Transcript Origins of Civilization - University High World History

The First Humans
I. Origins of Civilization
1. Homo erectus and Homo sapiens migrated
from Africa to Europe and Asia.
2. Stone Age: 2 mil- 4,000 yrs ago
a) Paleolithic (Old Stone Age)- to 10,000 yrs ago
b) Neolithic (New Stone Age)
3. Hunters/Gatherers
a) Men hunted big game (mammoths, mastodons,
etc)
b) Women gathered vegetables
c) Lived in camps and migrated
II. Agricultural Neolithic Revolution
1. Plants domesticated
a) Seeds scattered in places where they were likely to grow
b) Fire used to clear fields
c) Specialized tools used to plant and harvest
2. First took place in Middle East, Nile River Valley,
Greece, and Central Europe.
3. Animals domesticated
a) Dogs. Sheep and goats domesticated for milk, meat, and
wool.
b) Animals used to pull plows and for manure
4. Large population increase
Consequences of a Food Surplus
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Specialization of labor
Improved technology: metal working, irrigation
Stratification of society
Possessions
Armies
Religion
Writing
Government
Population density increases
Voila…Civilization
III. Culture and Society
1. Worshiped ancestor and nature spirits
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Mother Earth, Sky God, animals, springs, etc
2. Used megaliths (big stones) for burial chambers
and calendar circles
3. Most people lived in small villages but some large
towns included:
a) Jericho- 8000 BCE walled city on west bank of Jordan
River
b) Catal Huyuk- 7000-5000 BCE central Anatolia
• Center for trade (obsidian, pottery, baskets, cloth…)
• Remains include decorative objects made of copper,
lead, silver, and gold.
First river valley civilizations
MESOPOTAMIA
I. Geography/Resources
1. Between Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
a) Little rainfall unpredictable flooding.
b) Warm climate and good soil excellent for farming
• Dates, vegetables, reeds, fish, land for grazing
Sumer: The first
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Successful agriculture, river management
Writing, cuneiform
Use of wheel
12 month calendar, base 60, geometry
Polytheistic
Ziggurats
Ur, Erech, Kish 3000 BCE
Overthrown by Akkadians 1700 BCE
II. Cities, Kings, Trade
1. Cities and villages
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Villages made surplus food for cities, cities provided protection and
markets
2. Epic of Gilgamesh- Mesopotamian creation myth
3. Sargon the Great (2350 BCE) first documented ruler, ruled
Akkadian Empire
4. Hammurabi 1792-1750 BCE
a) Ruler of Old Babylonian state
b) Known for his Law Code: laws, punishments
Sumer to Babylon to Assyria to
Neo-Babylon to Neo-Assyria
• Babylon fell to Hittites 1500 BCE
• Hittites- FIRST TO USE IRON! Civ. Collapsed
1200BCE
• Assyrians-organized, cruel, Nineveh, exiles,
cultural diffusion
III. Religion and Technology
1. Anthropomorphic
2. Humans are servants of gods. Priests worshipped
in temple complexes
3. Ziggurats- large step-pyramids in center of complex
4. Cuneiform- writing system, very complex
5. Irrigation, boats, bronze tools, brick-making were
invented
Assyrian expansion over time
http://www.mapsofwar.com/ind/imperialhistory.html
EGYPT
I. Geography/Resources
1. Nile River Valleya) Floods regularly, rich soil.
b) Little rainfall.
2. Upper Egypt- southern part of Nile
3. Lower Egypt- northern part of Nile
II. Divine Kingship
1. Organized into 3 periods:
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Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, New Kingdom
2. Pharaohs dominated state.
a) Regarded as gods
b) Pharaohs’ death thought to be journey back to land of
gods, so funeral was very important
c) Buried in pyramids. Great pyramid built between 25502490 BCE
III. Administration/communication
1. Central government in capital city
(Memphis/Thebes)
a) Bureaucracies kept track of land, labor and collected
taxes.
2. Hieroglyphics- writing system based on picture
symbols
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Wrote on papyrus- made from stems of papyrus reed
3. Interested in acquiring resources. Traded with
Nubia, Levant, Punt for
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Gold, incense, cedar, ivory, ebony
IV. People and Beliefs
1. 1.5 million people
2. Lived in villages, cultivated land, and paid taxes
3. Religion based on cyclical view of nature,
represented renewal of life.
a) The sun-god Re
b) Osiris god of underworld
4. King was chief priest
5. Spend large amounts of money on temples/tombs
6. Believed in afterlife: preserved pharaohs
(mummification) and provided food in tombs
INDUS VALLEY
I. Environment and Material Culture
1. Indus River floods regularly twice a year.
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Flourished from 2600-1900 BCE
2. Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa major urban centers
a) Surrounded by brick walls, streets in grid pattern, covered
drainage system to carry waste.
3. High degree of standardization in city planning and
building.
4. Technological achievements include:
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Irrigation, potter’s wheel, kiln-baked bricks, bronze tools
II. Transformation
1. Collapsed and abandoned for unknown reasons
around 1900 BCE. Possible reasons include
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Invasion, natural disasters, ecological changes (dried up
rivers).
CHINA
I. Geography/Resources
1. North and South zones
a) North zone- Yellow (Huang He) River. Dry, cool climate
b) South zone- Yangzi River. Warm, plentiful rainfall.
2. Resources include
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Timber, stone, metals. Climate suitable for growing rice.
II. Shang Period 1750-1045 BCE
1. Writing system developed, directly related to modern
Chinese system. Based on “pictographs”, not letters
2. Religion centered on supreme god Di
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Used oracle bones or tortoise shells to communicate
w/ancestors
Worshipped through ruler’s ancestors
Made the ruler a link between heaven and earth
Provided rational for authoritarian rule.
3. Elite was a warrior class
III. Zhou Period 1045-221 BCE
1. Ruled by “Mandate of Heaven”
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Ruler chosen by supreme deity. Proof of divine favor
was prosperity and stability
2. Dynasty divided into 2 periods:
a) Western Zhou- 1045-771 BCE.
b) Eastern Zhou- 771-221 BCE Strength of central gov’t
declines.
• “Warring States Period”- states split and fight
3. Fought on horseback, used iron weapons
IV. Confucianism and Daoism
1. Confucius (551-479 BCE)
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Assumes human nature is good
Has hierarchical view of universe, society, family
Concerned with establishing moral government
Virtue can be cultivated by good behavior
2. Daoism founded by Laozi (c. 500 BCE)
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Universe is always changing and people should accept it as it is.
Embraces simplicity and non-action.
No absolute moral standards
Olmec and Chavin 1200-250 BCE
Olmec
Chavin
I. Mesoamerican Olmec 1200-400 BCE
1. Located along coast of Mexico
2. Raised fields provided agricultural surpluses
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Produced corn, squash, beans
3. Urban centers included San Lorenzo, La Venta, Tres
Zapotes
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Large earthen mounds dominated urban centers. Used for rituals
and political activities.
4. Political structure built around kinship
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Large heads carved from basalt suggested authority of rulers
5. Power of rulers rested in use of elaborate religious rituals.
II. South American Chavin 900-250 BCE
1. Located in Andes, capital Chavin de Huantar at 10,300 ft
elevation
2. Strategic location allowed leaders to control trade, became
powerful.
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Linked coastal regions with Amazonian regions
3. Used llamas to transport goods
4. Architectural signature was large complex of multilevel
platforms. Prestigious buildings constructed on them.
5. Built roads, bridges, temples, irrigation and drainage
projects that would influence later American civilizations