Chapter 1:From Human Prehistory to the Early Civilizations
ObjectivesExamine the indicators of civilization, including
writing, labor specialization, cities, technology, trade, and
political and cultural institutions in early civilizations Trace
the development and assess the achievements in the arts, sciences
and technology of early river civilizations, including those around
the Huang-He (China), Indus (India), Nile (Egypt), and
Tigris-Euphrates (Mesopotamia) rivers Chapter 1:From Human
Prehistory to the Early Civilizations Key ConceptsBig Geography
& the Peopling of the EarthThe Neolithic Revolution & Early
Agricultural SocietiesThe Development & Interactions of Early
Agricultural, Pastoral, & Urban SocietiesMajor TopicsNeolithic
RevolutionEarly River Valley CivilizationsForaging vs.
Pastoral/Agricultural SocietiesEarly Migrations: Middle East,
Africa, Polynesian/Oceania
Geographical Contexts To begin you will focus on the
geographical context in which cultures will develop You are
expected to know and be able to analyze the importance of
locations, trade routes and migrations to the development of
civilizations Map Notebook During the study of each chapter you
will map the basic features of geography in that area of the world
This includes continents, oceans , seas, rivers, key political
units Map Notebook Example In studying Ch. 1, you should be able to
ID major water supplies and the effect and importance of rivers
Such as the Nile and the Tigris-Euphrates on the demography of
Egypt and Mesopotamia Part IFrom Hunting and Gathering to
Civilizations, 2.5 Million-1000 BCE: Origins Earliest known humans
lived in East Africa about 2.5 million yrs ago They lived by
hunting and gathering Most advanced human species, Homo sapiens
sapiens, migrated from Africa to the Middle East, then to Europe,
Asia, Australia and the Americas They developed tools out of
sticks, stones and other natural objects(bones)10,000 Years
OnwardAgriculture begins Civilization develops Early civs. arose in
5 different sites, four along the fertile shores of great rivers
The key element in this long phase of human history focuses on
adaption to environments and the search for food supplies
Development of Agriculture Offered different opportunities for
humans Altered family forms Formal political structures Cities
Monument building Change took place slowly during this period The
impact of this change in human civ. can be seen with children who
were more supported, nurtured and discipline because they were a
vital part of the family labor force in agricultural societies
CivilizationDefine civilizationSocieties distinguished by
reliance..page G-5The word civilization comes from the Latin term
for cityWhat are characteristics of civilization?Formal states,
writing, cities and monuments all characterize civilizationWhat are
some other characteristics of society?Elaborate trading patterns
Extensive political territoriesRiver Valley Civs.What did all the
civs. have in common?Concepts of leadershipsOther basic social
structures for example, most had some form of hierarchy within
their civilizationAll had religions A writing system How were they
different?Their emphasis on religion and technology Their interest
in the wider world
Summary Most of the 2 million-plus years of our existence as a
species has been described as Paleolithic or Old Stone Age During
this period both Homo erectus and then Homo sapiens sapiens
appeared as early as 500,000-750,000 yrs ago They stood upright and
learned simple tool use, mainly through employing suitably shaped
rocks and sticks for hunting and gathering Several species of Homo
erectus developed and spread into Africa and other parts of the
region, reaching a population of almost 1.5 million 100,000 yrs ago
Homo erectus disappeared about 40,000 yrs ago Our immediate
ancestors were Homo sapiens sapiens All current races are descended
from this subspecies Early varieties of homo sapiens sapiens lived
in small bands of hunter gatherers These groups developed language,
rituals, and more sophisticated tools
