Prehistory, History, and the Advancement of Civilizations

Textbook Reference: Chapter 1

Prehistory vs. History

• What is the difference?– Prehistory: the period of time we study prior to

the invention of WRITING– History: everything that we study since the

invention of WRITING and dating to 10 years prior to the present

Prehistory vs. History cont.

• Historian: scholars who study and write about the historical past

• Artifacts: Objects made by humans– E.g. Clothing, coins, artwork, tombstones

• Written evidence• Photos and films• Purpose: study the past to understand current

circumstances and possible future events, NOT to PREDICT the FUTURE

How do they fit into the social sciences?

Social Studies

History Economics Political Sciences Sociology Psychology Anthropology

American

Social

WorldLinguistics

ForensicsIntellectual

Military

Archeology

Prehistory

• Anthropology: study of the origins and development– Culture: the way of life of a society • Beliefs, values, and practices

– Archeology: the study of past people and cultures through their material remains

Anthropological Findings• East Africa– Mary Leakey and Louis Leakey

• Found stone tools• 1959: Mary found a skull embedded

– Concluded it to be Hominid» Hominid: Humans and past

relatives that walk upright

– Olduvai Gorge: deep canyon in Tanzania

– Technology: skills and tools people use to meet their basic needs and wants

Anthropological Findings cont.

• 1974: Donald Johanson– Found enough pieces of a

hominid to look at the full skeletal structure LUCY

– Approximately 4’ tall– Possibly 25 years old

Anthropological Findings cont.

• Lucy compared to modern human

• Red bones are those actually found

Hominid Groups

• Australopithecines– Lucy– Footprints at Laetoli

Hominid Groups cont.

• Homo habilis – “handy man”– Had tools for cutting,

sawing, and scraping

Hominid Groups cont.

• Homo erectus– Larger brains and

bones, smaller teeth– Thought to be the

first to use FIRE– Found in Africa,

Asia, and Europe - ??

Hominid Groups cont.

• Homo sapiens– Neanderthals and

Anatomically Modern Humans

Neolithic Revolution

• Prehistory = Old/New Stone Ages– Old Stone Age Paleolithic Period (2million B.C.

to 10,000 B.C.– New Stone Age Neolithic Period (10,000 B.C to

end of Prehistory

Old Stone Age

• People are Nomads– Nomads : people who move from place to place to

find food

• 20 – 30 people per group• Hunters and gatherers• Made tools and weapons out of stone, bone,

or wood– Chipping technique

Old Stone Age cont.

• Had fire and used animal skin for clothing• Developed spoken language for cooperation

in hunting and planning for the future• Learned to cross water– People moved from Asia to Australia at least

40,000 years ago

Old Stone Age Religion

• 100,000 years ago – bury dead with care ??– Also buried with tools and weapons ??

• Animism: belief that forces may reside in animals, objects, and dreams– Found in many cave paintings and believed to be

part of religious rituals

New Stone Age

• ********FARMING**********• Neolithic Revolution transition from

nomadic life to farming villages• First to domesticate plants and animals– Probably dog is the first animal domesticated

Earliest Villages

• Catalhuyuk in Turkey and Jericho controlled by Israel – Two of the earliest Neolithic villages– Both may have had several thousand people– Men become the BOSS• Elder councils, warfare, elite warriors

– Technology• Plows, measurements, specialized tool makers, clay

pots, weaved cloth

Beginnings of a Civilization

• First civilizations are by RIVERS - ??– Transportation, water supply, food, farming

• Surpluses – more than what is necessary– Grow large populations, food for the future– Eventually forming cities

• Traditional economy – relies on habit, custom, or ritual and tends not to change

River Valley Civilizations

• Civilization: a complex, highly organized social order– Cities are the MAIN feature– Sumer: between the Tigris and Euphrates– Egypt: along the Nile River– Indus: along the Indus River– Shang: Huang River (Yellow River)

Features of a Civilization

• Organized Governments– Councils/Chiefs turn into central governments– Rulers/royal officials– Taxes, laws, defense– Priests/Warrior kings on TOP

• Complex Religions– Polytheistic – – Specially trained priests for ceremonies and rituals

Features of a Civilization cont.

• Job Specialization– Artisans: skilled craftspeople– Weapons are made of metals• Copper then bronze

– Bricklayers, dancers, storytellers

• Social Classes– Ranking of individuals within the society• Priests and nobles were typically on top

Features of a Civilization cont.

• Arts and Architecture– Artwork and buildings that display the values,

customs, and beliefs or the society• Temples, palaces, statues, paintings

• Public Works– Projects that are costly and benefit the city and

people• Irrigation systems, roads, dikes, bridges, walls

Features of a Civilization cont.

• Writing– System of communications originally used by

governments and religious leaders• Grain collection, rituals, prayers, seasonal information

• Pictographs: picture writing• Scribes: people that specialize in reading and

writing

Change in Civilizations• Loss of resources• Environmental forces• Cultural Diffusion: the spread of ideas,

customs, and technologies– Warfare, migration, trade

• City-state: a group of lands that includes a city and the surrounding people and villages that it controls

• Empire – multiple cities and people