Ancient Civilizations

What are the characteristics of the Paleolithic Era?

How did people obtain food during the Neolithic Era?

I. Dawn of History

A. Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age)1. When - 2 million BCE to 10,000 BCE2. First people lived more than 2 million years ago in East Africa 3. Hunters and Gatherers

a. People ______________________________________b. Men would hunt game animals and fishc. Women would collect fruits, berries and other edibles

4. Adapting to their environmenta. Tools

1. ____________________________- digging sticks, spears and axes out of stone, bone or wood.

2. Clothing - skins of animalsb. Shelter – cavesc. Fire - people learned to build fires for warmth and cooking.

5. Paleolithic Societiesa. Groups numbered _____________________________b. Developed spoken languages

1. Allowed people to communicate during a hunt6. Early belief systems

a. Polytheistic – early forms of animismb. People began burying the dead

1. _________________________________________

_________________________________________

2. The dead were buried with their tools and weapons7. Migration

a. People migrated from Africa to Asia, Europe and North Americab. Led to cultural diffusion

1. Also occurred through warfare and trade8. Scarce resources

a. Hunting and gathering sustained human life for millions of years, but people barely survived.

b. People moved from place to place because resources were scarcec. People needed a more reliable way of obtaining a supply of food

B. Neolithic or Agricultural Revolution (New Stone Age)1. When: 10,000 BCE2. Important discoveries

a. __________________

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Why was the Neolithic Era considered a revolution?

Why were rivers valleys important to early civilizations?

1. People learned to plant seeds to grow food2. Led to permanent settlements3. Sedentary agriculture – Farm in one place

b. ______________________________________1. Tamed animals they had been hunting2. Herded and penned the animals3. Used for food, clothing, labor and transportation

3. Impact of Neolithic Revolutiona. Farming led to a more reliable source of foodb. As food supply increased, so did the population

1. Population of settlements numbered in the hundreds to thousands

2. _________________________________________c. New Technologies – people needed new tools in order to meet

their new needs1. Calendars – helped determine when to plant and harvest

crops2. Metal tools – built bronze and then iron plows that were

pulled by animals3. Irrigation systems – brought water from rivers to farms4. Metal weapons – developed bronze and then iron weapons

to defend their resources and villages

C. Rise of Civilizations 1. Rivers valleys - home to the first civilizations

a. Fertile Land – the yearly _________________________

____________________________________________

b. ___________________________– gave people water sourcec. Transportation – Used the river as a means of transportationd. Trade – as the civilizations grew and expanded, more people

came into contact with one another (leading to

_________________________________ )

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How did the Nile allow Egypt to centralize its government?

2. Characteristics of a Civilizationa. Cities – populations grew into the thousands due to increased

food suppliesb. _________________________________– provide order,

organization and protection c. __________________________________________– based on

farming and other skilled crafts such as pottery, clothing and other goods

d. Organized religion – polytheistic, where priests would perform ceremonies to ensure plentiful crops and protection

e. Specialization of labor - increased food supplies allowed people to perform different jobs in society

f. _____________________________________ – based on one’s occupation1. Priests, warriors, craftsmen or artisan, and farmer2. Chiefs - emerged as leaders3. Women’s status declined as men took lead roles as warriors4. _________________________________________

________________________________________

g. Systems of writing – Used for record keeping. Early writing used pictures and then developed into symbols

h. Art and architecture – Built temples and palaces to honor religious and political leaders.

i. Public works – built infrastructure such as roads, bridges and walls for protection

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What Egyptian contribution would you consider the most important to today’s society?

II. River Valley Civilizations - (4000 BCE - 1650 BCE)A. Nile River Valley – Egypt (North Africa)

1. Geographic Settinga. Region – North Africa, Middle Eastb. Topography – Mostly Desert

1. Natural barrier – provided protection from invasion2. Lack of arable land

c. Nile River - River flows from South to North1. ________________________________________

