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)