Introduction to Ancient Civilizations

1. What is History?History is the study of the past.

Historians are people who study history.How people lived and why?What were the problems and how did people

found solutions?Where did people work, fight, trade, farm, and

worship?They study the past to understand people’s

culture.

Culture is the knowledge, beliefs, customs, and values of a group of people.

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2. What is Archaeology?Archaeology is the study of the past

based on what people left behind.

Archaeologists, or people who practice archaeology, explore places where people once lived, worked, or fought.

The things people left behind may include jewelry, dishes, or weapons, stone tools, or huge buildings.

Archaeologists examine the objects to see what they tell us about the past.

3. Using CluesWe must rely on a variety of sources to

learn history.

A fossil is a part of imprint of something that was once alive. Bones and footprints preserved in rock

Artifacts are objects created by and used by humansCoins, arrowheads, tools, toys, pottery

4. Sources of InformationHistorical sources come in two types.

A primary source is an account of an event created by someone who took part in or witnessed the event. Treaties, letters, diaries, laws, and court

documents

A secondary source is information gathered by someone who did not take part in or witness an event. History textbooks, journal articles, and

encyclopedias

5. Studying GeographyGeography is the study of the earth’s physical

and cultural features

Geography influenced the early development of cultures.Ex. People who lived along rivers learned to

make fishhooks and boats, while those far from rivers did not.

Geography has helped shape history and has affected the growth of societies.Ex. Society first formed along rivers b/c crops

grown on the fertile land fed large populations

6. Primary Source“They are the captains and kings, saints and

fanatics, traitors, rogues and villains, pathfinders and explorers, thinkers and creators, even, occasionally, heroes. They are significant---if not necessarily admirable…they matter. They are the actors, not the acted upon, and are consequently that much more interesting.”

Why does the author think the people she discusses are interesting?A. They write books about history.B. They do things that are remembered.C. They obey the laws of their societies.D. The author knows more about those people.

7. TimelineBC (Before Christ) or BCE (Before Common Era)

AD (Ano Domino) or CE (Common Era)

Put the following dates in order from oldest to most recent. ______ 523 AD______ 32 BC______ 1500 BC______ 84 AD______ 893 BC

Which cities were early Buddhist areas?A. Summatra and Sarnath, B. Sarnath and Bodh Gaya,

C. Tibet and Sanchi, D. Sarnath and Nepal

What country did Buddhism begin in?A. China B. Jerusalem C. Japan D. India