History: Origins and Pre-History: Origins and Pre-OriginsOrigins

The Concept of History and Eras The Concept of History and Eras of Pre-Historyof Pre-History

I. The Meaning of the Word I. The Meaning of the Word “History”“History”

• Words are “embalmed history”

• “Historia” (Greek) meaning “to learn by inquiry”

• Greek philosopher Herodotus was first to use the word for a study of the past—the Persian Wars

II. Why Study History?II. Why Study History?

• Case study of growth and change

• Employs reason, logic and intellectual resources

• Highlights present concerns as we look at the past

• Helps us to learn to cope with change

III. Some General Lessons of III. Some General Lessons of HistoryHistory

• The “law of progress” is a myth• The political welfare of a state depends on the

condition of the lowest class within its borders• Problems for civilizations come in the form of

flights from rationality, loss of individual and local community freedom, unresponsive government, the unplanned growth of cities to the injury of rural life and the neglect of literature, art and science, and perhaps also patriotism, justice and religion.

IV. Duties of a HistorianIV. Duties of a Historian

• Gather together and interpret the facts of the past as honestly as possible

• Evaluate the validity of the evidence

• Give proper emphasis to the story—deciding which eras or periods deserve more attention than others.

V. Types of EvidenceV. Types of Evidence

A. Written RecordsA. Written Records

• Inscriptions• Papyri• Medieval Manuscripts

--literature of antiquity preserved by monks depending on preference

--copies made on vellum or parchment

--not contemporary or error-free

B. Archaeological EvidenceB. Archaeological Evidence

• Buildings, statues, utensils, and documents

• Discovered continually• Especially helpful with the

artistic and social life of the ancients

• Supplements written records

• Significance of mounds

-- “potsherds”

The Eras of Pre-HistoryThe Eras of Pre-History

I. Paleolithic (Old Stone) AgeI. Paleolithic (Old Stone) Age

• Food Gatherers• Roaming Existence

II. Neolithic (New Stone) AgeII. Neolithic (New Stone) Age

• Farmers living in villages led to the notion of “property”

• Life became more complex and gender-specific

• Population Expansion and some specialization

II. Neolithic Age (cont)II. Neolithic Age (cont)

• Emergence of Trade and Textile Manufacturing

• Pottery making carried to a high peak

• Still no “civilization” to speak of which requires coordinated efforts like irrigation

III. Bronze Age (circa 3000 BCE)III. Bronze Age (circa 3000 BCE)

• Bronze in widespread use in the Near East just before 3000 BCE

• Necessity of irrigation led to civilization

• Evolution of monarchy• Development of Writing• Introduction of Potter’s

Wheel• Civilization develops

faster in Near East than in Western Europe