1. Ancient Civilizations
Understanding our Past
The Dawn of History
Beginnings of Civilization

2. Geography
The study of people, their environments and the resources available to them.

3. 5 Themes of Geography #1 LOCATION
Location: Pinpoint the location of the place being studied- uses longitude- the east and west of the Prime Meridian and Latitude the distance north and south of the equator.
“Where in the world are you?”

4. #2 Place
“Why is that hairy guy jumping into the waterfall?”
What are the physical features of this location and the people who live there?

5. #3 Human-Environment Interaction
Who needs trees when you can have Amazon Disney?
Humans are shaped by the environment in which they live
Humans shape the environment in which they live

6. Pack up the recipe for Crusty Crab Burgers…we’re moving!
#4 Movement
Pack up the recipe for Crusty Crab Burgers…we’re moving!
The transporting of people, goods and ideas from one place to another

7. #5 Region Divisions in the world that share a common theme:
Geographers can divide the world by physical characteristics, political, economic or cultural features

8. Prehistory A time before writing was invented
No cities, governments or complex inventions

9. Anthropology
Studies the origins and development of societies and people
Different specialties within the field
Cultural in this field means life of a society is handed down between generations

10. Archaeology
A branch of anthropology that studies past people and cultures
Archaeologist examine artifacts from the past to understand how people lived
Rely on Technology

11. Technology
From an archaeological point of view technology refers to the skills and tools people use to meet their needs

12. The Old Stone Age Paleolithic Age
Dates from about 2 million BC- to the first stone tools 10,000 BC
Period ends with the introduction of farming
Broken into 3 eras
Early (Lower) Paleolithic 2 million -250,000 years ago
Middle Paleolithic 250,00-45,000 years ago
Late (Upper) Paleolithic 45,000 – 20,000 years ago (cave drawings)

13. Paleolithic People Hunters and gathers
Nomads- they moved from place to place- following the herds and vegetation
Stone Tools from the Lower Paleolithic Period—Olduvai Gorge Tanzania

14. Paleolithic Religion Evidence of animism has been found
Belief that everything living and inanimate has a spirit and soul
Considered the oldest religion
Example Cave paintings asking spirits for help with a good hunt

15. Mother Goddess
Mother Goddess ensures
the continuation of the
clan

16. Agricultural Revolution Leads To Neolithic Age
The ability to farm transformed Paleolithic people into the Neolithic age
Began about 11, 000 years ago in the Middle East
Nomadic lifestyle was abandoned
Domestication of animals
Increase in Population
Specialization in work

17. Farming
Domestication of animals
Increase in Population
Specialization in work force
Increase in new technologies
(calendars, woven cloth, stone axes)

18. Beginnings of Civilization
A civilization is a complex, highly organized social order.
Earliest civilizations began along rivers

19. Tigris – Euphrates Rivers Modern Day Iraq

20. Nile River Valley

21. Indus Valley Civilization- India- Pakistan Region

22. Yellow River- China

23. Civilizations in the Americas
Incas, Aztecs emerged in the highlands of Peru and Mexico
Focus was religious centers

24. Features of a Civilization
Despite arising in different parts of the globe all ancient civilizations shared 8 features

25. Ruins of Harappa- Mohenjo-Daro Region of India
#1 Cities
At the heart of all civilizations was a major city
Ruins of Harappa- Mohenjo-Daro Region of India

26. #2 Organized Government
As society become more complex city governments were needed to organize society
First Priests then warrior kings became political leaders

27. #3 Complex Religions Polytheistic
Neolithic People believed in multiple gods
Sumerian Ziggurat – in modern day Iraq

28. #4 Job Specialization No longer needed everyone to hunt and gather
Increased population allowed people to specialize in certain crafts– many became artisans

29. #5 Social Classes Specialization led to classes
People were ranked by their jobs
Priests and nobles usually at the top
Wealthy merchants
Artisans
Peasant Farmers –lived by the city in outlining villages

30. Social Hierarchy
Priests
Merchants
Artisans
Peasant Farmers

31. #6 Arts and Architecture
Expressed the beliefs and values of the people
Buildings were a sign of wealth and strength

32. #7 Public Works Building projects that support the city
Irrigation systems, roads, bridges and defensive walls

33. #8 Writing Priests were the first to use writing
Primary use for agriculture-record grain collected, accurate info about seasons
Earliest was pictograms-simple drawings that looked like the objects they represented

34. Cultural Diffusion
A civilizations grew so did trade and interaction with other people
Cultural Diffusion is the spread of ideas, customs and technologies from one people to another.
It occurs through trade, migration and warfare