EARLY CIVILIZATIONS Paleolithic Era Old Stone Age Paleo

EARLY CIVILIZATIONS

Paleolithic Era – Old Stone Age • Paleo = Old • Lithic = Stone • Nomads = roamed around looking for food, water, shelter = hunter-gatherers • Survival depended on the environment and the availability of plants and animals

Characteristics of Paleolithic Man • Simple stone tools • Use of fire • Lived in clans • Oral language • Cave art

Neolithic Era – The New Stone Age • Neolithic Revolution = discovery of agriculture • Domestication of plants • Began living in permanent settlements – didn’t have to roam • Used pottery to store extra food

Characteristics of Neolithic Man • Domesticated plants • Domesticated animals • Advanced stone tools • Pottery • Weaving skills

The Metal Ages • First metal used was copper = natural metal that could be cast into tools • Bronze Age (3000 -1200 B. C. ): copper mixed with tin = stronger than copper • Iron Age (started in 1000 B. C. )

Rise of Civilizations • Metal tools led to agricultural surplus – allowed some people to focus on other things • Specialization of labor – people could do what they were good at instead of having to farm – led to rise of artisans • Increase in trade (barter system)

Rise of Civilizations • Most people started settling in river valleys to grow their crops and start villages • Mesopotamia (between Tigris and Euphrates Rivers) • Nile in Egypt • Indus in India • Huang He (Yellow) in China • As populations grew, villages turned into cities and became civilizations • Civilization = complex structure where humans share common elements

Civilizations Rise of cities Organized Government Art & Architecture Civilization Written Language Social Structure Organized Religion

Government • Need to control many aspects of city-life, including food supply and defense • As people had more contact with other cities, conflicts started emerging – governments were need to maintain relationships • Most early governments were hereditary monarchies (kings, queens, pharaohs, emperors)

Religion • Developed as a way to explain natural phenomena • People believed gods and goddess had a direct impact on their lives, so it was important to keep them happy • Need to keep gods happy gave priests special power and made them very important • Many rulers said their power came from the gods

Social Structure • As economic power increased, different social classes started appearing • Upper class = priests, government officials, warriors • Lower class = free people, farmers, artisans, craftspeople • The lowest group were the slaves, usually prisoners of war

Written Language • Developed as a way to keep records • First written language = cuneiform (Sumer)

Art and Architecture • Once people had a steady food supply, they had more time for art • Artistic activities included: • Architecture • Painting • Sculpture • Jewelry

Major Civilizations • Egypt = Nile River Valley and Delta • Northeast Africa • Nubia = Upper (southern) Nile River • India = Indus River Valley • South Asia • China = Huang He (Yellow) River Valley • East Asia

MESOPOTAMIA The land between two rivers

Society • Economy based on agriculture and trade • Known for their copper, tin and gold – traded metal goods with other city-states • Social Structure • Rulers • Nobles (priests, government officials, scribes) • Commoners (farmers, artisans, merchants, fishers) • Slaves • *90% of people were farmers

Written Language • Cuneiform = first written language • Based on symbols and pictograms • Wrote on clay tablets with a stylus • 1000 s of different symbols • Created for keeping farming and trade records • Scribes = people trained to write

Technology • Irrigation system (way to get water to fields) • Wheels on carts • Arches and ramps to make buildings stronger • Math system based on 60

EGYPT “The Gift of the Nile”

Geography • Nile River Valley and Delta • Nile = longest river in the world • Flows from SOUTH to NORTH • From Ethiopian Highlands into Mediterranean Sea • Delta = area of fertile land at the mouth of the river (near the Mediterranean Sea)

EGYPT’S CONTRIBUTIONS

Contributions Hieroglyphics • Hieroglyphics = pictograms formal writing • Carved their writing on stone, or wrote on papyrus • Rosetta Stone - allowed archaeologists to translate hieroglyphics • Contained same passage in 3 languages – Hieroglyphics, Greek, Demotic

Contributions - Architecture Obelisks = pointed pillars Sphinx and Pyramids at Giza

Contributions - Math & Science • System of weights and measurements • Cubits = measurement system based on length of arm • Developed accurate solar (365 -day) calendar • Medicine: setting broken bones, checking for heartbeat • Mummification and embalming

ANCIENT INDIA

Geography • Peninsula and subcontinent located in South Asia • More than 2, 000 miles of land • Peninsula = land surrounded on 3 sides by water • It’s geography kept it isolated and protected

Indus River – Hindu Kush to Arabian Sea Site of the first Indian Civilization Ganges River – Himalayas to Bay of Bengal; Most sacred river of India Deccan Plateau – Triangular region in central India between E. and W. Ghats - very arid. Eastern/Western Ghats – Mountains framing Deccan - fertile coastal plains

Contributions of Aryans • Caste System = class system based on heredity • Religious beliefs = foundations for Hinduism • Iron tools = improvements in agriculture (plow) • Agriculture: created rich farming region around Ganges • Crops = grains (north), rice (south), cotton, spices • Sanskrit = written language

Major Beliefs – Caste System • System of social division • Social class and occupation based on heredity • Can’t change caste within your lifetime • Brahmins (Priests) • Kshatriyas (Warriors and Princes) • Vaishyas (Skilled workers) • Shudras (Unskilled workers) • *Each caste has its own dharma – must be obeyed to move up in next life

