, and (8)Right Concentration Followed the Silk Road (trades routes through Central Asia) to reach China -Silk Roads facilitated trade and contact between China and other cultures as far away as Rome Asoka, ruler of Mauryan empire in India in 269 B.C., and his missionaries followed and helped to spread Buddhism to China and other parts of Asia
Confucius
Shi Huangdi
Phoenicians
Phoenicians
Took over control of Mediterranean trade after fall of Minoan civilization on island of Crete Settled along Mediterranean (part of Fertile Crescent) and also established city-states around sea including area that is today Lebanon. Most important city was Carthage Amazing shipbuilders and seafarers, this led to widespread trade of goods and ideas
-used
The Alphabet
symbols to represent sounds; spread to Greeks; predecessor of our alphabet
The Phoenicians
The Hebrews
Home in Palestine (called Canaan by Jews) between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean; the crossroads between Egypt and Assyria and Babylonia Kingdom of Israel established and grew under Saul, David, and Solomon -Kingdom divided into Israel and Judah; they are taken over by Babylonians -Babylonian captivity or exile: Jews sent to Babylonhelped to spread their beliefs DIASPORA-spreading out (the diaspora of Hebrews helped spread Judaism)
Hebrews in Jerusalem
Judaism
Abraham is Father of the Jews; obeyed God and went from Ur (Mesopotamia) to Canaan to Egypt and back -Torah: written record of beliefs of the Hebrews -Monotheistic: belief in one God -Covenant: God (Yahweh) protects people because Abraham agrees to obey -Hebrews go to Egypt and become slaves; they are led out of Egypt by Moses -Moses given Ten Commandments atop Mt. Sinai during Exodus; these are the basis for civil and religious law
The Persians
550 B.C. Cyrus conquers neighbors and controls the Fertile Crescent and Anatolia (Turkey today) Governing Style -tolerance of conquered people -development of imperial bureaucracy: provinces placed under control of governor (satrap) but takes orders from central ruler -Royal Road: (1677 miles) system of roads built to facilitate trade but also administration of government throughout empire
Egypt
Egypt
Upper Egypt (to the South)
skinny strip of land from the first cataract (granite cliffs and boulders turn river into rapids) to the point where the river starts to fan out into many branches last 750 miles before the Nile empties into the Mediterranean consists of the marshy Nile delta (about 100 miles before sea); rich soil provides home to many animals and plants -Menes, strong ruler of Upper Egypt unites all of Egypt -established capital where Upper and Lower Egypt meet, at Memphis and started Egypts first dynasty -Pharaohs rule as gods and stand at center of religion and government -Pharaoh is seen as a god on earth (government where ruler is a divine figure is a theocracy) -Pyramids are built as tombs for the pharaohs who have eternal life and will continue to help rule even after death; pyramids are huge structures filled with everything a person would need in life
Egyptian Religion
Egyptians were polytheistic (Ra the sun god, Horus the god of light, Osiris the god of the dead) Believed in an afterlife decided by deeds on earth; eternal life in the Other World for the good and for the bad their soul would be eaten by the Devourer of Souls Mummification-embalming and drying of the corpse to preserve the body for the afterlife Many Egyptians prepared tombs for themselves and kept a copy of the Book of the Dead
Egyptian Society
Societys Pyramid with Pharaohs and his family on top, the upper class (priests, warriors, wealthy) second, and the commoners (laborers/farmers/slaves) on the bottom Egyptians could move up through marriage or success in their jobs People needed to be able to read and write to earn the best jobs Women had many of the same rights as men (marriage, divorce, land ownership)
Egyptian Writing
Hieroglyphics (Greek for sacred carving) Started like Sumerian cuneiform because each symbol stood for an idea (like pictographs) Eventually the symbols stood also for sounds (like Phoenician alphabet) Developed papyrus (tall reeds that were soaked and dried together to make paper-like sheets) Rosetta Stone discovered in 1799 and had three languages on it, including hieroglyphics; helped archaeologists to figure out language
Ancient Writing
The First Intermediate Period, the Middle Kingdom, and the Second Intermediate Period
Power of pharaohs decline and a period of weakness and turmoil set in (2180-2080 B.C.) Strong pharaohs begin to restore law and order (2080-1640 B.C.) Improve trade and transportation and new wealth leads to public works projects canal dug from Nile to the Red Sea huge dikes built to channel water for irrigation of fields drained swamps of lower Egypt to make more farmland Hyksos (Asian nomads) sweep into Egypt on chariots and take over (1640-1075 B.C.)
The Hyksos
Pyramids at Giza
People of the Sea (possibly Philistines) attack Egypt and Hittites Libyans from the west cross the desert and establish rule over Egypt (950-730 B.C.)
Nubia was ruled by Egypt from 2000-1000 B.C. Kushites adopted Egyptian culture (language, religion, hieroglyphics, etc.) 751 B.C. Piankhi (Kushite) takes over Egypt from Libyans) and restores Egypts glory Assyrians (from Southwest Asia) conquer Egypt and the Kushites, who establish their kingdom at Mero and flourish until they are defeated by Aksum