Download File - Ap World History

Unit 1 EQ's
1) How did geography and climate affect development of early human society? The climate and
geography together with natural resources have influence where settlements were made. For example,
Egypt was created along the Nile River because of the water source. This helped with the irrigation and
growing of crops.
2) How did humans use technology to adapt to different environments? The use of technology helped
aid humans in the adaption of their environment in many ways. For example, hunters and gatherers
ended up switching to the practice of agriculture because of their need for more food, and they couldn't
always rely on the plants and animals.
3) In what new ways did early humans use fire to adapt to different environments or needs? Humans
used fire to be able to cook their food (normally meat from animals they beat with the bones of their
ancestors) or to keep warm when they moved out of warmer regions of the world.
4) What were examples of economic structures used by early humans? To what extent were early
human societies self-sufficient? The first really real economic structures were found after the
Agricultural Revolution (between 8000 and 5000 BCE). A sense of possession and ownership, division of
labor, gender roles, gender inequality, social classes, a sense of control, and belief systems came out of
the Revolution. Before the Agricultural Revolution, civilizations were very self-sufficient. They had to be
able to provide for themselves since they often did not have contact with other civilization. After the
Agricultural Revolution, civilizations traded with each other for the resources they did not have access
to.
5) What is the most common source of change: connection or diffusion versus independent invention?
The most common source of change is connection/diffusion. For improvements to be made to
inventions, they need to be able to diffuse through communities. While, yes, even if the invention was
kept in one place, improvements would be made to it, but there would not be as many/it would not be
done as quickly as if it diffused.
6) Where were the first agricultural villages in human history? Where were the first examples of
pastoralism? The first agricultural villages in human history were in Africa, the Middle East, Asia,
Polynesia, and Mesoamerica. The first pastoral villages were in Southwest Asia, Africa, Arabia, China,
and South America.
7) What crops or animals were first domesticated in the different core regions? What differences were
there? In Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, there was a surplus of grains. Polynesia and Mesoamerica
created a surplus of maize, squash, tomatoes, beans, and sweet potatoes. Southwest Asia domesticated
goats and sheep. Africa and Arabia domesticated camels. China domesticated chickens and water
buffalo, and South America domesticated llamas. It is believed that dogs were the first animals ever
domesticated.
8) From the archaeological evidence, what do we know about the society of Catal Hüyük? From
archaeological evidence, we know that Catal Hüyük was founded in modern southern Turkey around
7000 BCE. We also know that it was the most advanced human center of the Neolithic Age. Its
approximately 32 acres contained a whopping 6000 people. It had rectangular buildings that were the
center of family and community life. They were built of mud-dried bricks and had high windows and
were entered from holes in their flat roofs. The many shrines found at the site were indications of a
powerful priesthood within the society. Excavations also revealed that their economic base was much
wider than Jericho. They were involved in the breeding of goats, sheep, and cattle, which vastly
surpassed that of Jericho. Trade was extensive with the people in the surrounding hills and places in
present-day Syria and areas of the Mediterranean regions.
9) How did the technological change affect the emergence of agriculture? The increase of technological
use and emergence allowed the emergence of agriculture to develop much more quickly.
10) What were economic and social results of the Agricultural Revolution? The changes brought on by
the Agricultural Revolution were that it gave the people a sense of possession and ownership, division of
labor (specialization) occurred, gender roles and gender inequality were found, social classes were
established, a sense of control was present, and belief systems were created.
11) How did the development of agriculture affect the environment? The development of agriculture
meant that a larger number of humans could be supported in smaller amounts of land (population
density increased in areas), which would not have been possible in hunting and gathering societies.
Farming was also found to be linked to the domestication of animals, such as cattle and sheep, which
provided more food for humans as well as materials for clothing, modes of transportation, and warfare.
Because agricultural societies could generate a large surplus of food, they could also support
occupational specialization. These surpluses also allowed non-farming elite groups, such as priests and
warriors, to be created.
12) What impact on human society did specialization of labor have? Specialization of labor made trade
between civilizations possible. For example, there is evidence that the Indus River Valley traded with
areas in Mesopotamia because of seals from the Indus River Valley were found in Mesopotamia. It is
believed that they traded cotton with the Mesopotamians for other resources that weren't available to
them. Without specialization of labor, both civilizations would have the exact same resources; therefore,
there would be no reason for trade.
13) Explain and analyze these examples of improvements in agricultural production, trade, and
transportation: pottery, plows, woven textiles, metallurgy, and wheels and wheeled vehicles. The
creation of pottery allowed for food to be preserved and contained. Plows made it more simple for
farmers to be able to plant and harvest crops. Woven textiles allowed for thicker clothing and blankets
to be made for use in the colder seasons. Metallurgy allowed for more advanced tools and weapons to
be created, meaning better defenses against invasions. Wheels and wheeled vehicles allowed materials,
resources, etc. to be transported much more quickly than before.
