1. An Age of Accelerating Connections
The end of the Classical Era.
Between CE many of the classical states and civilizations of the world experienced severe disruption, decline or collapse:
Han China
Roman Empire
Gupta India
Meroe
Axum
Maya
Teotihuacan

2. **Third wave civilizations**
Post-Classical
Medieval
Middle Ages
**Third wave civilizations**

3. Patterns of TWC
Each of the TWC were culturally unique, but like their predecessors, they featured states, cities, specialized economic roles, sharp class and gender distinctions.
All of them borrowed heavily from their predecessors.
One of the largest TWC = Islam
Began in Arabia 7th century CE – projecting Arab peoples into a prominent role of builders of an enormous empire – all while offering a new religion.
Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, India, interior West Africa, coast of East Africa, Spain, SE Europe, and more…
Came closer than any other civ to unite all mankind under its ideals.

4. Another pattern of TWC
Older/classical civilizations that persisted or were reconstructed
Byzantine Empire (E ½ of the old RE) continued the patterns of Mediterranean Christian civilization and persisted until (was overrun by Turks)
China – Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties restored China’s imperial unity and Confucian traditions.
Indian civ retained its ancient patterns of caste and Hinduism amid vast cultural diversity.
Ghana, Mali, Songhay sustained long distance trade (Niger River civ).

5. Byzantine Empire (east)

6. Pattern continues in MesoAmeria and Andes
Following the collapse of the Maya and Teotihuacan about 900 CE it opened the way for other peoples to give new shape to this ancient civilization.
Aztecs
Incas

7. With no empire, new, decentralized societies emerged
The RE collapsed – kings and church leaders sought to maintain links with the older Greco-Roman-Christian traditions of the classical Med civs.
With no empire, new, decentralized societies emerged
Germanic peoples – N and W Europe
For 5 centuries this region was weak when compared to the vibrant and powerful civ of the Islamic world and China
However after 1000 CE, W Europe will emerge rapidly and build expansive states…

8. Change in human societies was the product of contact with strangers, or at least with their ideas, armies, goods, or diseases.
The pace of such interaction accelerated considerably during post-classical/TWC period.
Trade
Empires grew larger
Result: large scale empires and long distance trade spread ideas, technologies, food and germs

9. Commerce and Culture 500-1500 CE
Long distance trade became more important than ever in the Post Classical age.
A network of exchange and communication extending all across Afro-Eurasian and separately in parts of the Americas as well.
Trade altered consumption, encouraged people to specialize in particular products.
In short – Trade diminished the economic self sufficiency of local societies.

10. Silk roads
world+history&view=detail&mid=ED39313F6C5839F32 A88ED39313F6C5839F32A88&first=21&adlt=strict
Euroasia gave rise to one of the world’s most extensive and sustained networks of exchange among its diverse people.
Silk Road – a reference to the most famous product.

11. For 2000 years, goods, ideas, technologies, and diseased made their way across Eurasia on the several routes of the Silk Roads.
Large camel caravans traversed harsh, dangerous steppes and deserts – most goods were luxury products destined for the elite and wealthy.
SILK came to symbolize the Eurasian exchange system – generally moved from East to West. (China)
Currency
Symbol of high status
Associated with world religions

12. Map of Silk Road

13. The volume of trade on the Silk Roads were small yet it had important economic and social consequences.
Trickled down to affect the lives of ordinary farmers.
Ramisht – Kaaba stone covering

14. Transfer of Culture-Buddhism
Buddhism spread widely throughout Central and East Asia.
Buddhism had appealed to merchants throughout India who admired and appreciated its universal message to that of the Brahmin-dominated Hinduism.
To the west Persian Zoroastrianism largely blocked the spread of Buddhism but in the oasis cities of Central Asia, Buddhism took hold.
Thousands of Buddhist text found in Dunhuang where many Silk Roads joined.
Spread more slowly through pastoral societies in Central Asia.

15. Transfer of Disease http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZy6XilXDZQ
When contact among human communities occurred, people were exposed to foreign disease for which they had little immunity.
Athens – 430 BCE – afflicted new and unidentified infectious disease that entered Greece via seaborne trade from Egypt that killed 25% of its army.
Small pox and measles devastated both the RE and Han China contributing to their collapse – strengthened the appeal of Christianity and Buddhism.
Between CE there were intermittent outbreaks of bubonic plague that ravaged the coastal areas of the Med Sea as black rats arrived by boat from India.
Constantinople = lost 10,000 people per day during a 45 day period in 534 CE.

16. Most well known spread was associated with the Mongol Empire which briefly unified much of the Eurasian landmass during the 13-14th centuries CE.
Interaction spread the Black Death – bubonic plague, anthrax or a package of epidemic diseases from China to Europe.
Between , 1/3 or more of the pop of Europe perished from the plague.
Immunity occurred over time in Eurasia – not in the Americas.

17. Sea Roads (maritime silk roads)
The Indian Ocean represented the world’s largest sea- based system of exchange.
Desire for goods-porcelain from China, spices from Southeast Asia, cotton and pepper from India, ivory and gold from Africa drove commerce.
Transportation costs were lower on sea.
In the era of TWC ( ) this trade led to two things: (maritime culture)
Economic and political revival of China – Tang and Song dynasties, unified state, Chinese products
Rise of Islam

18. Sea Roads – East Africa and Swahili
The western side of the IO gave rise to an East African civilization known as Swahili-8 century CE (Somalia to Mozambique).
An African merchant class emerged due to demand for gold, ivory, quartz, leopard skins, and slaves.
Thoroughly urban – politically independent, governed by its own king. No unification.
Stratified by sharp class distinctions between mercantile elite and commoners.
Traded with Arabs, Indians, and Persians merchants.
Cosmopolitan society
Quickly became Islamic – introduced by Arab traders
Sharply divided Swahili cities from their western African neighbors.
Sea Roads Crash Course

19. Sand Roads N. Africa = cloth, glassware, weapons, books
Sahara = copper, salt (dates)
South Sahara = agricultural peoples grew crops, textiles, mined gold
Sub-Saharan = 2 ecological zones
Savanna grasslands – grain (millet)
Forest – yams and nuts

20. Thriving civilizations
Long distance trade fostered new political structures
Central Sudan = b/t forest and Sahara developed new states/empires
CE = Ghana, Mali, Songhay, Kanem and Hausa
Monarchies with elaborate court life
Wealth attained through sub-Saharan trade
Slavery took root in W. Africa
Most came from states farther south
Slave trade began across Sahara
CE, 5,500 slaves per year made trek
Not until 1440s did Africans become the major source of slaves for Europeans

21. Western Hemisphere Developed separately from the Eastern Hemisphere
No sustained contact between two great landmasses
No equivalent to the trade of the Silk, Sea or Sand Roads of the East took place in the West.
No cultural traditions spread like Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam had in the East
However, there was a loose interactive web – maize