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Ancient Civilizations - Cornell Notes

What are the characteristics of the Paleolithic Era?

How did people obtain food during the Neolithic Era?

I. Dawn of HistoryA. Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age)

1. When - 2 million BCE to 10,000 BCE2. First people lived more than 2 million years ago in East Africa 3. Hunters and Gatherers

a. People lived nomadic lifestylesb. Men would hunt game animals and fishc. Women would collect fruits, berries and other edibles

4. Adapting to their environmenta. Tools

1. Simple tools - digging sticks, spears and axes out of stone, bone or wood.

2. Clothing - skins of animalsb. Shelter – cavesc. Fire - people learned to build fires for warmth and cooking.

5. Paleolithic Societiesa. Groups numbered between 20-30 peopleb. Developed spoken languages

1. Allowed people to communicate during a hunt6. Early belief systems

a. Polytheistic – early forms of animismb. People began burying the dead

1. Burials suggest that people believed in an afterlife2. The dead were buried with their tools and weapons

7. Migrationa. People migrated from Africa to Asia, Europe and North

Americab. Led to cultural diffusion

1. Also occurred through warfare and trade8. Scarce resources

a. Hunting and gathering sustained human life for millions of years, but people barely survived.

b. People moved from place to place because resources were scarce

c. People needed a more reliable way of obtaining a supply of food

B. Neolithic or Agricultural Revolution (New Stone Age)1. When - 10,000 BCE2. Important discoveries

a. Farming 1. People learned to plant seeds to grow food2. Led to permanent settlements3. Sedentary agriculture – Farm in one place

b. Domesticate animals1. Tamed animals they had been hunting2. Herded and penned the animals3. Used for food, clothing, labor and transportation

Why was the Neolithic Era considered a revolution?

Why were rivers valleys important to early civilizations?

3. Impact of Neolithic Revolutiona. Farming led to a more reliable source of foodb. As food supply increased, so did the population

1. Population of settlements numbered in the hundreds to thousands

2. Permanent communities formedc. New Technologies – people needed new tools in order to

meet their new needs1. Calendars – helped determine when to plant and

harvest crops2. Metal tools – built bronze and then iron plows that

were pulled by animals3. Irrigation systems – brought water from rivers to

farms4. Metal weapons – developed bronze and then iron

weapons to defend their resources and villages

C. Rise of Civilizations 1. Rivers valleys - home to the first civilizations

a. Fertile Land – the yearly floods provided arable landb. Fresh Water – gave people water sourcec. Transportation – Used the river as a means of transportationd. Trade – as the civilizations grew and expanded, more

people came into contact with one another

2. Characteristics of a Civilizationa. Cities – populations grew into the thousands due to

increased food suppliesb. Central governments – provide order, organization and

protection c. Traditional economy – based on farming and other skilled

crafts such as pottery, clothing and other goodsd. Organized religion – polytheistic, where priests would

perform ceremonies to ensure plentiful crops and protection

How did the Nile allow Egypt to centralize its government?

e. Specialization of labor - increased food supplies allowed people to perform different jobs in society

f. Social classes emerge – based on one’s occupation1. Priests, warriors, craftsmen or artisan, and farmer2. Chiefs - emerged as leaders3. Women’s status declined as men took lead roles as

warriors4. Warfare increased as resources became scarce

g. Systems of writing – Used for record keeping. Early writing used pictures and then developed into symbols

h. Art and architecture – Built temples and palaces to honor religious and political leaders.

i. Public works – built infrastructure such as roads, bridges and walls for protection

II. River Valley Civilizations - (4000 BCE - 1650 BCE)

A. Nile River Valley – Egypt (North Africa) 1. Geographic Setting

a. Region – North Africa, Middle Eastb. Topography – Mostly Desert

1. Natural barrier – provided protection from invasion2. Lack of arable land

c. Nile River - River flows from South to North1. Silt from floods leaves a rich deposit of soil2. Used as a highway for travel and trade3. Villages merge to form cities along river becomes into

one kingdoms: Upper Egypt (South) and Lower Egypt (North)

4. Nile Delta - in Lower Egypt, where the Nile emptied into the Mediterranean Sea

2. Governmenta. Pharaohs – ruler of Egypt that is believed to be both a God

and a King1. Absolute power – claimed divine right2. Centralized Government – Strong central

government/leaders3. Bureaucracy – Run by a Vizier to help run

government business, such as collecting taxesb. Dynasty – Ruling family of Egypt; When the pharaoh died,

power was passed onto the another family memberc. Menes – Pharaoh (3100 BCE) - United Upper and Lower

Egypt to create the first dynasty1. Used the Nile to link Upper and Lower Egypt

3. Religiona. Polytheistic – Worshipped many gods

1. Amon-Re – The Sun God and the Chief God2. Osirus – God of the Nile, controlled the Nile’s annual

floodb. Afterlife – Egyptians prepared the dead for life after death

1. Pyramids – Tombs and monuments used to store the remains of dead pharaohs as they await the afterlife

What Egyptian contribution would you consider the most important to today’s society?

