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What IS World History??? • A connectedness (maybe of people, cultures) • However, not necessarily people individually. Focus here is NOT on individuals – this is concept based, not content based • West & Rest??? What does that mean? – Do we focus on the East at all • Focus on people, not the person Chapter 1 From Human Prehistory to Early Civilizations Chapter Outline 1. Human Life in the Era of Hunters and Gatherers 2. Human Life before Agriculture 3. The Neolithic Revolution – 8000 to 3500 B.C.E. • Introduction: Chapter 1 – Definitions of Civilization • Elements: – urban, monumental building, writing, specialized occupations (division of labor), SURPLUS 1. Human Life in the Era of Hunters and Gatherers. – 2 to 2.5 million years for human species • • 1/4000th of earth’s existence What have we accomplished in that short amount of time? (Broad accomplishments) – – – Homo sapiens by 10,000 B.C.E. • • – larger brain tools, weapon Developments by 12,000 B.C.E.: • • – Spread to every landmass Taken control of other species Hunting-gathering Art Spread to Europe, Asia, Australia, the Americas Chapter 1 1. Human Life in the Era of Hunters and Gatherers – What are drawbacks of humans? • • • • Unusually aggressive against own kind Human babies are dependent for a long time (affect women?) Back problems We know we’re going to die…. Chapter 1 The Spread of Human Populations, c. 10,000 B.C.E. Chapter 1 2. Human Life Before Agriculture (cont’d) 2. Human Life Before Agriculture – Paleolithic Culture • Old Stone Age – 2 Million + to 14,000 Y.A. – Simple tool use – Fire = 750,000 Y.A. • Homo sapiens sapiens – c. 240,000, Y.A – Africa • Constraints on this society? • What was greatest achievement of Paleo peoples? – Late Paleolithic Developments • Variety – Bands of hunter-gatherers – Agricultural settlements • Gender division of labor – Men: hunting, fishing, defense – Women: gathering, making medicine • Spread – from Africa c. 750,000 Y.A. – Why move? » Find food » Fire and skins allowed this 3. The Neolithic Revolution – 8000 to 3500 B.C.E. – – – – Sedentary agriculture Animals domesticated Development of towns Increase in worldwide population Chapter 1 The Spread of Agriculture • 6-8 million during early Neolithic to 100 million 3000 years later – Causes? • Climatic shifts from Ice Age’s end – More people = more food – Retreat of big game animals; yield declines • The Domestication of Plants and Animals – Plants • slow development; probably accidental planting – Animals • from 12,000 B.C.E.: dogs, sheep, goats, pigs Farming initially developed in Mid-East, in Fertile Crescent arc of territory from Turkey to Iraq and Israel Chapter 1 • Was this change from H/G to Agricultural a relatively slow or fast change? Was it really a “revolution?” – Slow, but WHY? • Knowledge spread slowly • People may not have wanted to change – New system was difficult to learn – Requires more regular work – Role of the “man” diminishes…. • Revolution? – Not so much; took a 1000 years to develop, and several thousand more to spread. Why, then, do we use the term? » Magnitude of the change involved – Why did it eventually succeed? • Support more people per square mile; build houses • As farmers cleared land, H/G were driven out or converted • Disease – Denser pop in settled societies, so diseases set in » H/G lack resistance • Ag sets basis for more rapid change in societies – Greater wealth & larger pop freed people for other specializations • Remember, we’re still in “pre-history” at this point. Why? – Writing not invented Chapter 1 3. The Neolithic Revolution – 8000 to 3500 B.C.E. – The Spread of the Neolithic Revolution. • Hunting-and-gathering persists • Pastoralism – Sub-Saharan Africa • root and tree crops – Northern China • Millet – Rice • Southeast Asia, to China, India, islands – Mesoamerica, Peru • Maize, manioc, sweet potatoes – Bronze Age • Metal tools date to 4000 BCE, w/ copper, then bronze (3000 BCE) The Spread of Agriculture Chapter 1 4. Civilization – Settlements, villages • • slash and burn agriculture (some people still moved around) Irrigation – what did this do? – Çatal Hüyük • • • c. 7000 B.C.E., southern Turkey Large complex - roofs Agriculture, commerce – Produce everything it consumes – SOME trade conducted, but for what reason? » Economic or peace? • • • Shrines Occupations by 3000 B.C.E., civilization – Aspects of civilizations? • • • • cities writing political organization surplus – Writing • Cuneiform – Nomads & Civilizations • Distinction??? Chapter 1 • What does it mean to be a “civilization?” – Surplus • Forms a div of labor and a social hierarchy involving significant inequalities – Formal political organizations as opposed to dependence on tribes – Depend on cities • Amass wealth and power; rapid exchange of ideas which encourages intellectual thought and artistic expression – Writing • Starts w/ cuneiform • Can organize more elaborate political structures b/c of sending messages and keeping records • Record past and build on it – Division of Labor Chapter 1 • Are civilizations a “good” thing? – Distinctions based on social class and wealth increase • Firmer class or caste divisions • Greater separation b/t ruler and the ruled – Frequently warlike – Greater inequality b/t men and women • Civilization have patriarchal societies Chapter 1 4. Civilization (cont’d) – Tigris-Euphrates Civilization • Develops from scratch; no examples to follow – Mesopotamia – Sumerians • • • • Tigris from 3500 B.C.E. alphabet Ziggurats religion – Priesthood – polytheism • City-states – Very defined boundaries – Akkadians – Babylonians • Hammurabi code – Indo-Europeans • from 2100 B.C.E. Euphrates Chapter 1 4. Civilization (cont’d) – Egyptian Civilization • Formed by 3000 BCE • Less open to invasion • Pharaoh – Immense power – Gov’t control of economy » Due to complexity of Nile – pyramids » from 2700 B.C.E. • Kush – Indian and Chinese River Valley Civilizations • Indus River – 2500 BCE – Harappa, Mohenjo Daro – Indo-Europeans invade and destroy, so we still no little • Huanghe (Yellow) River – P'an Ku – ideographs – Shang dynasty » from 1500 B.C.E. Huang He Indus River Chapter 1 5. The Heritage of the River Valley Civilizations – Decline by 1000 B.C.E. – Invasions – Legacy? • China – great continuity – Zhou » from 1000 B.C.E. – Mesopotamia • more rupture • view of nature persists • Phoenicians – alphabet from 1300 B.C.E. – enduring culture • Jewish monotheism – Most were polytheistic – Distinction: firm belief that single God guided destinies of their people – Concept of God became less humanlike, more abstract » Jewish God orderly and just – Was a way of life, not just rituals…. 6. The First Civilizations – Division • among peoples – Contacts • increase with time Chapter 1 • What was legacy of River Valley Civilizations? – Monuments • Pyramids – Invention of wheel, taming of horse, usable alphabets, writing implements, math concepts, functional calendars • So, beside these vital achievements, what legacies were left behind for later ages? – India - ??? – China – Zhou & continuity – Meso & Egypt Change Over Time • A Pattern of Division Among the World’s Peoples: – Diffusion of Homo sapien sapiens set initial stage – Small groups spread to almost every corner of world, but maintain little contact – Separate languages and culture develop widely – Rise of ag stimulates new links – Spread of farming and new tech begins to cut into local isolation – Trade soon enters – Some routes travel great distances – Basic Theme of World History: • Steadily proliferating contacts against a background of often fierce local identity • Rise of Civilization – Further reduces local autonomy • Kings and priests try to spread trade contacts and cultural forms • War to gain new territory – Integrating force at larger regional level, but smaller identities persist, esp. in the Mid East – Civilization and considerable diversity coexisted hand in hand • Egypt and Mesopotamia Compare/Contrast • Egypt – Not isolated, but more self contained – What else? Pg. 27 • Mesopotamia – Flat, w. few natural barriers to recurrent invasions from the north – What else? Pg. 27