We begin at about 8,000 BCE when village life began in the New Stone Age... Also known as the Neolithic Revolution NEW STONE AGE

Hunter-Gatherers to Agriculture

Mesopotamia [Southwest Asia] (We think, but new evidence is proving contrary!! It may have been CHINA!) Around 8000 BCE Cereal crops Wheat Barley Herd animals Sheep Goats

Tools and weapons Social and political organization Homes Broad language groups appeared

To meet the needs of agricultural production: Pottery Baskets Wool and Linen Tools and Weapons

Required intensification of group organization Neolithic farmers lived in settlements Ranged from 150 (Jarmo) to 2000 (Jericho) in population

Neolithic communities WERE in contact Walls indicate some were more fearful Others were more peaceful, no walls Jericho

Settlement (Civilization) was NOT simply next inevitable step from Neolithic Age Many peoples remained at simple food-raising stage for thousands of years (Pastoralists) Only FIVE locations developed civilizations entirely on their own China Indus River Valley Mesopotamia Egypt Central America and Peru

Early River Valley Civilizations Flooding of Tigris and Euphrates unpredictable No natural barriers Limited natural resources for making tools or buildings Environment Mesopotamia Egypt Indus River Valley China Flooding of the Nile predictable Nile an easy transportation link between Egypt’s villages Deserts were natural barriers Indus flooding unpredictable Monsoon winds Mountains, deserts were natural barriers Huang He flooding unpredictable Mountains, deserts natural barriers Geographically isolated from other ancient civilizations Mountains and ocean natural barriers Warm temperatures and moderate rainfall Geographically isolated from other ancient civilizations Mesoamerica & Andes

Mesopotamia – Fertile Crescent

Nile River Sahara Desert Nile River ValleyNile River Valley HieroglyphicsHieroglyphics Engineering: PyramidsEngineering: Pyramids GeometryGeometry Advances in medicine and surgeryAdvances in medicine and surgery 1 st Monotheist Religion1 st Monotheist Religion

Indus River Valley 2500 BCE – 1500 BCE Harappan cultureHarappan culture Well planned citiesWell planned cities Grid patternGrid pattern Modern plumbingModern plumbing Built on mud brick platformsBuilt on mud brick platforms Protected against seasonal floodsProtected against seasonal floods Larger citiesLarger cities Houses built of baked brickHouses built of baked brick Smaller townsSmaller towns Houses built of sun-dried mud brickHouses built of sun-dried mud brick

Aryan Migration – Spread of Hinduism?  pastoral  depended on their cattle  warriors  horse-drawn chariots

Shang China 1600 BC – 1027 BC Yellow River ValleyYellow River Valley Advanced cultureAdvanced culture Religion Religion Astronomy Astronomy Calendar Calendar Medicine Medicine Bronze, jade, stone, bone and ceramic artifactsBronze, jade, stone, bone and ceramic artifacts Less contact with foreigners led to belief in:Less contact with foreigners led to belief in: Strong sense of identity Strong sense of identity Cultural Superiority Cultural Superiority Center of earth Center of earth Sole source of civilization Sole source of civilization

Zhou China (sounds like “Joe”) 1122 BCE – 256 BCE Bronze, jade, silver, goldBronze, jade, silver, gold Mandate of Heaven (NOT theocracy!)Mandate of Heaven (NOT theocracy!) Power to rule came from heavenPower to rule came from heaven Power could be removed if ruler was unjustPower could be removed if ruler was unjust Veneration of ancestors (RESPECT, NOT worship)Veneration of ancestors (RESPECT, NOT worship) All must honor family responsibilitiesAll must honor family responsibilities Period ended with division (Warring States)Period ended with division (Warring States) Confucianism developed in response to LACK of organizationConfucianism developed in response to LACK of organization

Mesoamerica and Andean South America 2900 BCE – 1400 BCE Mesoamerica Mesoamerica Maize, chili peppers, avocados, beans Maize, chili peppers, avocados, beans Pottery Pottery Stone bowls Stone bowls Beads Beads Waddle and daub structures Waddle and daub structures No draft animals No draft animals

Mesoamerica and Andean South America 2900 BCE – 1400 BCE Andes Andes Textiles technology Textiles technology Sophisticated government (Socialism) Sophisticated government (Socialism) Religion Religion Lacked ceramics Lacked ceramics Monumental architecture Monumental architecture Large platform mounds Large platform mounds Sunken circular plazas Sunken circular plazas

Classical China

Qin [Ch’in] Dynasty ( BCE)

Han Dynasty (202 BCE-220 CE) = EPIC!

Classical India

Mauryan Empire (320 BCE-320 CE) Chandragupta Chandragupta Unified northern India after Alexander the Great withdrew Unified northern India after Alexander the Great withdrew Set up efficient bureaucracy Set up efficient bureaucracy Asoka (grandson) Asoka (grandson) Dedicated life to Buddha Dedicated life to Buddha Continued bureaucracy Continued bureaucracy Hospitals, roads Hospitals, roads Law Codes Law Codes

Gupta Empire ( CE)  Chandra Gupta I  Bureaucracy  Allowed local government in south  Patriarchal  Hinduism  Caste system continued  Advances  Medicine  Math (decimal, pi)

Classical Persia

Persian Empire (550 BCE-651 CE)

Classical Greece

Early History (3000 BCE-750 BCE) Homer

Geographic Influence = TRADE

City-States

Alexander the Great ( BCE)

Athenian Contributions

Classical Rome

Ancient Rome (1500 BCE-500 BCE)

Republic BCE

Empire 27 BCE-476 CE

Germanic Invasion = Fall of Rome

Trade Routes of the Classical World Trade Routes of the Classical World

Goods Traded spices spices gold & ivory rice & wheat horses cotton goods silks

Classical Mesoamerica Geographically isolated = slower development, but no less capable

Maya (1800 BCE-800 BCE)

Chavin (900 BCE-200 BCE)

Internal Forces Internal Forces Overpopulation Overpopulation Economic problems Economic problems Social disruption Social disruption Political struggles Political struggles

Population size and density decrease dramatically Society tends to become less politically centralized Less investment is made in things such as architecture, art, and literature Trade and other economic activities are greatly diminished The flow of information among people slows The ruling elites may change, but usually the working classes tend to remain and provide continuity