Major Beliefs – Caste System • Untouchables = people at the bottom of society • Not considered part of the Caste System • Often people who broke rules of system and were kicked out of their caste. • About 5% of population – required to perform dirtiest jobs dealing with trash, human waste, and death • In past, they weren’t allowed to associate with people of other castes – couldn’t even touch them • *Caste System as been made illegal today, but discrimination against them continues

ANCIENT CHINA

Government • Governed by a ruling family = dynasty • Ruled under a “Mandate of Heaven” • Heavens allowed ruler to rule as long as he was just • Rulers linked to a higher power (gods)

Dynastic Cycle New Ruler Gains the Mandate of Heaven Dynasty founded by powerful leader Period of Rebellion Ruler loses the Mandate of Heaven Period of Decline and Corruption Period of Great Power and Prosperity Golden Age

Chinese Written Language • Based on characters • Written Chinese is made up of pictograms, or characters • Symbols that represent things • Ideograms = two or more characters that represent an idea 東 Pictograms for mountain, sun, and moon Ideogram for East, all the pictograms are combined.

Great Wall of China • Built to protect China from invaders to the north of China • Located in northern China along the Huang He • Started by Qin Shi Huangdi • Massive construction project – 1, 000’s of workers • Longest man-made structure (over 3, 948 miles)

Silk Road • Trade route connecting China to the Mediterranean • Increased trade and contact between cultures

China’s Major Trade Goods • Paper • Porcelain • Silk

ROMAN CONTRIBUTIONS

Art & Architecture • Adopted features of Greek art, but made it their own • Roman art focused on realism (Greeks wanted perfection) • Architecture focused on vaults, arches, and domes • Invented concrete • Could build quickly and on larger scales than when using stone

Colosseum • Rome’s stadium – finished in 80 AD, could seat 50, 000 people • Fighting area was 272 ft by 157 ft • Gladiator battles, naval battles, and execution of criminals were held for the entertainment of Roman citizens

Pantheon • Built by Emperor Hadrian as temple for the Roman Gods • Finished around 126 AD – Still intact today!! • First and largest unreinforced concrete dome

Roman Forum • Forum = central marketplace and public meeting place • Heart of any Roman city

Roman Technology • Roads = connected large empire • Aqueducts = carried water into Roman cities • Arches = made buildings stronger while using less materials

Roman Roads • 1000 s of miles of roads • Allowed for quick movement of people and goods • Paved with stone and had a drainage system • Some still in use today

Roman Science - Ptolemy • Astronomer • Observed sun and stars • Thought Earth = center of universe • Geographer • Map of the world accepted by everyone

Roman Medicine • Emphasis on public health • Public baths • Public water system • Medical schools

Roman Language & Literature Language • Spoke Latin = base for all Romance languages • Spanish, French, Italian – developed in areas once controlled by Rome Literature • Virgil = poet, wrote the Aeneid • Horace = poet, wrote Satires (made fun of people’s weaknesses) • Livy – historian, wrote History of Rome

Roman Legal Principles of Today • Innocent until proven guilty • Allowed a defense before a judge • A judge is expected to weigh evidence before reaching a legal decision

GREEK CONTRIBUTIONS

Greek Theater (drama) • First to perform plays • Outdoor amphitheaters • Only men were actors • Drama = Tragedy and Comedy • Famous Playwrights • Aeschylus • Euripides • Sophocles • Aristophanes

Greek Poetry • Homer = blind storyteller who wandered from town to town • Wrote two epic poems about the Trojan War • Iliad • Odyssey

Greek Art & Sculpture • Lots of pottery = help us understand their culture • Sculpture = Emphasized perfection (Ideal) • Phidias = Parthenon, 3 Athena monuments, Temple of Zeus at Olympia

Greek Architecture - Columns DORIC = dull IONIC = has eyes CORINTHIAN = curly

Greek Science Archimedes • Levers and pulleys • Area and Volume of different shapes • Archimedes’ Principle Hippocrates • “Father of Medicine” • Focused on body as a whole instead of individual parts • “Hippocratic Oath”

Greek Math Euclid • “Father of Geometry” • The Elements Pythagoras • Pythagorean Theorem = formula for finding length of triangle sides a 2 + b 2 = c 2

Greek Philosophy • Philosophy = organized system of thought • Philosopher = lover of wisdom • Sophists = traveling teachers in ancient Greece • Argued that it was beyond the human mind to understand the Universe • People should focus on understanding themselves

Greek Philosophy Socrates • Encouraged people to look at their own beliefs and ideas • “Know thyself” • Questioned everything • Socratic method • Executed for “corrupting youth and not respecting the gods” • Accepted death penalty – drank poison

Greek Philosophy Plato • Student of Socrates • Established Academy • Lasted 900 years • Emphasized reason and rational thought • Wrote The Republic = describes ideal state

Greek Philosophy Aristotle • Student of Plato • Didn’t trust democracy • Wanted one strong, good leader • Emphasized reason • Wrote books on many subjects • Tutor for Alexander the Great

Olympic Games • Religious festival honoring Zeus held every 4 years • Competition between city-states • Athletic events, combat, and chariot racing events