_______________________________________

2. Used as a highway for travel and trade3. Villages merge to form cities along river becomes into one

kingdoms: Upper Egypt (South) and Lower Egypt (North)4. Nile Delta - in Lower Egypt, where the Nile emptied into

the Mediterranean Sea

2. Governmenta. Pharaohs – ruler of Egypt that _____________________

____________________________________________

1. Absolute power – claimed divine right2. Centralized Government – Strong central

government/leaders3. Bureaucracy – Run by a Vizier to help run government

business, such as collecting taxesb. Dynasty – Ruling family of Egypt; When the pharaoh died,

power was passed onto the another family memberc. Menes – Pharaoh (3100 BCE) - United Upper and Lower Egypt

to create the first dynasty1. Used the Nile to link Upper and Lower Egypt

3. Religiona. Polytheistic – Worshipped many gods

1. Amon-Re – The Sun God and the Chief God2. Osirus – God of the Nile, controlled the Nile’s annual flood

b. Afterlife – Egyptians prepared the dead for life after death1. Pyramids – Tombs and monuments used ________

__________________________________________

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Why were irrigation systems important to the development of

4. Societya. Social Classes

1. Upper Class – Pharaoh, Priests, Nobles2. Middle Class – Merchants and artisans (skilled workers)3. Lower Class – Peasants (Farmers)4. Slaves

b. Role of Women:1. _________________________________________2. Run business3. Divorce

c. Contributions1. ________________________________________

2. ____________________________– Writing system that

used pictures to represent words and ideas

a. Rosetta Stone- Helped ____________________

_______________________________________

3. Literature - poetry, songs, hymns and fiction4. Surgery and Medicine

a. Mummification preserving the dead helped them diagnose illnesses and perform surgery

5. Calendar – based on 365 days (solar)6. Number system - based on 10 (10, 100, 1000, etc)

B. Tigris & Euphrates Rivers – Mesopotamia (Middle East)1. Geographic Setting

a. Region – Middle Eastb. ___________________________ – a crescent shaped region of

________________________________________________ ___________________________________________ that stretches from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea

c. Mesopotamia – The land between the riversd. Few natural barriers

1. Cultural diffusion – exchange of goods and ideas2. Invasion – lack of barriers allowed for several invasions

2. Sumerian Civilization – (3000 BCE)a. Government

1. City- States – Sumer was divided into independent areas that included a city and the surrounding land

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civilizations?

What are the characteristics of Hammurabi’s Code?

2. Rulers – seen as the chief servant to the godsa. Role – Enforced laws, collected taxes, led armies into

war, kept records, maintained city walls and irrigation systems

b. Religion 1. Polytheistic – Gods had human qualities and were tied to the

forces of nature2. Each city-state had their own God or Goddess3. Ziggurats - Stone temples made out of sun-dried bricks that

were used for religious purposesc. Social Classes

1. Upper Class – Ruling family, officials and high priests2. Middle Class –Merchants and artisans (skilled workers)3. Lower Class – Peasants (Farmers)

d. Contributions1. Inventions

a. Sailboatb. Wheelc. Plowd. Walled cities

2. Architecturea. Ziggurats – step like temples (organized religion)

3. _______________________________ – a network of canals that provided water for those away fro the river banks

4. ___________________________– Writing systems that used wedged shaped marks to keep records

5. Math contributions a. basic algebrab. geometryc. number system - based on 6

6. Literature - The Epic of Gilgamesh

3. Babylonian Civilization a. Government

1. Centralized government – strong central government2. Hammurabi – (1792-1750 BCE) God-like king3. Code of _____________________ - ____________

________________________________________

a. Criminal Law – robbery, assault, murder

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Why are written records important to understanding history?

What are the positive impacts of natural barriers?

What are the negative impacts of natural barriers?

b. Civil law – business contracts, property, taxes, marriage and divorce

c. Specific punishments for specific lawsd. Harsh punishments – “_________________”e. Unequal enforcement – Lower social classes vs.

nobles, men vs. women, adults vs. children – laws were harsher for lower classes, women and children)

b. Contributions 1. Contract - written agreement2. Astronomy – Study of universe

a. Lunar calendar (12 months, 7 day week, 24 hr day)

3. Number system - based on 60 (60 minute hour, 360 degree circle)

4. Map makers – cartographer

C. Indus River Valley – Indian Subcontinent (India and Pakistan)

1. Geographic Settinga. Region - South Asiab. Mountain ranges

1. Hindu Kush 2. Himalayan

a. Limits cultural diffusionb. Provided protection

c. Climate - Hot dry d. Monsoons – seasonal winds that brought rainfall to the

Indian Subcontinente. Indus River - Floods brought rich soil and destruction

(______________________________________________)2. Mystery

a. Little is known about the Indus river valley because historians and archaeologists have not been able to decipher the writing system.

b. All that is known comes from archaeological finds3. Government

a. Centralized government – _____________________________

1. Well-Planned Cities – Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro 2. Streets with grids3. Uniformed Systems - weights and measures4. Religious buildings5. __________________________________________

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The belief that your culture is superior to others is known as?

