1. Farming and the Emergence of Complex Societies 10,000 – 1,000 BCE.
Big Era Three
Farming and the Emergence of Complex Societies
10,000 – 1,000 BCE.

2. Join us for the world tour!

3. I know what you’re thinking!
STOP!
I know what you’re thinking!

4. Farming and complex societies?
Where did they come from?
I thought we were still
hunting and
gathering!

5. Farming and complex societies are the result of CHANGE…
…and changes have always been—and still are—part of human history.
Let’s look for a minute at the changes that took place in Big Era Two.
You DO remember
Big Era Two, don’t you?
Big Eras 3-9
Big Era 1
200k yrs ago
Today
10k years ago
Big Era 2

6. Big Era Two is the era that covers the period from 200,000 to 10,000 years ago.
Big Era Two was
fraught
with change.
Shall we do a
quick review?
Big Eras 3-9
Big Era 1
200k yrs ago
Today
10k years ago
Big Era 2

7. You will probably recall that life 200,000 years ago looked something like this.
Homo erectus doing lunch
Today
10k years ago
Big Era 2
Big Eras 3-9
Big Era 1
200k yrs ago
Human Origins

8. 10,000 years ago at the close of Big Era Two, life looked more like this:
Homo sapiens at home
Today
Big Era 2
Big Eras 3-9
Big Era 1
200k yrs ago
Human Origins
10k years ago

9. Notice any changes? Would you say there were: (a) No changes?
Homo erectus – 200,000 years ago
Would you say there were:
Homo sapiens – 10,000 years ago
(a) No changes?
(b) Some changes?
(c) Lots of changes?

10. If you said there were “(c) Lots of changes,” you were obviously paying attention during Big Era Two.
If, on the other hand, you chose “(a) No changes” or “(b) Some changes,” you must have been out with the flu during Big Era Two. (Hope you are feeling better!).

11. So, it’s antelope burgers tonight, right?
Hints
Do you recall any of them?
So, we will go with “(c) Lots of changes” in Big Era Two, right?
So, it’s antelope burgers tonight, right?
Boomerang
Americas
Before moving on, jot them down.
Are these going to be on the test?

12. Check your answers below:
Changes that occurred by the end of Big Era 2
(Beginning of Big Era 3)
Check your answers below:
1. Homo sapiens appear.
2. Language develops.
3. Habitats expand.
4. Technology multiplies.
5. Wall painting and sculpture are created.
End of Big Era Two
(Beginning of Big Era 3)
1,000 years ago
Today
Big Eras 4-9
Big Era 2
10,000 years ago
Big Era 3

13. Keeping those changes in mind, let’s look
at life all the way at the end of Big Era Three, that is, about 1,000 BCE.
Big Eras 4-9
Big Era 2
Big Era 3
10,000 years ago
1,000 years ago
Today

14. Big Eras 4-9
Big Era 2
Big Era 3
10,000 years ago
1,000 years ago
Today

15. Notice any
Differences?
Quite a few,
Huh?

16. So, how did we get from… to
HERE
HERE? to
Jot down some notes on what events you think might have taken place between 10,000 and 1,000 BCE.

17. One of the major changes is reflected in this frieze on a
wall in Mesopotamia (today Iraq) :
which reflects the DOMESTICATION of…
animals
and plants
1,000 years ago
Today
Big Eras 4-9
Big Era 2
10,000 years ago
Big Era 3

18. Domestication of plants and animals was a monumental change.
Have you ‘herd’ about pastoralism?
It resulted in the new way of living we know as
FARMING
(AGRICULTURE)…
…which included both PASTORALISM
(herding sheep, goats, cattle, horses, and camels),
and…
1,000 years ago
Today
Big Eras 4-9
10,000 years ago
Big Era 3
Big Era 2

19. (cultivating domesticated plants),
Crop-growing
(cultivating domesticated plants),
and…
1,000 years ago
Today
Big Eras 4-9
10,000 years ago
Big Era 3
Big Era 2

20. FARMING COMMUNITIES the development of… 1,000 years ago Today
Big Eras 4-9
10,000 years ago
Big Era 3
Big Era 2

21. Between about 12,000 and 1,000 BCE, farming
Eastern North America
China
Fertile Crescent
Nile valley
West
Africa
Mesoamerica
New Guinea
Ethiopia
Andes
Amazonia
Between about 12,000 and 1,000 BCE, farming
appeared INDEPENDENTLY in a number of places,
possibly in all of the places marked in red on the map.
1,000 years ago
Today
Big Eras 4-9
10,000 years ago
Big Era 3
Big Era 2

22. Prior to farming, population size in any one area was limited
by the availability of wild game, grain, berries, seeds, and nuts.
POPULATION
INTENSIFICATION
Farming and the large, relatively dependable crops it provides allowed for…
That means population increases in certain areas. Population in those areas became both larger and denser.

