Towards Civilization
Prehistoric-3000B.C.
Stone Age period
Unit I
Creation vs Evolution
Big Bang Theory
Paleolithic Man
2million BC-10,000BC
Survival depended on people meeting basic needs food, water
and shelter
Majority were nomadic following game animals and seasonal
fruit and plants
Except for necessary organization (no judges, doctors, etc)
Paleolithic –Man begins to learn tool technology; sharpened
2mil BC
sticks, grinding stones, stone scrapers and points
-tools made of stone, wood or bone
-Ice Ages caused use of animal hides for warmth
and protection from cold
10,000BC -Man continues to evolve as toolmaker
Page 2 Paleolithic cont.
30000BC people begin to show interest in spiritual matters
-Early beliefs, animism: belief spirits and forces reside in
animals, objects or dreams
-Carving of stone figurines particularly female;
“mother earth” deity provider of life and renewal
11000BC -2 events mark change
- Beginning of belief in life after death-burials
with preparation for afterlife
-About the same time man begins to domesticate
crops
Ice Ages created stable climate and allowed people to see
seasonal changes and winter plant cycles(death/renewal)
10000BC Neolithic Stone Age
Beginning of the Agricultural Revolution
Many nomadic groups developed farming
techniques so were able to begin settling in villages
Instead of worrying about game shortage they did
have crops to help
Man also realized he could control some of the
more docile animals. Decreased the risk of hunting
Also settlements decreased risk of travel
particularly on young and old.
Time to improve tools, clothing, shelters and other
aspects of life
People also traded with other villages. People
grouped together for various needs
People accumulated possessions so difference in
wealth levels begin to appear
Advanced
settlements
**writing
Spoken lan.
Record keeping
Specialized
workers
Characteristics
of
civilization
Advanced
technology
Complex
institutions
Government
Religion
economy
Beginning of Civilizations
First major civilizations were river based
Tigris/Euphrates
Nile River
Indus River
Huang He (Yellow River)
In the Americas civilizations developed in high plains of
Mexico and South America
Aztecs, Inca, Maya
North America
Anasazi, Pueblo cultures, Mound builders
Eight basic features of early civilizations
•Primary feature of early civilizations was the growth of cities
•Organized government
•
someone to coordinate large scale activities-I.e. farming, religious
•
enforce rules and make laws to promote group survival
•
earliest leaders were religious
• later leaders were warrior kings who created family dynasties based on
divine ordination
•Complex religion
• polytheistic worship specialized Gods and Goddess for specific functions and
concerns
• lead people in appropriate religious ceremonies, rituals and sacrifices if
needed
•Social class
• people begin to be ranked usually based on their jobs. Also power and
religious duties
•Job specialization
•
each person begins to specialize in work activities, artisan
class; toolmakers, hide workers, carvers, metal workers
•
bricklayers, soldiers, merchants, farmers
•Arts and Architecture
•
belief system guided people in these areas
• buildings designed to reassure people of power of their
political and religious leaders
• statuary, palace, wall carvings and paintings, jewelry and other
adornments show high degree of sophisticated workmanship
•Public works-gov. created
•
irrigation systems, roads, bridges and defensive walls
•
coordinate military offenses or defenses as needed
***Writing
•True stepping stone from chaos to modern development
•Confined to upper classes
•Used to create legal and business transactions
•Helped societies establish written history to replace oral records
•Scribes trained sole function was to create written records
•Able to evaluate past cultures by written documents
Test Unit 1
Picture A-Paleolithic
Picture B- ancient
Egypt
Man’s Record We Have Uncovered