What European theory is similar to the Mandate of Heaven?

4. Contributions Of the Indus River Valley Civa. Plumbing systems –

_________________________________b. Buildings made of brickc. irrigation ditches and flood barriersd. ____________

D. Yellow River Valley (Huang He) and the Yangzi River – China (3000-2500 BCE)

1. Geographic Settinga. Region – East Asiab. Natural barriers – mountains, deserts, rainforest, ocean

1. Isolationc. River Valleys

1. ______________________ - ______________________a. ________________ - yellow matter in river that

brings nutrients to soilb. Floods – given the nickname, “River of Sorrows”

2. Yangzi River2. Government

a. Decentralized government1. Shang Dynasty – 1650 BCE2. Dynasty – Ruling family of China; when the emperor

died, another family member took over3. Kings controlled small areas of land4. City-states – ruled by groups of families

3. Religiona. Polytheistic – worshipped many gods and nature spiritsb. Early form of Daoism

1. Yin and yang – opposing forces that held nature in balance

c. Ancestor Worship – honored ancestors with sacrifices and shrines

4. Societya. Social Classes

1. Upper Class - Royals family and nobles2. Merchants and artisans3. Peasants – farmers

b. “______________________________” - Due to isolation,

early ___________________________________________

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What was a positive impact that Confucianism had on Chinese society?

What are the similarities between the Qin’s Legalism and Hammurabi’s Code?

________________________________________________

5. Contributionsa. Writing system

1. _____________________________________________2. Pictographs – drawings of objects3. Ideographs – Drawings of thoughts and ideas

III. Classical CivilizationsA. Zhou Dynasty – China (1027 BCE-221 BCE)

1. Governmenta. Overthrew the Shang Dynastyb. Mandate of

heaven__________________________________; used to explain the dynastic cycle

c. Dynastic Cycle – cycle that___________________________

__________________________________________, based

on the mandate of heaven

d. Feudal government – Zhou emperors granted control of large areas of land to their supporters. The local lords controlled their own areas, but owed military service to the emperor

2. Economy a. Trade – increased as a result of new roads and canals that

were built (____________________________________)

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Why is it important to have an educated government?

How is the Silk Road similar to the internet?

Even though Civil Service Exams helped provide China with a stable government, how did they also promote in unequal society?

b. Money –Chinese used copper coins as a form of currencyc. Agriculture – _____________________________________

________________________________________________

_

3. Contributions a. Confucianism – Belief system that

____________________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

Best government was educated

b. Daoism – Belief system that stressed harmony in nature, based on the Dao and concepts of the yin and yang; best government, governed least

c. Literature – “Book of Songs” – poems that describe farming, government, ceremonies and love

d. Astronomy – Studied planet movements and ellipses to create a 365 day calendar

e. Silk – Fine clothing material that was China’s most valuable export

f. Iron – used for weapons and tools

B. Qin Dynasty – China (221 BCE – 206 BCE)1. Government

a. Overthrew the Zhou dynasty – Shi Huangdi claims to be China’s “First Emperor”

b. Centralized government 1. abolished feudal states2. created military districts with an official heading each

areac.

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

Used to jail, torture and kill those who imposed the emperor.

Would target nobles and Confucian scholars.

