Farming and the Emergence of Complex Civilizations 4,000 – 1,000 BC. Big Era One & Two Farming and the Emergence of Complex Civilizations 4,000 – 1,000 BC.

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I know what you’re thinking! STOP! I know what you’re thinking!

Farming and complex societies? Where did they come from? I thought we were still hunting and gathering!

Farming and complex societies are the result of CHANGE… …and changes have always been—and still are—part of human history. Let’s look for a minute at the changes that took place. You DO remember don’t you? Big Eras 3-9 Big Era 1 200k yrs ago Today 10k years ago Big Era 2

at life all the way at the end of Era Two, that is, about 1,000 BCE. Keeping those changes in mind, let’s look at life all the way at the end of Era Two, that is, about 1,000 BCE. Era 1 Era 2 10,000 years ago 1,000 years ago Today

Eras 3-9 Era 1 Era 2 10,000 years ago 1,000 years ago Today

One of the major changes is reflected in this frieze on a wall in Mesopotamia (today Iraq) : which shows the DOMESTICATION of… animals and plants Era 1 Era 2 10,000 years ago 1,000 years ago Today

Domestication of plants and animals was a monumental change. Have you ‘herd’? It resulted in the new way of living we know as FARMING (AGRICULTURE)… …which included both herding sheep, goats, cattle, horses, and camels, and… Era 1 Era 2 10,000 years ago 1,000 years ago

(cultivating domesticated plants), Crop-growing (cultivating domesticated plants), and… Era 1 Era 2 10,000 years ago 1,000 years ago Today

FARMING COMMUNITIES the development of… Era 1 Era 2 10,000 years ago Today

appeared INDEPENDENTLY in a number of places, Eastern North America China Fertile Crescent Nile valley West Africa Mesoamerica New Guinea Ethiopia Andes Amazonia Before 1,000 BCE, farming appeared INDEPENDENTLY in a number of places, possibly in all of the places marked in red on the map. Era 1 Era 2 10,000 years ago 1,000 years ago Today

Prior to farming, population size in any one area was limited by the availability of wild game, grain, berries, seeds, and nuts. POPULATION INTENSIFICATION Farming and the large, relatively dependable crops it provides allowed for… That means population increases in certain areas. Population in those areas became both larger and denser.

SURPLUS FOOD PRODUCTION At the same time, farmers in some places were, in spite of population growth, able to produce SURPLUS food. What does SURPLUS FOOD PRODUCTION mean for a society?

SURPLUS FOOD PRODUCTION… …means that not everyone has to grow food or tend animals. They can take on other tasks. They can specialize in some non-farming task.                                                                  

This is called… Job Specialization. Men and women may become: Weavers Stone Masons Potters Priests Scribes Traders Army officers

So, let’s have a quick review of that last sequence of events.

Domestication of Plants and Animals Chart 1: Ancient people stopped being nomadic and settled in one place because of…. Which led to Farming Farming caused these 3 things: Population Intensification Food Surplus Job Specialization All this equals = Complex Society, also known as a CIVILIZATION Era 1 Era 2 10,000 years ago 1,000 years ago Today

Civilizations have a number of elements in common. You might want to look at your notes of these as we go along. Hint, hint!

Civilization Can you define it? Did you catch that term? Remember it. Write it down. Answer: A civilization is a complex society.

Characteristics of a civilization include: Agriculture / Food Surplus It’s the law 2) Central governments and Law codes Hammurabi’s Law Code Pharaohs

4) Highly organized religions Characteristics of Civilization include: 1) Agriculture 2) Central governments and law codes 3) Writing & record keeping, A Language Can you identify the society represented by each of these two writing samples? 4) Highly organized religions

Elements of Civilization include: 1) Agriculture 2) Central Governments and law codes 3) Language/ Writing 5) Culture 4) Highly organized religion 6) Social Structure or Classes Assyrian slaves In Egypt

Elements of Civilization include: 1) Agriculture 2) Central governments and law codes 3) Writing and record keeping 4) Highly organized religion 7) Inventions & Technologies Chariot 5) Culture 6) Social classes Bronze Sword

So, have you been paying attention or doing a bit of day dreaming? Can you list some of the elements of a civilization? Let’s check! Clue: There were 7!

Check your answers below: Good job if your list includes: Check your answers below: 1. Agriculture/ Food surplus 2. Governments and law codes 3. Writing and Language 4. Culture Social classes Complex technologies Highly organized religions

By 3,000 BCE, societies in Southwest Asia and Egypt were developing elements of complex societies. Era 1 Era 2 10,000 years ago 1,000 years ago Today

There were also two new ones in the Americas. By the end of Era Two, about 1000 BCE, there were several well-established civilizations in Afroeurasia. There were also two new ones in the Americas. At least two civilizations in Afroeurasia, the Minoan in the Mediterranean region and the Harappan in the Indus River valley had already come and gone.

Now, looking back over Era Two, let’s review the major changes. 10,000 years ago 1,000 years ago Today

Domestication of Plants and Animals Farming Population Intensification Surplus Food Specialization Complex Society, also known as CIVILIZATION

Complex belief systems That translates into: Farmers Herders Cities Central governments Armies Monumental buildings Written language Social hierarchies Complex belief systems