Download Beginnings of Civilization 4 million B.C.

Beginnings of Civilization
4 million B.C. –450 B.C.
Unit 1
I.
A.
Human Origins in Africa
Earliest humans discovered in Tanzania East Africa
1.
2.
3.
Artifacts: human made objects that help in understanding
history
Culture: people’s unique way of life studied by
anthropologists
Hominid: humans and other creatures that walk upright
B. Stone Ages
1.
2.
Paleolithic Age: Old Stone Age, (2.5 mil to 8000 B.C.)
Neolithic Age: New Stone Age, (8000 B.C. to 3000 B.C.)
Human Origins in Africa (cont’d)
3.
4.
Neanderthals: smaller brains, “cave man”
Cro-Magnons: fully modern humans
C. Humans advance
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Nomads: highly mobile
hunter-gatherers: food supply depends on hunting animals and
collecting plants
Neolithic Age: agricultural revolution
Slash-and -burn farming: cut grasses and burned them to clear a
field.
Domestication: taming of animals
II. Mesopotamia (Fertile Crescent)
--”land between the rivers”
--between Tigris River and
Euphrates River
--unpredictable flooding
--no natural boundaries
--limited natural resources
--women had rights
Civilizations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Advanced Cities
Specialized Workers
Complex Institutions
Record Keeping
Improved Technology
Mesopotamia (cont’d)
A. Government: city-states
—like independent countries
B. Religion: polytheism
--belief in more than one god
C. Accomplishments:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Hammurabi’s Code
Empire builders
Cuneiform
Ziggurats
D. Decline: overtaken by new groups/breaks up
Hammurabi’s Code
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Hammurabi’s Code of Laws
If any one ensnare another, putting a ban upon him, but he can not prove it, then he
that ensnared him shall be put to death.
2
If any one bring an accusation against a man, and the accused go to the river and
leap into the river, if he sink in the river his accuser shall take possession of his
house. But if the river prove that the accused is not guilty, and he escape unhurt, then
he who had brought the accusation shall be put to death, while he who leaped into
the river shall take possession of the house that had belonged to his accuser.
3
If any one bring an accusation of any crime before the elders, and does not prove
what he has charged, he shall, if it be a capital offense charged, be put to death.
4
If he satisfy the elders to impose a fine of grain or money, he shall receive the fine
that the action produces.
5
If a judge try a case, reach a decision, and present his judgment in writing; if later
error shall appear in his decision, and it be through his own fault, then he shall pay
twelve times the fine set by him in the case, and he shall be publicly removed from
the judge's bench, and never again shall he sit there to render judgment.
First Empire
• Sargon of Akkad
– From Akkad; a city-state north of Sumer
– Long adopted most Sumerian aspects
– Created 1st Empire: brings together several
peoples, nations, or previously independent
states under control of one ruler.
III. Egypt
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Along Nile River
Natural Desert Barriers
Upper and Lower Egypt
– Upper is south
– Lower is north, near Med. Sea, includes
delta (100 miles before Med. Sea, broad,
marshy, triangle area, of silt at river mouth.)
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Hierarchy of classes
Women had rights
Egypt (cont’d)
A.
Government: Theocracy/Pharaohs
–
Rule is based on religion; run God-kings
B.
Religion: Polytheistic
C.
Accomplishments:
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D.
Hieroglyphics: picture writing
Pyramids
Calendar
System of numbers/geometry (engineers and architects)
Medicine
Decline: Pharaohs lose power
IV. Indus River Valley (India)
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Indian Subcontinent
Surrounded by mountains: Hindu Kush,
Karakorum, and Himalayan ranges
Between Indus and Ganges Rivers
Monsoons: seasonal winds from midJune to Oct. winds shift and blow east
(from SW) bring rains
Indus River Valley (cont’d)
A. Government: Theocracy
B. Religion: Hinduism
C. Accomplishments:
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Language—impossible to decipher
City-planning/grids
D. Decline: earthquakes and floods alter
Indus River; trade became impossible
V. China
• Natural Barriers isolate China
 Yellow Sea, Pacific Ocean, East China Sea (East), Mt
ranges and deserts dominate 2/3 of its land mass,
Taklimakan Desert and Plateau of Tibet (West),
Himalayas (SW), Gobi Desert and Mongolian Plateau
(North)—No trade
• Huang He River (Yellow River) and Chiang Jiang
River (Yangtze)
• Family more important than individual
• Women have no rights; considered inferior
• Hierarchy of classes
China (cont’d)
A.
Government: monarchy (Shang Dynasty)
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B.
Rule by one
Religion: polytheism
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C.
family spirits consulted supreme gods
Accomplishments:
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D.