23. SURPLUS FOOD PRODUCTION
At the same time, farmers in some places were, in spite of population growth,
able to produce
SURPLUS food.
What does
SURPLUS FOOD PRODUCTION
mean for a society?

24. SURPLUS FOOD PRODUCTION…
…means that not everyone has to grow food or tend animals. They can take on other tasks. They can specialize in some non-farming task.
                                                                 

25. This is called…
Job Specialization.
Men and women may become:
Weavers
Stone Masons
Potters
Priests
Scribes
Traders
Army officers

26. So, let’s have a quick review of that last sequence of events.

27. Domestication of Plants and Animals
Farming
Population
Intensification
Surplus Food
Specialization
Complex Society,
also known as
CIVILIZATION
1,000 years ago
Today
Big Eras 4-9
Big Era 2
10,000 years ago
Big Era 3

28. Civilizations have a number of elements in common.
You might want to make a note of these as we go along.
Hint, hint!

29. Civilization Can you define it? Did you catch that term? Remember it.
Write it down.
Answer: A civilization is a complex society.

30. Elements of civilization include:
1) Cities
Mohenjo Daro
It’s the
law
2) Central governments
And Law codes
Hammurabi’s
Law Code
Pharaohs

31. 4) Highly organized religions
Elements of Civilization include:
1) Cities
2) Central governments
and law codes
3) Writing and
record keeping
Can you identify
the society
represented
by each of these two
writing samples?
4) Highly organized religions

32. Elements of Civilization include:
1) Cities
2) Central Governments and law codes
5) Specialized Jobs
3) Writing and record keeping
4) Highly organized religion
Full-time monk
6) Social Classes
Assyrian slaves
In Egypt

33. Elements of Civilization include:
1) Cities
2) Central governments and law codes
7) Complex Technologies
3) Writing and record keeping
4) Highly organized religion
Chariot
5) Specialized jobs
6) Social classes
Bronze Sword

34. So, have you been paying attention
or doing a bit of day dreaming?
Can you list some of the
elements of a civilization?
Let’s check!
Clue:
There were 7!

35. Check your answers below:
Good job if your list includes:
Check your answers below:
1. Cities
2. Central governments and law codes
3. Writing and record-keeping
4. Specialized jobs
Social classes
Complex technologies
Highly organized religions
Good job, huh?

36. By 3,000 BCE, societies in Southwest Asia and Egypt were developing elements of complex societies.
Are we supposed
to be taking
notes on this?
1,000 years ago
Today
Big Eras 4-9
Big Era 2
10,000 years ago
3,000 years ago
Big Era 3

37. There were also two new ones in the Americas.
By the end of Big Era Three, about 1000 BCE, there were several well-established civilizations in Afroeurasia.
There were also two new ones in the Americas.
At least two civilizations in Afroeurasia, the Minoan in the Mediterranean region and the Harappan in the Indus River valley had already come and gone.

38. Now, looking back over Big Era Three, let’s review the major changes.
1,000 years ago
Today
Big Eras 4-9
Big Era 2
10,000 years ago
Big Era 3

39. Domestication of Plants and Animals
Farming
Population
Intensification
Surplus Food
Specialization
Complex Society,
also known as
CIVILIZATION
1,000 years ago
Today
Big Eras 4-9
Big Era 2
10,000 years ago
Big Era 3

40. Complex belief systems
That translates into:
Farmers
Herders
Cities
Central governments
Armies
Monumental buildings
Written language
Social hierarchies
Complex belief systems
In 10,000 BCE none of these existed in the world. By 1,000 BCE they all did.

41. Not only has life changed culturally and technologically, but also the rate of change has accelerated.
Letters and
envelopes
Writing
Irrigation
Wheel
Pyramids
Copper
smelting
Temple building
Walled cities .
Dogs, sheep. goats, horses, wheat, rice, chiles, potatoes—all domesticated
Plow farming
Alphabet
Chariots
Pottery
360-degree circle
Sailing technology
Law Codes
Regular trade routes
Today
Big
Eras
4-9
1k years ago
Bow & arrow
Art
200k yrs ago
Language
Calendars
Big Era 1
BE3
Big Era 2
10k years ago

42. You may have noticed that the difference between the rate of change in Big Era Two and in Big Era Three is enormous.
What factors do you think might account for this increasing rate of change?
Make a few notes and discuss this question with your teacher and fellow students.

43. As you move on to Big Era Four (1,200 BCE to 500 AD), keep your eye on the rate of change. Does it keep increasing? Level off? Slow down?
Do the factors you have identified as affecting the rate of change in Big Era Two and Big Era Three still apply?
Come to think of it, things changed REALLY fast In the 20th century. I wonder what the rate of change is going to be like in the 21st century?

44. Well, that’s all for Big Era Three, but don’t go away.
Hang on to your notes and stay tuned for…

45. Coming SOON to a classroom near you.
Big Era Four!
Coming SOON to a classroom near you.