Unit OneIn The Beginning

Discovering the Past One Broken Piece of Pottery at a Time…

Prehistory•Time before the invention of writing, about 5,000 years agoScientific Clues•Archaeologists study bones and artifacts—human-made objects•Anthropologists study culture—a group’s way of life•Paleontologists study fossils—plant or animal remains preserved in rock

Discovering the Past One Broken Piece of Pottery at a Time…

• Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age) lasted from about 2.5 million to 8000B.C.• cold temperatures and large Glaciers (Ice Age)• Use of tools, fire, and language develops during the Stone Age

Tools Needed to Survive• Paleolithic humans were nomads—moved in search of food • Hunted animals, collected plant foods—hunter-gatherers

Types of ToolsSpears, bow and arrow, early shovels for digging up plants or cleaning animal hides, and bone needles for making clothes

The Dawn of a New Time…Neolithic Revolution— “agricultural revolution” began about 10,000 years ago

• Nomadic women scattered seeds, then discovered crops growing

• Shift from food-gathering to food-production great breakthrough!!Causes of the Agricultural Revolution

• Rising temperatures was the key reason

• Longer growing season, drier land for wild grasses

• Constant supply of food led to population growth

So What Really Changes?

The Dawn of a New Time…Agriculture Causes Change• Farming success leads to larger communities…less people starve Economic Changes• Ancient people build irrigation systems to increase food production• Food surpluses free some people to develop new skills• Craftspeople make cloth, objects; traders profit from exchange of goods• Invention of wheel and sail enable traders to travel longer distancesSocial Changes• Social classes develop; religion becomes more organized

Keys to a Civilization Sumer• Located in Mesopotamia, now part of modern Iraq• One of the first civilizations—a complex culture:

- advanced cities- specialized workers- complex institutions- record keeping- advanced technology

Advanced Cities• Cities with larger populations arise, become centers of trade

Keys to a Civilization Specialized Workers• Labor becomes specialized—specific skills of workers developed• Artisans make goods that show skill and artistic abilityComplex Institutions• Institutions—(governments, religion, the economy) are established• Governments establish laws, maintain order• Temples are centers for religion, government, and trade

Keys to a Civilization Record Keeping• Professional record keepers, scribes, record taxes and laws• Scribes invent cuneiform, a system of writing about 3000 B.C.• People begin to write about city events

The Big Four

Leaders of the Big FourMesopotamia Sargon 2350 B.C.

Conquered the Northern and Southern parts of Mesopotamia creating the first empire

Hammurabi 1792 B.C. Made the city of Babylon the

capitol = Babylonian Empire Created the Code of

Hammurabi Had all of the laws written in

stone and posted in city centers

Egypt Menes 3100 B.C.

Also known as the Scorpion King Unified Upper and Lower Egypt Was seen as a God

Hyksos 1630-1523 B.C. “the rulers of foreign lands”

Hatshepsut (1485-1470 B.C.) One of the first women pharaohs Known for diplomacy not war

Akhenaten (1364-1347 B.C.) Removed polytheism (many gods)

made self only god

Leaders of the Big FourEgypt Tutankhamen “Tut” (1347 B.C.)

Boy King, brought back all gods Viewed as less important, which is

largely why his tomb is believed to not be robed

Ramses II (1279-1213 B.C.) Took control of Palestine Commissioned the building of the

Valley of the Kings Cleopatra VII 1st century B.C

Tried to gain full independence for Egypt from Rome, not successful

Involved with Julius Caesar

Indus River Valley • No known leaders• Believe it was a theocracy• Domestication of animals: 7000 B.C.• Planned cities along Indus River 3200

B.C.• Little known because we have not

broken their language code yet• 1750 B.C. fell apart and people

disappeared

Leaders of the Big FourChina Emperor Yu Shang (Xia Dynasty) 2000 B.C.

Tamed the Yellow River (Huang He) Irrigation purposes and controlled

flooding Engineer and mathematician

Zhou Dynasty 1045-256 B.C. Longest ruling Dynasty Mandate of Heaven: Divine approval Introduced feudalism Coin money Process to cast iron

Religion and Culture of the Big Four

Mesopotamia • Theocracy

• Priests and rules share control• Ziggurat

• Priests controlled irrigation system

• Collected Taxes• Culture

• Has social classes• Kings, landholders and priests• Wealthy merchants• Workers• Slaves

Egypt Theocracy

Pharaoh was the god and king Built pyramids at tombs for the

pharaoh Mummification Hieroglyphics: system of writing Continual preparation for the afterlife Created calendar: 365 days, 12

months, 30 days per month

Religion and Culture of the Big Four

Indus River Valley• Harappan People

• Well planned cities• Oven baked bricks of uniform sizes• Plumbing and sewage systems• Strong central government• Zoning• Written language…can’t

understand it though • May have all been of the same

social class• Few weapons = no/limited conflict• Traded with many people

(maker/shipment seals)

China Family is central as is respect for elders Very distinct divide of classes

Warrior-nobles were the ruling class Peasants were like slaves

Religion was tied to elders Spirits of the elders brought +/-

things Communicated through use of

Oracle bones (animal or tortoise shells)

Writing System Made-up of several “characters”

each represents an idea Can read it without being able to

speak it.

New EmpiresAssyrians 700 B.C.

Empire included areas of Mesopotamia, Iran, Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and Israel

Ruled by Kings King Sennacherib brutally destroys enemies

Glorified armies wear metal armor, copper helmets, leather protection

Efficient messenger system, one week to send message anywhere in the empire

King Ashurbanipal Established library in Nineveh 20,000 tablets

including Epic of Gilgamesh Empire fell in 612 B.C. to the Medes and

Chaldeans (from the East) King Nebuchadnezzar took over and made

Babylon the center of empire Hanging Gardens were commissioned by him

Assyrian Empire

Persian Empire

New EmpiresPersians 539 B.C.

Ruled by Kings Cyrus The Great

Force only when required Loved by his people Allowed the captive Jews to return to homeland Cultural and religious tolerance

Assyrian Empire

Persian Empire