Transcript No Slide Title

The Beginnings of
Human Society
The Beginnings of Civilization
OH NO!
En route to Australia, your plane is forced
down.
Luckily -- all members of Com Civ 12 and
your teacher survive (Phew!)
The plane has sunk into a deep sea cavern –
there is no hope of radio signals
broadcasting the crash location.
What do you save from the
plane?
You may rescue FIVE items from the plane
(this plane is FULLY loaded – it even has
water, access to fuel etc)
What FIVE items will you rescue to begin life
on this island and why?
Prehistory
Paleolithic Age – Old Stone Age (Est. 2 mil BC-9000 BC)
1. Hunters & Gatherers
A. Nomad: Moving from place to place in search for food.
B. Men  hunted & fished.
C. Woman  gathered fruits, nuts, etc.
2. Way of Life
A. Cave paintings
B. Stone tools & pottery
C. Domesticated dogs
II. Neolithic Age – New Stone Age (9000 BC – 3000 BC)
1. Farming  Neolithic Revolution
A. People could remain in one place.
B. Herding of animals – goats, sheep & cattle.
2. Community –
A. Council of Elders/Chief – made important decisions.
B. Warrior class
C. Kept possessions.
I.
CLIP: NEOLITHIC FARMING
Farming Becomes More Advanced
When people began farming,
they discovered ways to
improve their crops. They
began to build irrigation
systems, which directed
water from one place to the
crops in the fields.
For example, in Ancient
Egypt, people directed water
from the Nile River out to
the fields so that they could
grow more food than they
could have otherwise.
♣
Early Villages and Towns
People lived in New Stone Age
farming settlements for a long
time before towns developed.
When the population increased,
the settlements grew larger, and
became towns. When there were
surpluses of food, some people
could stop farming and do other
things. Some people became
artisans, who were workers that
were skilled at making items such
as baskets, leather goods, tools,
pottery, or cloth.
The Growth of Cities
Cities could grow where
there was rich soil. The rich
soil meant that large
surpluses of food could be
maintained. Cities also could
grow where there was a
dependable source of
drinking water, and materials
to build shelter.
Many early cities developed
around rivers, such as the Nile
River in Egypt or the Tigris and
Euphrates in Mesopotamia.
Governments Form
As the population grew, and
people began living together in
cities, they began to need rules.
Someone needed to be
responsible for keeping the
order. People developed
governments to keep order and
to provide services.
The First Civilizations
Over time, some New Stone Age
societies grew into civilizations.
A civilization is a society that
has cities, a central government,
and workers who specialize in
various jobs. Civilizations also
have social classes. A
civilization has writing, art, and
architecture.
What are the SIX Features of a
Civilization?
1. Permanent cities and towns
a result of surplus food supply allowing
population to grow
results in the exchange of ideas
centre of trade and production
2. Complex institutions
organized system of government and law
organized religion
banking/financial system
Features cont…
3. System of writing/record
keeping
taxation
census
religious records
4. Complex social structures
Division of labour and
power
Delineation of gender roles
Emergence of classes
Features cont…
5. A production of works of
artistic, literary and
architectural merit
creates economic
diversification
6. Development of new
technology
allows for shaping of
environment
Promotes urbanization
Why do Civilizations Die?
1. Environmental damage caused by people;
e.g. deforestation and soil erosion
Easter Island (Rapanui), Greenland Norse,
Anasazi
2. Climate change
3. Enemies both internal and external
4. Dependence on long distance trade for needed
resources
5. How the society responds politically,
economically, and socially to these shifts
The “Formula” for a Strong
Civilization
Stability (economic, environmental, and
political) + friendly neighbours
= lasting civilization
CRASH COURSE HISTORY
CLIP