Chinese characters (written language)
Roads and canals
Coined money
Cast iron weapons (not seen elsewhere until middle ages)
Decline: Nomads attack and kill monarch
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Enter “period of warring states”
VI. Indo-Europeans Migrate
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Indo-Europeans: group of nomadic
peoples; came from the Steppes;
ancestors of many modern languages
A. Hittite Empire: lived in Anatolia, excelled in
technology of war (esp. chariots)
B. Aryans: lived between the Caspian and Aral
Seas
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Vedas: four collections of prayers, magical
spells, and instructions for performing rituals
Castes: social system of Aryans
VII. Hinduism Develops
(750-550 B.C.)
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a collection of beliefs; seeks to achieve
moksha: liberation from desires and
suffering
– Teach from Vedas (became Upanishads
once written down)
– Reincarnation: individual soul or spirit is
born again until achieves moksha
– Karma: good or bad deeds
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Strengthened caste system
– Brahman: world soul seen in 3 main gods
VIII. Buddhism Develops
(750-550 B.C.)
• Founded by Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha:
enlightened one)
• Four Noble Truths:
1. Life is filled with suffering and sorrow
2. The cause of all suffering is people’s selfish desire for
the temporary pleasures of this
world
3. The way to end all suffering is to end all desires
4. The way to overcome such desires and attain
enlightenment is to follow the Eightfold Path, which is
called the Middle Way b/t desires and self-denial
Buddhism (cont’d)
• Eightfold Path: guide to behavior mastered
one step at a time, over many lifetimes
• Nirvana: release from selfishness and pain
• Originated in India, spread worldwide
• TRADE played a crucial role in the spread
of Buddhism.
IX. Sea Traders
A. Minoans:
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dominated trade in eastern Mediterranean
(2000-1400 B.C.)
Lived on Crete
King Minos: owned a Minotaur
Volcano destroyed civilization
B. Phoenicians:
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Most powerful sea traders after Minoans
Alphabet is their greatest legacy
X. Judaism Develops
1800 B.C.
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Palestine: trade crossroads for many peoples
Canaan: “Promised Land” of the Hebrews
(Jews)
A. Abraham
1. “Father” of the Hebrew people
2. Torah: first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible
3. Monotheism: belief in ONE god
4. Covenant: promise b/t God and Abraham
Judaism develops (cont’d)
B. The Exodus
1. Moses
2. Ten Commandments
3. Israel
a. Saul
b. David
c. Solomon
i. Judah: southern division of
Israel formed in 922 B.C.
ii. Tribute: peace money paid to
Assyria
XI. Empires Develop
A. New Kingdom of Egypt
1. Hyksos ruled Egypt from 1640 -1570 B.C.
2. During this time, Hebrews settled Egypt
3. Series of rulers began to restore power
(kicked the Hyksos out!)
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Hebrews stayed and were forced into slavery
New Kingdom (cont’d)
• Queen Hatshepsut: declared queen;
expanded trade
• Thutmose III: warlike (might have
murdered Hatshepsut); now a mighty
empire
• Ramses II: made treaty with Hittites (who
they often fought)
– Also built great palaces and temples
– Built their tombs in the cliffs
New Kingdom Declines
• Egypt suffered invasions from “Sea
Peoples”, tribes of Palestine, and Libyan
raids.
• Egyptian Empire broke apart
Empires Develop (cont’d)
B. Assyrian Empire
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From Northern part of Mesopotamia
Through war, created empire
Glorified military strength
Peak of empire included all of the Fertile
Crescent and Egypt
Eventually falls to Chaldeans who make
Babylon their capital.
Assyrian Empire (cont’d)
• Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Empires Develop (cont’d)
C. Persian Empire
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Based on tolerance and diplomacy (instead of war)
Cyrus: King who was a military genius; controlled land from the
Indus River to Anatolia
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Kind towards conquered peoples
Allowed NO looting and burning
Honored local customs
Allowed Jews to return to Jerusalem
His successors conquered Egypt
Divided land into 20 provinces to govern with satraps (ruled
locally)
Roads and coins promoted trade that helped hold the empire
together. (Royal Road)
Persia (cont’d)
• Legacy:
– Zoroaster: Persian prophet founded
Zoroastrianism
• Taught belief in one god
• Earth is a battleground with a great struggle
between good and evil
• Shares concept of Satan and angels with Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam.
Empires Develop (cont’d)
D. China Unites
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Remember: Zhou Dynasty ruled for 800 yrs. But
declined during “warring states period”
1. Confucius: China’s most influential scholar
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Lived in Zhou dynasty’s decline
Taught history, music, and moral character
Believed China could restore order
by following 5 basic relationships
which were based upon the family
Children should practice filial piety:
respect for parents and ancestors
(honoring during life & performing
rituals after death)
China Develops (cont’d)
2. Daoism: philosophy of Laozi; taught that people
should be guided by an invisible force known as the
Dao.
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Pursued scientific studies
3. Qin Dynasty: replaced the Zhou in third century B.C.
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Defeated invaders (doubled China’s size)
Crushed political opposition
Murdered hundreds of scholars who could criticize him and
had books burned
Established autocracy: gov’t with unlimited power
Began production on the Great Wall of China
Decline: peasant rebellion; Han dynasty begins (one of
longest in history)