14) What were the key stages of metal use and its consequences? Bronze was introduced around 4000
BCE. It allowed for a greater variety of tools than could be made of stone or bone. Making tools out of
bronze allowed them to be lighter and made more quickly. The Middle East was the first region to move
from the Neolithic Age to the Bronze Age as people developed metal hoes, plows, and weapons. It also
promoted a more formal political structure because the bronze weaponry gave armies a new means of
control.
15) Explain and analyze the development of the first states. How were they organized? What was the
source of their power? Mesopotamia and Egypt were two of the first states. Both were created around
3500 and 3000 BCE. Mesopotamia was created between the Tigris and Euphrates River in an area more
commonly known as the Fertile Crescent in areas of modern day Iraq, moving into parts of Jordan and
Syria. Mesopotamia was made up of a bunch of city-states with access to fresh water and plenty of
natural barriers to protect from invasion. They had an urban king that was often advised by a local
council who ruled over the hinterlands. They established a notion of regional rule while incorporating
slave labor. Mesopotamian cities often had up to 10,000 people. Egypt was created along the Nile River.
Their cities were true centers of government (centralized). They were a theocracy ruled by pharaohs.
Egypt had three different time periods: Old Kingdom (3100-2100 BCE), Middle Kingdom (2050-1652
BCE), and New Kingdom (1567-1085 BCE). During the Old Kingdom the idea of divine rule was
introduced through pharaohs (or kings, if you will). The pyramids were constructed in this time period
around 2800 BCE. The Middle Kingdom was also known as the "Golden Age" and was conquered by the
Hyksos in 1652 BCE. The New Kingdom was the longest period of direct rule in ancient history and will
be the first time Egypt is known as an empire.
16) Which states were the most successful? Why? What are some examples of how environmental
factors influenced this success or lack of it? The Mesopotamians and Egyptians were both fairly
successful in their ruling. Some may argue that Mesopotamia was less successful than Egypt because the
number of times that it was conquered. Although Mesopotamia had many natural barriers, the northern
portion of the region was left unprotected.
17) What are the issues involved in using "civilization" as an organizing principle in world history? A
civilization is defined as having eight different characteristics. They had generation of reliable surpluses,
highly specialized occupations, clear social classes, growth of cities, formal governments, long distance
trade, writing systems, and belief systems.
18) What are examples of new weapons or modes of transportation introduced by pastoralists that
transformed agrarian civilizations? Pastoralists introduced more military skills to the heavily populated
agrarian societies providing more of a challenge. Horse-riding nomads who herded sheep and cattle
have destroyed powerful kingdoms and laid the foundations for vast empires.
19) Show how the following examples of monumental architecture ad urban planning helped unify
states: ziggurats, pyramids, temples, defensive walls, streets/roads, and sewage/water systems.
Ziggurats were the temples of the Mesopotamian societies where the people made sacrifices to their
gods. Pyramids were used in ancient Egypt as tombs for pharaohs, their family, and staff after their
deaths. Temples allowed the Jews (and people in Mesopotamian societies) to worship their gods.
Defensive walls protected unified states from invasion. Streets and roads created infrastructure within
the states and allowed them to advance. Sewage and water system allowed for people's waste to be
carried from houses.
20) Show how elites (both political and religious) promoted arts and artisanship using these examples:
sculpture, paintings, wall decorations, and elaborate weaving. Sculptures and paintings are found in
temples and places of worship in many of the early civilization's cultures. Wall decorations could be used
for shrines to worship a civilization's gods. Elaborate weavings could depict stories from different
cultures.
21) What were examples of systems of record keeping that emerged in all early civilizations?
Mesopotamians created the first writing system known as cuneiform. Egypt also had their own writing
system known as hieroglyphics. The people of the Indus River Valley had a strange script that has still
not been able to be translated. The people of China had a photographic alphabet made up of symbols
representing sounds.
22) How did the development of legal codes reflect existing hierarchies and facilitate the rule of
governments over people? Legal codes established rules for the people of the civilizations to follow. This
kept the people aiming towards a common goal.
23) Explain how trade expanded from local to regional and trans-regional using these examples:
between Egypt and Nubia and between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. As people required more
resources, Egypt was required to trade with Nubia and vice versa. Mesopotamia traded with the Indus
River Valley for cotton, which they were not able to grow in their region of the world.
24) What changes were there in social and gender hierarchies as states expanded and cities multiplied?
As civilizations expanded, the more social and gender inequality there was. Women were treated as the
less superior gender, and people with less money were basically treated like dirt.
25) Explain how these examples of literature was a reflection of culture: The Epic of Gilgamesh, Rig
Veda, and the Book of the Dead. The Epic of Gilgamesh, in summary, pretty much said that it was "an
eye for an eye." The Rig Veda is a set of hymns directed towards the gods of Hinduism, and it also
outlined the caste system. The Book of the Dead is an ancient Egyptian funerary text used during the
New Kingdom that consisted of a loose collection of magic spells to assist a dead person's journey
through the afterlife.