4. Societya. Social Classes

1. Upper Class – Pharaoh, Priests, Nobles2. Middle Class – Merchants and artisans (skilled

workers)3. Lower Class – Peasants (Farmers)4. Slaves

b. Role of Women:1. Legally own property2. Run business3. Divorce

c. Contributions1. Papyrus – Paper making2. Hieroglyphics – Writing system that used pictures to

represent words and ideasa. Rosetta Stone- Helped translate Egyptian writing

3. Literature - poetry, songs, hymns and fiction4. Surgery and Medicine

a. Mummification preserving the dead helped them diagnose illnesses and perform surgery

5. Calendar – based on 365 days (solar)6. Number system - based on 10 (10, 100, 1000, etc)

B. Tigris & Euphrates Rivers – Mesopotamia (Middle East)1. Geographic Setting

a. Region – Middle Eastb. The Fertile Crescent – a crescent shaped region of good

farmland created by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers that stretches from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea

c. Mesopotamia – The land between the riversd. Few natural barriers

1. Cultural diffusion – exchange of goods and ideas2. Invasion – lack of barriers allowed for several

invasions2. Sumerian Civilization – (3000 BCE)

a. Government 1. City- States – Sumer was divided into independent

areas that included a city and the surrounding land2. Rulers – seen as the chief servant to the gods

a. Role – Enforced laws, collected taxes, led armies into war, kept records, maintained city walls and irrigation systems

b. Religion 1. Polytheistic – Gods had human qualities and were tied

to the forces of nature2. Each city-state had their own God or Goddess3. Ziggurats - Stone temples made out of sun-dried

bricks that were used for religious purposesc. Social Classes

1. Upper Class – Ruling family, officials and high priests2. Middle Class –Merchants and artisans (skilled

workers)3. Lower Class – Peasants (Farmers)

Why were irrigation systems important to the development of civilizations?

What are the characteristics of Hammurabi’s Code?

d. Contributions1. Inventions

a. Sailboatb. Wheelc. Plowd. Walled cities

2. Architecturea.Ziggurats

3. Irrigation Systems – a network of canals that provided water for those away fro the river banks

4. Cuneiform – Writing systems that used wedged shaped marks to keep records

5. Math contributions a. Basic algebrab. Geometryc. Number system - based on 6

6. Literature - The Epic of Gilgamesh3. Babylonian Civilization

a. Government 1. Centralized government – strong central government2. Hammurabi – (1792-1750 BCE) God-like king3. Code of Hammurabi – 300 codified laws carved in

stone a. Criminal Law – robbery, assault, murderb. Civil law – business contracts, property, taxes,

marriage and divorcec. Specific punishments for specific lawsd. Harsh punishments – “Eye for an Eye”e. Unequal enforcement – Lower social classes

vs. nobles, men vs. women, adults vs. children – laws were harsher for lower classes, women and children)

b. Contributions 1. Contract - written agreement2. Astronomy – Study of universe

a. Lunar calendar (12 months, 7 day week, 24 hr day)

3. Number system - based on 60 (60 minute hour, 360 degree circle)

4. Map makers – cartographer

C. Indus River Valley – Indian Subcontinent (India and Pakistan)

1. Geographic Settinga. Region - South Asiab. Mountain ranges

1. Hindu Kush 2. Himalayan

c. Climate - Hot dry d. Monsoons – seasonal winds that brought rainfall to the

Indian Subcontinente. Indus River - Floods brought rich soil and destruction

(unpredictable due to monsoon rains)

Why are written records important to understanding history?

What are the positive impacts of natural barriers?

What are the negative impacts of natural barriers?

