Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa: south of Sahara desert–Rainforests–Mtns.–Savannas (grasslands)

Great Rift Valley–40 miles wide, 2,000 ft deep

–2,000-3,000 miles long

Village Life Matrilineal—trace ancestry

through mother Husband’s family gives bride’s

family iron tools, animals, & cloth Boys & girls at 12 take part in

adulthood ceremonies

Africans- polytheists–Believe spirits of dead live among them

Adopted ideas from Arabs (Islam) & Europeans (Christianity)

Nubia 2000 BC: upper Nile

River Under Egyptian control Gold, ivory, pyramids 700s BC: Nubian

pharaohs rule Egypt until Axum invaded Nubia

Axum 500 BC Traded w/ Rome

Ivory, gold, exotic animals Christian kingdom along

Red Sea Muslim raids forced them to

interior--Ethiopia

Ghana (300-1200 AD)–Located between salt & gold mines

–Trans-Saharan trade (across the desert)

–Salt=most important–Conquered by Muslims

Mali–Small state in Ghana

Sundiata Keita–1200s took old lands of Ghana–Cleared land for

farming=surpluses–Peanuts, rice, sorghum, yams,

beans, onions, wheat

Mansa Musa ruled 1312-1332–Introduced Islam–Built mosques in Timbuktu

–Went on hajj

Songhai–Niger River–1400s Sunni Ali—took over TimbuktuDivided into provinces Laws based on Islam1589-attacked by Moroccans (w/ firearms)

Zimbabwe “Great House of Stone”

Between Zambezi & Limpopo Rivers Large stone forts 1400s-declined for unknown

reasons

Great Zimbabwe Ruins

The Americas

Migrated from Asia 11,500 yrs. ago–Bering Strait

Olmecs 1200 BC – 400 BC “Rubber people” 1st Mexicans to build pyramids Jade carvings Colossal heads (large stone

heads) Ball game with rubber ball

Mayas (until 900 AD) Yucatan Peninsula Trade- cacao bean used as $ Agriculture- farmers paid taxes in

produce & time Members of royal family inbreed Nobles drank hot chocolate (drinking

money)

Mothers tied boards to infants heads to flatten skulls (considered beautiful)

Filed down teeth & covered w/ jade

Blood rituals & human sacrifices

Observatories – towers to “observe” the night sky

900s cities abandoned–Invasion?–Famine?–Epidemic?–Peasant revolt?

Aztecs Most glorious & goriest Nomads until settled on island in Lake

Texcoco– city Tenochtitlan (200,000 people)

Pyramid-temples Chinampas- farming maize (corn),

squash, beans, peppers Human sacrifices Warfare- way of capturing sacrifices

1519- Spaniard Hernan Cortes–Have cannons & firearms –Cortes allied w/ tribes tired of

Montezuma–600 Spaniard w/ a few

thousand allies conquered Aztecs

IncasSouth America- Andes Mtns.

Terrace farmingQuipus- knots tied in rope for record keeping

Quechua- languagePotatoes

Polytheistic- human sacrifices

Conquered by Francisco Pizarro 1533

Look at the above picture. How are these customs similar?

China in the Middle Ages

Sui Dynasty 500s – 600s

Grand Canal–World’s oldest & longest 1,114 mi.

http://www.tour-beijing.com/hangzhou_attractions/grand_canal.php

http://www.chinatour2u.com/images/Grand%20Canal1.jpg

Tang Dynasty 600s – 900s

Golden AgeZen Buddhism – meditation

ConfucianismRice & tea

Sung Dynasty (900s – 1200s)

Wealthy classFoot binding – women of the house didn’t have to work – sign of wealth

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/wakingdream/interim-2007/1180454640/tpod.html

http://blog.asiahotels.com/strange-cultural-habits-in-china/footbinding/

http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/01257/foot.html

Mongols Mounted warriors – cavalry Genghis Khan “Universal Ruler”

– Conquered Beijing Grandson Kublai Khan

– Conquered the rest of China Grandson Batu

– Invaded Russia & Europe– Golden Horde

Marco Polo

Merchant & explorer @ 17 left Venice for China Traveled around China for 17 yrs.

Japan

Japan Archipelago –

island chain Kamikaze

“Divine Wind” – typhoon that stopped Mongol invasion

http://hhh.gavilan.edu/mturetzky/Pols3/Lecture6TheJapanesePoliticalSystem.htm

Shinto Only found in Japan “Way of the kami” – nature

spirits No scripture or doctrine Prayers & rituals to please

“kami” Existed alongside Zen

Buddhism

Torii – Shinto shrine

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g298561-d306478-Granvia_Hiroshima_Hotel-Hiroshima_Hiroshima_Prefecture_Chugoku.html

Japan’s Feudal System Emperor Shogun – general controlled

military, $, & laws Daimyo – local lords Samurai – warriors hired by

lords for protection Peasants

Bushido Code of the samurai “way of

the warrior” Bravery, loyalty, honor Seppuku or “hara-kiri”–

ceremonial suicide to avoid dishonor

http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00716/thesamurai.html