Pre-history

Pre-historic = before written records

Two periods of pre-history to knowPaleolithicNeolithic

Pre-history

Paleolithic

(Old) Stone age periodStone primary material for tools

Hunter-gathersNomadic lifestyle

Pre-history

Neolithic Age

(New) stone ageStone still primary tool materialAgricultureDomestication of animalsSome settlementSome nomadic groups

Paleolithic

Age

Neolithic

Age

1st Agricultural Revolution

Neolithic

Age

DevelopCivilization

PeopleStart toSettle

Civilization

A form of culture, characterized by cities,specialized workers, complex institutions, record-keeping and advanced technology

Civilization

To be a civilization, society must have a majority of these:Cities Specialized laborGovernment Science & techReligion ArtTaxes Social classesWritten language

Tigris & Euphrates

Located in modern IraqKnown as Mesopotamia (land

between 2 rivers)Known as Fertile CrescentLook for the only green in the

brownish Middle east on the map

Rivers empty into Persian Gulf

Tigris & Euphrates

The geography does not helpUnpredictable floodingNo natural barriers to invasion

Plenty of fresh water for farming and drinking

Access to trade/travel & cultural diffusion

Silt deposited by rivers

Tigris & Euphrates

Geography does not help, but problems solvedFor defense, walls of mud bricks were built

Trade of grain, cloth and tools brought in natural raw materials like stone, wood and metal

Tigris & Euphrates

Main crops grown were barley & wheat

Surpluses produced led to development of different civilizations in the region

Tigris & Euphrates

Cities associated with MesopotamiaSumer

Akkad Babylon Ur

Tigris & Euphrates

Sumer PolytheismRun by soldiersTemples called ZigguratsInvented sail, plow, wheel & 1st to use bronze

Developed geometry & arithmetic

Tigris & Euphrates

SumerDeveloped arches, columns, ramps

Developed cuneiform (wedge writing in wet mud which was allowed to dry)

Tigris & Euphrates

AkkadSargon of Akkad conquered Sumer

Created world’s first empireDynasty lasted 200 years

Tigris & Euphrates

BabylonBased on Euphrates riverEmpire hit peak under Hammurabi

Hammurabi’s Code

Tigris & Euphrates

Hammurabi’s CodeNeeded single, unified code of law to unify people

Written in stone Placed throughout the empire“eye for an eye”Law applied to everyone, but applied differently to men/women & rich/poor

Written Law Codes

10 CommandmentsHammurabi’s CodeDraco’s Code12 TablesJustinian’s CodeNapoleonic Code

Nile River Valley

Geographic IssuesFloods predictably (develop calendar)

River deposits silt on banksAccess to travel/tradeGrow papyrus (turn into paper)River flows north into Mediterranean Sea

Egyptians forced to live close to river (little cultural diffusion)

Nile River Valley

Egypt = “gift of the Nile”Without the river there is no

Egyptian civilizationSilt very fertileDesert very harshIrrigation ditches to water cropsSurpluses led to civilization

Nile River Valley

EgyptPolytheism

Kings (pharaohs were god-kings)

Egyptian government was theocracy (based on religious teaching/rules)

Nile River Valley

EgyptPyramids were actually

tombs for pharaohs Pharaohs were mummifiedBodies dried and preserved

for use in the afterlife

Nile River Valley

EgyptWriting developed called hieroglyphicsGlyphs are symbols/picturesFirst written on stoneHieroglyphics written on early paper made from papyrus

Nile River Valley

EgyptDeveloped very accurate calendarDeveloped arithmetic & geometryFirst to use stone columnsDeveloped early medical

procedures for broken bones, wounds & fevers

Indus River Valley

Indus became India Indus River starts in

Himalaya mountains & flows to Arabian Sea

Himalayas natural boundary

Unpredictable flooding

Indus River Valley

Indus sites not fully discovered yet

No kings/queens knownFew available recordsWas largest empire until Persia

develops 1000 years later

Indus River Valley

Two main cities of the Indus Valley

HarappaMohenjo-DaroBoth carefully planned & laid

out in a grid patternStructures built of oven-fired

bricksHomes had indoor plumbing

Indus River Valley

Archaeologists believe the 2 cities had strong organized government

Food seemed to be in good supplyCity planning indicates

development of mathematical skills

Indus first to cultivate cottonPolytheistic religious beliefs

Huang He River Valley

China’s geography has isolated it

Chinese developed belief that China was the center of the Earth & source of all civilization

China to south & southwest hemmed in by Tien Shan & Himalaya mountains

Huang He River Valley

China’s history began in Huang He Valley

People learned to farm during the Neolithic Age

The yellow soil particles in the river give it its name “Yellow”

Also known as “China’s Sorrow” because of the unpredictable flooding

Huang He River Valley

The flooding is due in part to the loess in the water that raises the level of the river

Flooding has often been disastrous First Chinese in the valley to

develop were the ShangZhou overthrew the ShangDeveloped Mandate of Heaven

idea

Huang He River Valley

Mandate of Heaven says that the gods allowed a dynasty to rule until that dynasty got old & corrupt

New dynasty was given new Mandate of Heaven to over throw old

This changing of dynasties is called the Dynastic Cycle

Dynastic Cycle

New Dynasty

•Brings peace

•Builds roads

•Land to peasants

•Protects people

•Too many taxes

•No protection

•Unfair treatment

•No building

Old Dynasty

• Floods

• Quakes

• Revolts

• Invaders

Problems

Huang He River Valley

By 1000 BC Chinese had develop silk production

Chinese also produced first books under the Zhou

Also produced porcelain, writing, coined money and cast iron

Other Civilizations to Consider

Indo-European CivilizationsAryansHittites

Aryans

Developed Caste System Lighter skin, higher casteAryans blended culturesBrought in Hinduism

Believed in reincarnationKarma & dharmaCows are sacred

Hittites

Centered in Anatolia (modern Turkey, Asia Minor)

Developed iron technologyDeveloped the chariot

which changed warfare dramatically

Other Civilizations to Consider

Fertile CrescentPhoeniciansCoast of eastern Mediterranean

Sea“Pop-Eyes” of the ancient worldCarriers of civilizationCreated alphabet (“Hooked on

Phonics”)

Hebrews

Centered in the area of modern Israel/Palestine

Hebrews are first monotheistic people

Torah is holy book (same as Old Testament of Christian Bible)

Abraham starts religionGod is YahwehHebrews are God’s “chosen people”Hebrews have a covenant with God

Hebrews

Enslaved in EgyptLed out of Egypt by Moses

Moses presents Hebrews with God’s rules known as 10 Commandments

Settled in modern Israel

Hebrews

Romans show up in Middle East

Jews forced out between 75 & 135 AD

Known as period of Diaspora (dispersal)

Jews spread from Palestine to eastern Europe