World History Final Study Guide
Stages of Hominid Development (name, characteristic)
➔ Australopithecine: First to walk upright
➔ Homo Habilis: First to make stone tools
➔ Homo Erectus: First to make advanced technology
➔ Neanderthal: First to use ritual burials
➔ Cro-Magnon: First to create art
Origins and migration of early humans
Origin: Africa
Migration: Israel, Turkey, Croatia, India, Asia, North America, South America,
Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia
Foraging: hunting and gathering for sustenance
4 keys to successful foraging
1. Large Area
2. Small Population
3. Nomadic
4. Traveling Light
Case Study: Blombos Cave (findings)
➔ Evidence: remains of deep sea fish, shellfish, small reptiles, ashes, stone
tools with markings (art or writing)
➔ Tells Us: they had boats and were good fisherman, used spears for
hunting, had some sort of art or writing, could control fire for use to eat
small reptiles and fish
Migrate: to move from one location to another
Reasons for migration
➔ Weather conditions
➔ Lack of food supply
Case Study: Siberia (findings)
➔ Evidence: Mammoth bones
➔ Tells Us: Created homes with bones, able to create clothing
Paleolithic: the old stone age; marked by the use of stone tools
Neolithic: New stone age
Neolithic Revolution (Agricultural Revolution)
Causes and effects of the Neolithic Revolution
Causes: Change in climate; population increase
Effects: Settlement; development of villages and eventually civilizations
Slash and burn farming technique: cut trees or grasses; burn them to clear a
field; remaining ashes fertilized the soil
Characteristics of civilization
➔ Advanced Cities: a center for trade
➔ Specialized Workers: development of skills in a specific kind of work
➔ Institutions: long lasting pattern of organization in a community
◆ Government
◆ Economy
◆ Religion
◆ Education
➔ Record Keeping: documents used to keep track of history or information
➔ Advanced Technology: new tools that are developed to solve problems and
make improvements to civilization
Case Study: Ur (significance)
➔ Significance: an example of the development of agriculture and a settled
way of life
➔ Has factors to the rise of civilizations:
◆ Social Classes
◆ Worshipping Gods and Goddesses
◆ Advanced Cities:
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Uruk
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Lagash
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Umma
◆ Specialized Workers:
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Potters
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Scribes
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Teachers
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Soldiers
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Farmers
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Priest
◆ Institutions:
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Formal Government
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Priest with political power
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Education System
◆ Record Keeping:
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Cuneiform Tablets
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Business transactions
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Historical events
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Customs/Traditions
◆ Advanced Technology:
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Bronze weapons
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Sailboat
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Cuneiform Tablets
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Wheel
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Plow
World Religions
Monotheistic: Believes/follow one deity/God
Polytheistic: Believes/follow more than one deities/Gods
Hinduism (founder, core belief, religious text)
➔ Founder: Unknown
➔ Core Belief: Interconnectedness
➔ Religious Text: Vedas, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita
Karma: Consequences for one’s actions
➔ Follows a person through the reincarnation process
Brahman: Single unifying force
Atman: Individual soul
Dharma: Following one’s place in the world
Hindu Triumvirate (3 main deities and their roles)
Brahma: The creator
Vishnu: The preserver/protector
Shiva: The destroyer
Judaism (founder, core belief, religious text)
➔ Founder: Abram (Abraham)
➔ Core Belief: Covenant
➔ Religious Text: Torah, Talmud, Tanach
Moses: released the hebrews from bondage
Ten Commandments:
Have no other gods but God.
Do not worship statues.
Be careful with how you use God's name.
Keep the Sabbath day holy (special).
Honor your father and mother.
Do not murder.
Keep your marriage promises (do not cheat on your spouse).
Do not steal.
Do not lie.
Do not covet (desire what belongs to someone else).
