Social: classes, status, hierarchy, gender, population (demography) Political: authority, laws, military Religious: creation, death, the supernatural, faith, morality, priesthood, places of worship, scriptures Intellectual: writing, culture, philosophy, science, calendars Technological: tools, machinery, structures Economic: labor, trade, property 1
Chapters 1 3 Human Origins and Early Civilizations Humans originated in East Africa over 100,000 years ago and then slowly migrated across Eurasia and on to Australia and the Americas, adapting their cultures to different climates and environments. All early humans were nomads. They moved from place to place in small bands hunting, fishing, and foraging for food. As they migrated seeking food, different groups settled much of the planet over tens of thousands of years. Social: Nomads did not live in permanent locations. They lived in small groups of people, most of whom were related to each other. Men and women enjoyed roughly equal status, as they both had to gather food. There were few differences in social status among nomads. Political: Nomads had no formal government or laws. Authority was informal, as in a family. Religious: Nomads believed in spirits associated with nature, fertility, hunting, and death. There was no written scripture, organized priesthood, or places of worship. Intellectual: Nomads did not possess writing systems. All knowledge was transmitted orally. They produced art and music. 2
3
Technological: Nomads made tools out of wood, bone, or stone. Economic: Nomads did not have a concept of private land ownership. There was little job specialization and little trade beyond exchanges among neighbors, as all nomads had to obtain food and make everything necessary to survive. Agriculture first developed beginning around 10,000 years ago in the Middle East. This marks the beginning of the Neolithic Era. Plants and animals were domesticated. Domestication is when plants and animals are raised and bred by humans to serve human needs, until they no longer resemble their wild ancestors. This process occurred independently in various places around the world. The main food crops or staple crops were those which provided sufficient carbohydrates and could be stored for long periods. Examples: wheat (Middle East), rice (China), corn (Mexico), potato (Andes). These foods became the largest part of these farmers diets. 4
Most domesticated animals (examples: pig, horse, cattle, sheep, goat, chicken) were domesticated in Asia. Domesticated animals provide milk, eggs, and meat, transportation, and wool and hides. Asian crops and animals could easily be raised in Europe and North Africa as well because they all lie roughly at the same latitude. The development of agriculture led to the first civilizations, large societies with cities and powerful states. Most of the early civilizations arose in river valleys, taking advantage of their fertile soil and water for irrigation: Mesopotamia (Tigris and Euphrates Rivers), Egypt (Nile River), Mohenjo Daro and Harappa (Indus River), Shang China (Yellow River), Olmecs in Mesoamerica, Chavín in the Andes. River valley civilizations first arose in Mesopotamia and Egypt around 5,000 years ago. 5
APWH Chapters 1 3.notebook 6
River Valley Civilizations Mesopotamia and Egypt Social: Food was more abundant and reliable, so populations grew. Urbanization: growth of towns and cities. Farmers lived in one permanent location; they were sedentary. A social hierarchy developed, where some people had a higher status than others. A ruling class arose. Gender roles became more distinct. Male dominance arose (patriarchy) Political: Governments arose, with formal laws (example: Code of Hammurabi) and taxation. Governments could mobilize labor and resources, and managed irrigation for agriculture. Rulers source of power was often divine. Some states expanded and formed empires (larger states which ruled diverse peoples) Religious: Organized religion arose, with places of worship, a priesthood and sacred scripture. Religious authorities supported the rulers. Temples were often monumental, which induced wonder and awe. Example: ziggurats in Mesopotamia. Elaborate mythologies developed about their gods. 7
Intellectual: Religious and political elites promoted the arts. Systems of record keeping were developed, usually writing systems, like cuneiform in Mesopotamia and hieroglyphics in Egypt. Calendars were developed to follow the agricultural cycle. Early literature, like the Egyptian Book of the Dead or the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh, developed out of religious mythologies. The Phoenicians, who lived along the eastern Mediterranean and were known as great maritime explorers and merchants, developed the first alphabet. Technological: inventions: wheel and wheeled vehicles, metallurgy (copper, bronze, iron), woven textiles, pottery, plows Economic: Trade expanded, from local to regional to transregional, exchanging goods, ideas, and technology. Examples: Egypt and Nubia, Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. Job specialization arose because of food surpluses: farmers, artisans, rulers, priests, soldiers, merchants 8
APWH Chapters 1 3.notebook 9
10
APWH Chapters 1 3.notebook 11
12
Pastoralism is a nomadic, migratory way of life where people move from place to place with their herds of domesticated animals, such as horses, goats, sheep, and camels. Pastoralists lived in arid grasslands in North Africa, Arabia, and Central Asia in places too dry for farming. They traded with sedentary societies for tools and food, but often also entered into conflict with them. Their superior horsemanship meant they usually succeeded militarily. They only occasionally created centralized states themselves, however. 13
Judaism The Jewish faith arose among the Hebrews who lived in Israel, a land along the Mediterranean between Egypt and Mesopotamia. Judaism is a monotheistic faith. Monotheism is belief in one God. No image can be made of the Jewish God. Jews believe in a covenant between God and His people. He is their God, and he gave them a Promised Land, and in return they must obey his Law. The Ten Commandments were handed to Moses by God, and that became their law. Bible. The Hebrew Bible is the equivalent of the Christian Old Testament. In Jewish religious practice, the Bible is never translated from Hebrew, because it is the Word of God. The Bible is a collection of books written over many centuries by many different authors in many different styles. Jewish law: The Law has a powerful moral element. Jews may only worship God, cannot make idols, kill, steal, or lie. They must keep one day holy (the Sabbath, on Saturday) when they cannot work. There are extensive dietary laws (kosher) and a requirement to practice circumcision on 8 day old boys. 14
A Jew is anyone born to a Jewish mother. Jews do not seek converts. Prophets: messengers of God. They wrote many of the books in the Bible. They usually had a moral message, urging the Jews to follow God's law and be kind to the poor. The Jewish Temple was in Jerusalem. It was said to contain the Ark of the Covenant, containing the tablets of the Law. Priests sacrificed animals to God in the Temple. There were various tribes of Jews. They were unified in a kingdom under Saul, David, and Solomon around 1000 BC. Solomon built the First Temple. Later the kingdom was divided into two. In 587 BC the Babylonians invaded and destroyed the Temple. The Jewish population was deported to Babylon. After 539 BC the Jews were allowed to return to Israel after Babylon had been conquered by the Persians. The Temple was rebuilt, but later destroyed by the Romans in 70. Diaspora: scattering of Jews around the world. The term was first used during the Babylonian Captivity. Most Jews lived in the Diaspora after their failed rebellions against the Romans. 15
16
Bantu is the main language family in Africa. The Bantu homeland is in West Africa. Around 2000 years ago, Bantu peoples migrated into the rest of sub Saharan Africa. They practiced agriculture and made metal tools. They had no form of writing, and they rarely formed centralized states. Their social hierarchy consisted of chiefs, commoners, and slaves. Bantu peoples were animistic, meaning they worshipped nature spirits and gods. 17
18