World Cultures Chapter 1

Toward Civilization

Prehistory – 3000B.C.

Understanding Our Past

Try to imagine the dawn of civilization – cave men, dinosaurs, wooly mammoths

Geography and History Geography is the study of people, their

environments, and the resources available to them

Geography often determines how a culture develops

How has the geography here impacted you?

Geography and History

Location Where on earth you are, measured in latitude and

longitude Place

Physical features and human characteristics Human-Environment Interaction

How humans have impacted the environment Movement

How people move throughout the centuries

Geography and History

Region Areas defined by political, physical, economic,

or cultural features

How Do We Know?

There is much confusion about Prehistory Prehistory is the period of time before

recorded history Why would it be hard to learn about

prehistory? What are some ways that we can learn about

prehistory?

How Do We Know?

Anthropology The study of the origins of human culture

Archaeology The study of past cultures through artifacts Most archaeologists dig to discover hidden

artifacts Archaeologists also use radio-carbon dating,

relative dating, geological clues, and sonar to find and date artifacts

Reconstructing the Past Historians are people who try

to reconstruct the past using what we know and intuition What things can we use to

help us decode past events? Great vs. Small

Past historians usually wrote about monarchs / kings / leaders

Newer historians usually focus on the plight of common people

The Dawn of History

The Old Stone Age Paleolithic Age 2 million B.C. to 10,000 B.C.

Early humans most likely lived in Eastern Africa and the Middle East (Mesopotamia)

Most people were hunters / gatherers Most civilizations were nomadic The Earth was several degrees colder (called the

Ice Age) and men lived amongst woolly mammoths and saber toothed cats

The Dawn of History

Early Religious Beliefs Men needed an explanation for the way things

were: the rising sun, the changing of the seasons, etc.

Many gods and religious figures were derived by things in nature: animals, seasons, the seas, etc.

Cave paintings and figurines are signs of idol worship

A belief in the afterlife is also evident

Neolithic Agricultural Revolution

Called the New Stone Age Around 11,000 years ago people learned how

to cultivate crops This required the nomadic tribes to settle in

one area Tribes also learned how to domesticate

animals How would Stone Age people learned how to

plant? Why would they domesticate animals?

Neolithic Agricultural Revolution

The shift to agriculture was probably the most significant advancement in human history Farming lead to a greater social structure The role of women may have decreased as

men did more farm work and served as elders in the society

Competition for resources increased with population, giving rise to warriors and increasingly sophisticated war techniques

This would continue until the 1700’s

Neolithic Agricultural Revolution

New Technology Farming implements Calendars Use of animals for

work Specialization of Labor Clothing

Beginnings of Civilization

Civilization A complex, highly organized social order Expanding agricultural areas created the first

civilizations First Civilizations

River Valley Civilizations Tigris and Euphrates Nile River Indus River Yellow River (Huang He)

Beginnings of Civilization

American Cities Cities also arose in the Mayan, Aztec, and Inca

cultures completely devoid of Eastern Civilization The American tribes developed calendars and

complex math long before Eastern cultures

Features of Civilizations Organized Governments

Early civilizations had either a council or chief As civilizations grew, their roles expanded and

gained more power The religious leaders also held a great deal of

power

Beginnings of Civilization

Complex Religions Many cultures were polytheistic The gods were thought to be responsible for all

aspects of life Many rituals including ceremonies, dances,

songs, temples, hymns, and sacrifices were devised to please the gods

Job Specialization As societies grew, it became evident that certain

people were better at doing a particular trade People specialized to master a particular trade

Beginnings of Civilization

Social Classes Strata of people developed based on monetary

values, land, family history, and honor Priests and noblemen Wealthy merchants Commoners (Free Men) Slaves

Debtors Prisoners of War

Beginnings of Civilization

Arts and Architecture Most were created to pay homage to the gods The best, most artistic buildings were built for the

rulers or the gods for worship Early civilizations also used art as a means of

communication Public Works

Irrigation systems, roads, bridges, and defensive walls

Beginnings of Civilization

Writing Created to serve as a means of record keeping Most citizens could not read or write Usually only the wealthy or religious men were

schooled Original writing was pictograms – pictures used to

describe something Later on symbols were used Scribes were professional writers who kept track

of numbers, people, and official orders

Spread of Civilization

City States As individual tribes grew they competed for

land and resources Cities went to war with each other and

eventually grew into larger and larger areas Empires

The first empires grew out of the combination of several city states

Conquered city states were often treated harshly but made peace in the long run

Spread of Civilization

Despite the advancement of civilizations, some people remained nomadic

Conflicts with nomadic peoples would plague civilizations for centuries

Civilizations and Change

Environmental Changes Both nomadic and civilized people needed

resources Timber, fresh water, farm land, and metal

were essential to communities Interactions among People

Cultural Diffusion – the spread of ideas between cultures as a result of trading, travel, and exploration

Civilizations and Change

People migrated as a result of natural disasters or famine and took their ways of life with them

Metal working, writing, religious beliefs, etc were exchanged

Warfare also caused cultures to bend to the will of the victorious army (Jewish culture)