2. Mystery a. Little is known about the Indus river valley because

historians and archaeologists have not been able to decipher the writing system.

b. All that is known comes from archaeological finds3. Government

a. Centralized government – strong central government1. Well-Planned Cities – Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro 2. Streets with grids3. Uniformed Systems - weights and measures4. Religious buildings5. Buildings used to store grain

4. Contributionsa. Plumbing systems – baths, drains, sewersb. Buildings made of brickc. Irrigation ditches and flood barriersd. Wheel

D. Yellow River Valley (Huang He) and the Yangzi River – China (3000-2500 BCE)

1. Geographic Settinga. Region – East Asiab. Natural barriers – mountains, deserts, rainforest, ocean

1. Isolationc. River Valleys

1. Huang He – Yellow Rivera. Loess - yellow matter in river that brings nutrients

to soilb. Floods – given the nickname, “River of Sorrows”

2. Yangzi River2. Government

a. Decentralized government1. Shang Dynasty – 1650 BCE2. Dynasty – Ruling family of China; when the emperor

died, another family member took over3. Kings controlled small areas of land4. City-states – ruled by groups of families

3. Religiona. Polytheistic – worshipped many gods and nature spiritsb. Early form of Daoism

1. Yin and yang – opposing forces that held nature in balance

c. Ancestor Worship – honored ancestors with sacrifices and shrines

4. Societya. Social Classes

1. Upper Class - Royals family and nobles2. Merchants and artisans3. Peasants – farmers

The belief that your culture is superior to others is known as?

What European theory is similar to the Mandate of Heaven?

What was a positive impact that Confucianism had on Chinese society?

b. “Middle Kingdom” - Due to isolation, early Chinese thought of themselves as the center of the universe

5. Contributionsa. Writing system

1. Thousands of characters made it hard to learn2. Pictographs – drawings of objects3. Ideographs – Drawings of thoughts and ideas

III. Classical Civilizations

A. Zhou Dynasty – China (1027 BCE-221 BCE)1. Government

a. Overthrew the Shang Dynastyb. Mandate of heaven – Right to rule comes from heaven; used

to explain the dynastic cyclec. Dynastic Cycle – cycle that explained the rise and fall of

dynasties, based on the mandate of heaven

d. Feudal government – Zhou emperors granted control of large areas of land to their supporters. The local lords controlled their own areas, but owed military service to the emperor

2. Economy a. Trade – increased as a result of new roads and canals that

were built (infrastructure)b. Money – Chinese copper coins as a form of currencyc. Agriculture – expanded after the development of iron tools

such as plows and axes3. Contributions

a. Confucianism – Belief system that provided order and stability in China by creating rules of behaviors for individuals based on filial piety; Best government was educated

b. Daoism – Belief system that stressed harmony in nature, based on the Dao and concepts of the yin and yang; best government, governed least

What are the similarities between the Qin’s Legalism and Hammurabi’s Code?

Why is it important to have an educated government?

How is the Silk Road similar to the internet?

c. Literature – “Book of Songs” – poems that describe farming, government, ceremonies and love

d. Astronomy – Studied planet movements and ellipses to create a 365 day calendar

e. Silk – Fine clothing material that was China’s most valuable export

f. Iron – used for weapons and tools

B. Qin Dynasty – China (221 BCE – 206 BCE)1. Government

a. Overthrew the Zhou dynasty – Shi Huangdi claims to be China’s “First Emperor”

b. Centralized government 1. Abolished feudal states2. Created military districts with an official heading

each areac. Legalism - strict set of laws that imposed harsh penalties.

Used to jail, torture and kill those who imposed the emperor. Would target nobles and Confucian scholars.

d. Burned books – ordered the destruction of all books of literature and philosophy

2. Economy1. Standardized weights and measures2. Created national coins3. Repaired canals and roads

3. Contributionsa. Great Wall of China – Built to China’s civilized world

from nomadic invaders from the north (Mongols)1. Thousands of workers died building the wall due to

harsh conditions.

C. Han Dynasty – China (206 BCE - 220 CE)1. Government

a. Dynastic Cycle - People despised the Qin’s dynasty’s harsh laws and heavy taxes; Led by peasants, the Han Dynasty would take control of China

b. Han Dynasty – Reduced taxes and repealed Legalismc. Civil Service Exams – Emperor Wudi improved China’s

government by setting up exams based on Confucian principles; this would assure Chinese officials were given jobs based on merit, not their family influence

2. Economy a. Infrastructure – improved roads and canals to improve

tradeb. Monopoly – set up an monopoly on iron and salt; this gave

the government another source of income other than the taxes on peasants

c. Silk Road – Wudi opened a trade route to the west that expanded from china to the Middle East and Eastern Europe. China would capitalize on its silk production ($$); New goods were introduced to China

Even though Civil Service Exams helped provide China with a stable government, how did they also promote in unequal society?