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d. Burned books – ordered the destruction of all books of literature and philosophy

2. Economy1. standardized weights and measures2. created national coins3. repaired canals and roads

3. Contributionsa. Great Wall of China

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

__________________________________________

(Mongols)

1. Thousands of workers died building the wall due to harsh conditions.

C. Han Dynasty – China (206 BCE - 220 CE)1. Government

a. Dynastic Cycle - People despised the Qin’s dynasty’s harsh laws and heavy taxes;_______________________________, the Han Dynasty would take control of China

b. Han Dynasty – Reduced taxes and repealed Legalismc. _____________________________ Exams – Emperor

Wudi improved China’s government by______________________ ___________________________________________; this would assure Chinese officials were given jobs based on merit, not their family influence

2. Economy a. Infrastructure – improved roads and canals to improve tradeb. Monopoly – set up an

_______________________________

________________________________________________

_ _____________________________________on peasants

c. Silk Road – Wudi opened a trade route to the west that

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expanded from china to the Middle East and Eastern Europe. China would capitalize on its silk production ($$); New goods were introduced to China

3. Societya. Scholar gentry – ___________________________________

________________________________________________

b. Women – Confucian principles had women subordinate to men; women were not allowed to take the exams and could not take a government job

4. Contributionsa. Technology

1. ______________________________ from wood pulp2. wheel barrow3. fishing reel4. _____________________– device to help steer ships5. Suspension bridges6. __________________________________

b. Science 1. ___________________________– needles are

inserted under the skin to relieve pain and to treat illnesses

c. Arts 1. Temples and palaces2. Jade and Ivory carvings3. Bronze artworks4. Silk5. Literature – “Lessons for a Woman” – Roles for men

and women5. Fall of the Han Dynasty

a. Political Causes – Weak rulers after the death of Wudi; unable to control powerful warlords

b. Economic Causes –_________________________________

______________which were vital for trade to prosper; ____

_____________________________________, led to a

revolt

c. Military Causes –__________________________________

___________________________in 22 CE, the empire was

split into several kingdoms; __________________________

__________________________ and set up their own

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kingdoms

Ancient Civilizations (part II)D. Greece (1750 BCE – 133 BC)

1. Geographic settinga. Located in southeast Europe, it consists of many mountains

m isolated valleys and small islandsb. This _________________________________________

_____________________________________________like

the Egyptians or Mesopotamians

c. The Mediterranean and Aegean Seas were an important link to the outside world

d. The Greeks became _______________________________

_______________________________________________

________________________________________ where

they exchanged goods and ideas (technology)

1. They adopted the Phoenician alphabet for their own use.

2. Early civilizationsa. Minoans – 1750 BCE the first Greek civilization was

established. 1. The Minoans traded with Egypt and Mesopotamia

3. The Rise of City Statesa. Due to the rugged mountains and isolated valleys, Greek

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civilizations revolved around the small city-state or polis.

b. Between 750 BCE and 500BCE the city states had several different types of government

1. Monarchy – first form of government2. Aristocracy - landowning nobles gained power

c. Sparta – A _____________________________________

1. At ________________________________________

__________________________________________

2. They trained hard and faced rigid discipline3. _______________________to strengthen their bodies

4. ___________________________________________

5. Sparta was an totalitarian state that produced an excellent military

6. But______________________________, create

products, nor were they scholarly; so _____________

___________________________________________

7. Spartan inability to change, would lead to its declined. Athens – A Limited Democracy

1. Under the leadership of Pericles (460BCE – 429 BCE2. ______________________ - all “citizens” participated

in government by debating all political actions.3. To be a citizen you must be: ____________________

___________________________________________

4. Women were seen as needing male guidance and were not allowed to participate.

5. Slaves and foreign born also did not participateAthens Sparta

Laws made by

assembly Only male

citizens in assembly

Trade with other city states

Education for boys

Women considered

Common language

Shared heroes Olympic games Same gods and

religious beliefs Relied on Slave

labor

Monarchy with 2 elected kings

Military society Trade and travel NOT

allowed Military training for all

boys Girls trained to be mothers

of soldiers Women were expected to

obey men Women could own

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inferior property

4. Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic agea. Macedonia was a mountainous region in the kingdom of

northern Greece.b. Alexander the Great built an empire that included the Egypt,

Persia and parts of Indiac. A new __________________________________ arose that

blended _______________________________________

_____________________________________________life.

d. This culture gave more rights and opportunities to women.e. Although the empire fell soon after his death, ____________

____________________________in the regions he had ruled

5. Greek and Hellenistic Contributionsa. Philosophy

1. Greek thinkers tried to use observation and reason to understand why things happened

2. The word philosopher means “lover of wisdom”3. Socrates - Developed the scientific method: leaning

about beliefs and ideas by asking questions; Government put him to death

4. Plato - Believed government should control the lives of the people; Divided society into three classes; workers, philosophers and soldiers

