Chapter 1 Foundations of Civilization Prehistory-300 B.C. World History 1 Chapter 1 Foundations of Civilization Prehistory-300 B.C.

Section 1 Understanding Our Past Objectives Learn how scholars study the historical past. Find out how anthropologists investigate the period of prehistory. Understand how discoveries in Africa and beyond have influenced anthropologists’ views about early humans and their ancestors.

The Study of History Importance of authenticity Personal bias of the historian Historians use: Documents Tax records Letters Interviews Journals/Diaries Art

Investigating Prehistory What do you do when you do not have any written records to study? About 150 years ago, scholars became interested in this period of history Anthropology- study the origins and development of people and their societies Archaeology Archaeologist study human material remains. They often have to revise their theories in the light of new evidence.

Relative vs. Absolute Dating Methods Grouping similar artifacts Chronology of artifacts Age of geological features Absolute Dating bones Tree rings Carbon-14 dating http://science.howstuffworks.com/carbon-141.htm

Discoveries in Africa and Beyond Olduvai Gorge Located in Tanzania Louis Leakey and Mary Leaky 1959 Mary found skull of early hominid Hominids include humans and their closest relatives, all walk upright on 2 feet Bottom of gorge 1.7-2.1 million years old

Early Hominid Groups Australopithecines Lived in Africa 7 million years ago Included “Lucy”, the skeleton found by archaeologist Donald Johnson in 1974

Homo habilis- means “handy man” First to use stone tools

Homo erectus “upright man” Larger brains Smaller teeth Fire? Hand ax Remains found in Asia and Europe

Homo sapiens Between 250,000 and 100,000 years ago, Homo erectus disappeared Homo sapiens emerged Groups to which modern humans belong Neanderthals and the earliest modern humans come from this group Around 50,000 or 30,000 years ago the Neanderthals disappeared

Section 2- Neolithic Revolution Objectives Describe the skills and beliefs that early modern humans developed during the Old Stone Age Analyze why the beginning of farming is considered the start of the New Stone Age and Neolithic Revolution Explain how the Neolithic Revolution dramatically changed the why people lived

2 Periods of Prehistory - Old Stone Age/Paleolithic Period 2 million B.C.- 10,000 B.C. New Stone Age/Neolithic Period 10,000 B.C.- until the end of prehistory

Humans During Old Stone Age Nomads 20-30 people per group Hunter/Gatherers Made tools and weapons out of stone, bone, or wood Used fire for heat and cooking Wore animal skins

Developed spoken language Learned to travel over water Buried their dead Animism- a belief that the world is full of spirits and forces that might reside in animals, objects, or dreams

Neolithic Revolution = Farming

Effects of Farming on Early Humans Nomadic lifestyle changed Produced own food supply No longer had to follow herds and food supplies Settlement in permanent villages Changes were dramatic

Domesticated animals and plants Domesticated means to raise plants and animals in a controlled way that makes them best suited to human use Not all people around the world started domesticating at the same time and they did not all domesticate the same types of plants and animals

Other Effects No greater change occurred until the Industrial Revolution in the late 1700s Early villages Catalhuyuk (Turkey) Jericho (Israel)

Other Changes Family Life Men started to dominate family, economic, and political life Council of Elders Differences in wealth emerge more private property

New Technologies Calendars Animals to plow fields Clay for storage and cooking Weaving Knowledge traveled slowly

Section 3- The Rise of Civilization River Valleys Popular Transportation Water supply Fertile lands Sumer, Egypt, Indus, Shang China Surpluses means more food for more people People able to do something other than farming

Civilization- a complex, highly organized social order

Major features of Civilizations 1. Organized Governments 2. Complex religions 3. Job specialization 4. Social classes 5. Arts and architecture 6. Public works 7. Writing

Government Need to oversee major projects that benefited all the people As governments grew more complex, royal officials helped to govern, collect taxes, and defend the city Priests and warrior kings had the most power Leaders would claim divine sovereignty, or rule from the gods, and pass their position from father to son

Complex Religions Polytheistic- belief in many gods Gained favor with the gods through special ceremonies, offerings, or sacrifices Full time priesthood needed

Job Specialization Urban dwellers Artisans- skilled craftspeople Metal workers, bricklayers, merchants, soldiers, entertainers

Social Classes People ranked according to their jobs 1. Nobles and priests 2. Merchants 3. Artisans 4. Peasant farmers 5. Slaves

Art and Architecture Temples and palaces would have dominated the landscape Good reminder of the power held by the government and the religion/priesthood

Public Works Irrigations systems Roads Bridges Defensive walls Monuments

Writing Not all early civilization developed writing No contact between the civilizations about writing Varied in appearance, structure, and purpose

First used in temples Monuments Pictographs Scribes- specially trained people who kept records for priests, rulers, and merchants