3. Societya. Scholar gentry – Wealthy educated class emerged from the

Civil Service Examsb. Women – Confucian principles had women subordinate to

men; women were not allowed to take the exams and could not take a government job

4. Contributionsa. Technology

1. Paper making from wood pulp2. Wheel barrow3. Fishing reel4. Rudder – device to help steer ships5. Suspension bridges6. Iron stirrups

b. Science 1. Acupuncture – needles are inserted under the skin

to relieve pain and to treat illnessesc. Arts

1. Temples and palaces2. Jade and Ivory carvings3. Bronze artworks4. Silk5. Literature – “Lessons for a Woman” – Roles for

men and women5. Fall of the Han Dynasty

a. Political Causes – Weak rulers after the death of Wudi; unable to control powerful warlords

b. Economic Causes – Did not maintain canals and roads which were vital for trade to prosper; Increased taxes on the peasants, led to a revolt

c. Military Causes – Warlords overthrew the last Han emperor in 22 CE, the empire was split into several kingdoms; invaders overran the Great Wall and set up their own kingdoms

D. Greece (1750 BCE – 133 BC) 1. Geographic setting

a. Located in southeast Europe, it consists of many mountains isolated valleys and small islands

b. The Mediterranean and Aegean Seas were an important link to the outside world

c. The Greeks became skilled sea traders allowed for cultural diffusion where they exchanged goods and ideas (technology)

1. They adopted the Phoenician alphabet for their own use.

What were the differences between Spartan society and Athenian society?

2. Early civilizationsa. Minoans – 1750 BCE the first Greek civilization was

established. 1. The Minoans traded with Egypt and Mesopotamia

3. Governmenta. Due to the rugged mountains and isolated valleys, Greek

civilizations revolved around the small city-state or polis.b. This geography prevented the Greeks from building a large

empire like the Egyptians or Mesopotamians4. The Rise of City States

a. Greek culture – Greek city-states had independent government but shared many cultural characteristics such as: language, religion, and sports.

b. Between 750 BCE and 500BCE the city states had several different types of government

1. Monarchy – first form of government2. Aristocracy - landowning nobles gained power

c. Sparta – A Totalitarian, Military Dictatorship 1. At the age of seven boys moved into the military

barracks2. They trained hard and faced rigid discipline3. Girls also trained hard to strengthen their bodies4. Healthy women produce healthy babies5. Sparta was an totalitarian state that produced an

excellent military6. But they did not trade, create products, nor were

they scholarly so they left no cultural achievements 7. Spartan inability to change, would lead to its

declined. Athens – A Limited Democracy

1. Under the leadership of Pericles (460BCE – 429 BCE

2. Direct-Democracy - all “citizens” participated in government by debating all political actions.

3. To be a citizen you must be: a male, over 30, who owns land

4. Women were seen as needing male guidance and were not allowed to participate.

5. Slaves and foreign born also did not participate

What is the blending of ideas, goods and culture known as?

5. Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic agea. Macedonia was a mountainous region in the kingdom of

northern Greece.b. Alexander the Great built an empire that included the

Egypt, Persia and parts of Indiac. Hellenistic culture - blended aspects of Greek, Persian,

Egyptian and Indian life.

d. This culture gave more rights and opportunities to women.e. Although the empire fell soon after his death, Hellenistic

culture had a lasting impact in the regions he had ruled6. Greek and Hellenistic Contributions

a. Philosophy1. Greek thinkers tried to use observation and reason to

understand why things happened2. The word philosopher means “lover of wisdom”3. Socrates - Developed the scientific method: leaning

about beliefs and ideas by asking questions; Government put him to death

4. Plato - Believed government should control the lives of the people; Divided society into three classes; workers, philosophers and soldiers

5. Aristotle - Believed on strong and good leader should rule; Believed people ruled through reason

b. Literature1. Famous for plays - tragedies and comedies2. Famous poet: Homer

a. Iliad - Set in the Trojan War - the ten-year siege of Ilium by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles

b. Odyssey – a sequel to the Iliad, The poem mainly centers on the Greek hero Ulysses and his long journey home following the fall of Troy. It takes Odysseus ten years to reach home

3. The first true historian: Herodotusa. Considered the “father of history” for his

careful historical writingc. Art and Architecture

1. Greeks believed in beauty, balance, and order in the universe

2. Greek Statues - were life-like, and showed the human body in the perfect form

What buildings in the United States were influenced by the Parthenon?

