Unit 1: Early Complex Societies Chapter 1: Before history

What distinguishes history from prehistory? Prehistory: period before writing History: period after invention of writing, allowed communities to record & store info.

Forming the Complex Society Basic development: Hunting and foraging Agriculture Complex society (Major development of first complex societies 3500 B.C.E. – 500 B.C.E.) Key issue: surplus capital Forming the Complex Society

Development of Hominids Animals adapt themselves to environment (Evolution) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faRlFsYmkeY (Homer Simpson’s Evolution) http://news.discovery.com/videos/news-lizards-show-evolution-in-action.html (Lizard) http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/other-shows/videos/assignment-discovery-shorts-evolution-adaptation.htm (Evolution) Hominids adapt environment to themselves Use of tools Language Complex cooperative social structures Development of Hominids

Evolution of Homo Sapiens Researchers (archaeologists, paleontologists, evolutionary biologists) have shown similarity between humans & large apes (i.e. only 1.6 % difference between humans & chimp DNA) Differences = (1) intelligence (able to form language, tools and communicate) (2) ability to control environment. Evolution of Homo Sapiens What discovery have researchers made about the link between humans and large apes? (L1)

Australopithecus = “southern ape” 4 – 1 million yrs. Ago Walked upright Used tools & opposable thumbs Able to communicate Discovery of skeleton AL-288-1, north of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Nicknamed “Lucy” Australopithecus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGFlkcnZRFI

Homo erectus = “upright walking man” 2 million – 200,000 yrs. Ago Larger brain Used more sophisticated tools Started to use FIRE! Cook food Defense (weapon) Source of heat (able to migrate to cooler climates) Increased intelligence, communication complex ideas & language skills (i.e. coordinated hunts) Homo Erectus Compare and contrast australopithecus, homo erectus, and homo sapiens. (L2)

Homo sapiens = “consciously thinking man” 200,000 yrs. ago Skillfully adapted to environment Brain size similar to modern humans (conscious thought; able to understand world) More efficient way to exploit natural resources Communicate/cooperate on more complex tasks i.e. make clothing for cooler climates Migrated throughout world via land bridges Homo Sapiens What type of hominid was “Lucy”? How do you know? (L1) Which hominid species made the most gains from previous species? Explain your answer. (L3)

http://www.handprint.com/LS/ANC/disp.html

Global Migrations of Homo erectus and Homo sapiens ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Natural Environment By 13,000 B.C.E., Homo sapiens in every part of world Archaeological finds: Sophisticated tools Choppers, scrapers, axes, knives, bows, arrows Cave and hut-like dwellings Use of fire, animal skins Hunted several mammal species to extinction Climatic change may have accelerated process The Natural Environment

Paleolithic Era = “Old Stone Age” Hunting-gathering peoples NO individual accumulation of property or social distinctions based on wealth = egalitarian existence. Social distinction based on age, strength, courage, virility/fertility Paleolithic Society How does Paleolithic society differ from present-day society? (L2) Neanderthals in middle Paleolithic age

- Provides plants, fruits, nuts, roots Hunting and gathering (foraging) lifestyle Hunting and gathering Equal contribution Describe the foraging lifestyle. (L1) Make a case for men (hunters) or women (gatherers) as being most essential in Paleolithic societies. (L3) Interdependent Men (hunters) - Provides meat Women (gatherers) - Provides plants, fruits, nuts, roots Live in small bands (more efficient) Exploit env. systematically (seasonal migrations) Hunt with purpose & use brain Development of weaponry Animal-skin disguises Stampeding tactics Lighting of fires, etc., to drive game into kill zones

Paleolithic Settlements Natufian society (c. 13,500 – 7,800 BCE) Modern Israel and Jordan Wild wheat, herding Jomon society (c. 14,000 – 300 BCE) Japan Wild buckwheat, fishing Chinook society Pacific northwest Berries, acorns, salmon runs Groups of 1000 or more Paleolithic Settlements

Creativity of Homo sapiens Able to accumulate/transmit info. Sewing Beads, necklaces Sculptures Fish for added food Adv. tools for hunting Cave paintings (animals & humans) Bow and arrow – a dramatic improvement in humans’ power over nature “Venus” figurines shows evidence of worship Creativity of Homo sapiens ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Beginning of agriculture “New Stone Age” Beginning of agriculture Agriculture = cultivating of plants and animals (aka farming) Distinction in tool production Chipped vs. polished Relied on cultivation for subsistence Men: herding animals rather than hunting Women: nurturing vegetation rather than foraging Spread of agriculture Slash-and-burn techniques Exhaustion of soil promotes migration Diffusion of crops Neolithic Era Agriculture became way to sustain life through continuous food source – before McDonalds.

Early Agriculture 10,000 – 2,000 B.C.E. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/history/lecture03/r_3-2.html

Origins and Early Spread of Agriculture

Early Agricultural Society Most important change = population explosion Early Agricultural Society Why did agriculture have such a significant impact on population? (L1)

Agriculture and Population Growth ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Early Agricultural Society Agricultural economy and increasing population led to new forms of social organization. Settled in permanent villages Earliest known = Jericho in present-day Israel (before 8000 B.C.E.) w/ 2,000 ppl. Concentration of many people in villages led to specialization of labor - with food surplus, some people did other work. Çatal Hüyük (modern-day Turkey) 7250 – 5400 B.C.E. 5,000 people Made pots, baskets, textiles, leather, stone/metal tools, jewelry, etc. Early Agricultural Society Neolithic Settlements

Çatal Hüyük A reconstruction of the first city in the world, Catal Huyuk, Anatolia, present day Turkey. This city flourished from about 6250 BCE to 5400 BCE, and was excavated in part in 1961. The rectangular shape of the buildings: as there is no readily available stone to build defensive walls, the buildings were made to face inwards, with no windows on the outside. The only entrance to the city was through ladders leading onto the roofs of the outside buildings. The streetless city offered a high degree of protection from outside attackers in this way - if under attack, the outside ladders were withdrawn, and any would be attacker was faced with a solid wall and no gate or other weak point. http://www.lwcag.org/sub-racial/chapter-the-late-paleolithic-age.html

Specialization of Labor Pottery (needed to store/cook food) Metallurgy Copper (jewelry/tools) Textile (domesticated plants/ animals for better fiber) Mostly women Accumulated wealth Trade surplus food/manufactured goods for gems, jewelry Ownership of land (privatization) = economic power (especially for families who passed down wealth) Specialization of Labor How did specialization of labor affect social distinctions? (L1) Social Distinctions How are social distinctions today different/similar than in Neolithic societies? (L2) Neolithic pottery, excavated from Yung Long & Tuen Mun (Hong Kong)

Science Neolithic people observed natural world to ensure good harvest. Learned weather was based on position of sun, moon and stars (early calendar system) Religion Worshipped Venus figurines to ensure fertility Celebrated/worshipped other deities associated w/ cycle of life – death – regeneration (for humans and harvests) Neolithic Culture How do religious and moralistic behaviors differ between Paleolithic and Neolithic peoples? (L2)

Villages form (near water source) Agriculture begins Origins of Urban Life Population increases What is the relationship between agricultural development and human population? (L1) Villages form (near water source) Specialization of labor Social classes emerge Cities are born Civilization begins

Cities (1) cities = larger, more complex than villages (i.e. governors, administrators, tax collectors to run city & priests to transmit values/traditions) (2) cities influenced political, economic, & cultural life of larger region (i.e. political = extending authority/military power, economic = marketplaces/trading, cultural = schools/temples to spread traditions/values) Neolithic Villages vs. Cities What distinguished cities from Neolithic villages? (L2)