5. Aristotle - Believed on strong and good leader should rule; Believed people ruled through reason

b. Literature1. Famous for plays - tragedies and comedies

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2. Famous poet: Homera.Iliad - Set in the Trojan War - the ten-year siege of

Ilium by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles

b.Odyssey – a sequel to the Iliad, The poem mainly centers on the Greek hero Ulysses and his long journey home following the fall of Troy. It takes Odysseus ten years to reach home

3. The first true historian: Herodotusa. Considered the “father of history” for his careful

historical writingc. Art and Architecture

1. Greeks believed in beauty, balance, and order in the universe

2. Greek paintings and sculptures were life-like, and _____________________________________________

The Discus Thrower

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3. The most famous Greek building is the Parthenon

A modern copy of what the Parthenon looked like

b. Use of _____________________c. Symmetry

a. Science 1. Aristarchus discovered that the earth rotated on its axis

and moved around the sun2. Archimedes explored the principals of levels and

pulleys 3. Hippocrates, a Greek ______________________,

studies the causes of illness and looked for curesb. Mathematics

1. Pythagoras; the formula of a ___________________

2. Euclid: wrote a book that became ________________

____________________________________________

c. Rome (509 BCE – 476 CE)1. Geography

a. Italy – located in the center of the Italian peninsulab. Mediterranean Sea – helped the Romans trade and expand

into an empire that spanned three continents (Europe, North Africa and the Middle East)

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2. Governmenta. The Roman Republic – established a government where

_________________________________________________b. Senate – most powerful governing body of the republic

c. Roman Law – Rome’s greatest achievement1. ______________________________________________

that guaranteed the right to all Roman citizens2. Basic principles –________________________________,

right of the accused to face the accuser and defend one’s self, idea of being innocent until proven guilty

3. Males had authority over his wife and family3. Society

a. Patricians – Upper class, landowning Roman citizens that made up the Senate

b. Plebeians – Social class made up of farmers, merchants, artisans and traders who had little power

c. Women – were subordinate to men, but gained right to hold a prominent public role and own businesses

4. Roman Empire1. Conquering an Empire – By 270 BCE, __________________

____________________ the Italian peninsula and then used

the Mediterranean Sea to conquer _____________________

_________________________________________________

1. Europe (including present day England, France, Germany, and Greece)

2. North Africa – Mediterranean Coast3. Southwest Asia (Middle East) - Asian Minor

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2. Civil War – Rome erupted into civil war as ambitious generals (including Julius Caesar) tried to conquer Rome for themselves. After the murder of Caesar in 44 BCE, Octavian (Caesar’s Grandnephew) emerged the victor.

3. Emperor – by 31 BCE, Octavian changed his name to

Augustus and ruled Rome with absolute power

_______________________________________________

_________________________________

4. Strong Central Government1. _______________________________ – ensured a well

educated government officials

2. Reformed tax system

3. ______________ coins – made ___________________

4. _____________________________– expanded and

protected the empire

d. Pax Romana – “______________________________” was a time of peace and prosperity or a golden age.

1. Trade - Roman influence, through vast road networks and the Mediterranean Sea. People freely traded with others in the empire and with other parts of the world, such as China and India, via the Silk Road.

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2. Goods – grain from Nile River Valley, ivory and gold from Africa, spices and gems from India and silk from China

e. Religion - 313 CE Emperor Constantine legalizes Christianity - Edict of Milan

f. Engineering1. Roads – allowed for trade and military expansion

2. Arches – engineering technique that allowed Rome to create large buildings

3. Concrete – material used for large buildings

4. Aqueducts – bridge-like structures that used the Roman arch to carry water from the hills to the cities

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5. Dome – a half, sphere-like roof

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The Pantheon – a temple to all the Roman Gods

6. Coliseum – Stadium built in Rome that was used for Gladiator fights, chariot races and executions

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5. Fall of the Roman Empire a. Political Causes

1. Government becomes too strict2. People stop supporting the government3. Corrupt officials4. Divided empire becomes too weak

b. Economic Causes 1. Heavy taxes2. Use too much slave labor

c. Military Causes1. Constant invasions2. Borders become too big to defend3. Forced to hire foreign soldiers to protect the borders

d. Social Causes * Gap between the rich and the poor widens

* People become selfish and lazy

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