Greece is often considered the father to Western Civilization. What contributions did the Greeks provide for Western Civilizations?

The Discus Thrower

3. Parthenon - The most famous Greek building

A modern copy of what the Parthenon looked like

4. Use of columns5. Symmetry

d. Science 1. Aristarchus discovered that the earth rotated on its

axis and moved around the sun2. Archimedes explored the principals of levels and

pulleys 3. Hippocrates, a Greek physician, studies the causes of

illness and looked for curese. Mathematics

1. Pythagoras; the formula of a right triangle2. Euclid: wrote a book that became the basis fir

modern geometry

E. Rome (509 BCE – 476 CE)1. Geography

a. Italy – located in the center of the Italian peninsulab. Mediterranean Sea – helped the Romans trade and expand

into an empire that spanned three continents (Europe, North Africa and the Middle East)

Why was Rome’s legal system often considered the greatest contribution to Western Civilization?

What geographic feature allowed Rome to trade with and conquer three continents?

2. Governmenta. The Roman Republic – established a government where

people had the power to elect representativesb. Senate – most powerful governing body of the republicc. Roman Law – Rome’s greatest achievement

1. Twelve Tables – codified laws of Rome that guaranteed the right to all Roman citizens

2. Basic principles – equality under the law, right of the accused to face the accuser and defend one’s self, idea of being innocent until proven guilty

3. Males had authority over his wife and family3. Society

a. Patricians – Upper class, landowning Roman citizens that made up the Senate

b. Plebeians – Social class made up of farmers, merchants, artisans and traders who had little power

c. Women – were subordinate to men, but gained right to hold a prominent public role and own businesses

4. Roman Empirea. Conquering an Empire – By 270 BCE, Rome had

conquered the Italian peninsula and then used the Mediterranean Sea to conquer an empire that spanned three continents:

1. Europe (including present day England, France, Germany, and Greece)

2. North Africa – Mediterranean Coast3. Southwest Asia (Middle East) - Asian Minor

b. Civil War – Rome erupted into civil war as ambitious generals (including Julius Caesar) tried to conquer Rome for themselves. After the murder of Caesar, Octavian (Caesar’s Grandnephew) emerged the victor.

c. Emperor – Octavian changed his name to Augustus and ruled Rome with absolute power and the age of the Roman Empire had begun.

Why must civilizations have a strong government in order to have a strong economy and vice versa?

Why were Rome’s roads important for a strong government and economy?

Why were aqueducts an important reason why Rome was the first city with over a million people?

d. Strong Central Government1. Civil Service Exams – ensured a well educated

government officials2. Reformed tax system3. Uniform coins – made trade easier4. Strong military – expanded and protected the empire

b. Pax Romana – “Roman Peace” was a time of peace and prosperity or a golden age.

1. Trade - Roman influence, through vast road networks and the Mediterranean Sea. People freely traded with others in the empire and with other parts of the world, such as China and India, via the Silk Road.

2. Goods – grain from Nile River Valley, ivory and gold from Africa, spices and gems from India and silk from China

c. Religion - 313 CE Emperor Constantine legalizes Christianity - Edict of Milan

d. Engineering1. Roads – allowed for trade and military expansion

2. Arches – engineering technique that allowed Rome to create large buildings

3. Concrete – material used for large buildings4. Aqueducts – bridge-like structures that used the

roman arch to carry water from the hills to the cities

What modern building have been influenced by Roman architecture and engineering?

Rome’s centralized government provided stability (provided trade, military protection) for nearly a thousand years. What effect do you think this has on society, when it is taken away?

5. Dome – a half, sphere-like roof

The Pantheon – Temple to all Roman Gods

6. Coliseum – Stadium built in Rome that was used for Gladiator fights, chariot races and executions (Bread and circuses)

5. Fall of the Roman Empire a. Political Causes

1. Government becomes too strict2. People stop supporting the government3. Corrupt officials4. Divided empire becomes too weak

b. Economic Causes 1. Heavy taxes2. Use too much slave labor

c. Military Causes1. Constant invasions2. Borders become too big to defend3. Forced to hire foreign soldiers to protect the borders

d. Social Causes1. Gap between the rich and the poor widens2. People become selfish and lazy