Buddhism (founder, core belief, religious text)
➔ Founder: Siddhartha Gautama
➔ Core Belief: Enlightenment
➔ Religious Text: Tripitaka (Pali Canon); 4 Noble Truths & Eightfold Path
Siddhartha’s Quest
➔ Stay home- Become World Ruler
➔ Leave Home- Become universal spiritual leader
➔ Age: 29
➔ Old Man- Every living thing experiences old age
➔ Sick Man- Every living thing experiences sickness
➔ Dead man (Corpse)- Every living thing experiences death
➔ Holy man- a religious life offers refuge from suffering
➔ Wanders through forest for 6 years seeking Enlightenment
➔ 49 days of meditation under fig tree
◆ Fasted, super skinny
➔ Became Buddha
Four Noble Truths
1) Dukka- everything is in sorrow and suffering
2) Samudaya- selfishness causes sorrow and suffering
3) Nirodha- to stop sorrowing you must stop selfishness
4) Magga- you have reached enlightenment reaching the Middle Way
Eightfold Path (Middle Way)
1) Right to Understanding
2) Right to Intention
3) Right to Speech
4) Right to Action
5) Right to Livelihood
6) Right to Effort
7) Right to Mindfulness
8) Right to Concentration
Nirvana: term for enlightenment and the release from the reincarnation and
karma
Christianity (founder, core belief, religious text)
➔ Founder: Jesus Christ (Yeshua)
➔ Core Belief: Salvation
➔ Religious Text: The Bible
Adam & Eve:
➔ first man and woman
➔ created the first original sin
➔ Disobeyed god
➔ Kicked out of the garden of Eden
Sin: an immoral act against divine law
Mary (Jesus’ mother)
Salvation: Deliverance from sin and its consequences
Baptism: the sprinkling or submersion in water representing the burial and
resurrection of Christ and/or admittance to the church
Islam (founder, core belief, religious text)
➔ Founder: Muhammad
➔ Core Belief: Submission to Allah
➔ Religious Text: Qur’ an
Five Pillars of Islam
1. Faith
2. Prayer
3. Alms
4. Fasting
5. Pilgrimage
Hijab: head covering for Muslim women
Niqab: veil covering for Muslim women
Jihad: Islamic struggle against the enemies of Islam
Shariah: Islamic Laws
2 main types of evidence used to study history
➔ Archeology: the study of human history and prehistory through the
excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical
remains
➔ Anthropology: the study of human societies and cultures and their
development
◆ The study of human biological and physiological
characteristics and their evolution
Ancient Cities
Mesopotamia
Cultural Advancements: writing, taxes
Influence on Modern Society: we still use writing and taxes
Ancient Egypt
Cultural Advancements: surplus production, architecture (pyramids), law,
government, religion, social class
Influence on Modern Society: still use this today
Indus River Valley (cultural advancements, influence on modern society)
Cultural Advancements: air conditioning, drainage system, canal system, surplus
production
Influence on Modern Society: We still utilize air conditioning, canal system,
drainage systems, etc.
Roman Empire (development, decline, cultural advancements, influence
on modern society)
Development:
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Empire
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Powerful for over 500 years
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Included Asia Minor, Northern Africa, and Mediterranean
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First emperor: Caesar Augustus
Decline:
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Political instability
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Economic and Social Problems
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Weakening of the frontier or border
Cultural Advancements:
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Modern Government
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Architecture
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Art
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Language
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Law
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Philosophy
Influence on Modern Society:
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“If not for the influence of the Roman Empire our modern society as we
know it would be different than it is today”
Ancient China (development, cultural advancements, influence on modern
society)
Development:
➔ Began in the Yellow Valley
➔ Between two rivers; the yellow and the yangzi (long river)
➔ Shang Dynasty first Dynasty
Confucianism: a system of philosophical and ethical teachings founded by
Confucius and developed by Mencius
➔ Ren: what makes a person human
◆ Humaneness, goodness
◆ What makes life worth living
◆ Goal of life
➔ Yi: doing one’s duty
◆ Higher ranking person must take care of lower ranking person
◆ Lower must obey and honor higher
➔ De: Moral character; virtue; excellence; morality
◆ Inner moral power which a person may positively influence others
◆ “Virtue or moral face”
Daoism: a Chinese philosophy based on the writings of Lao-tzu ( fl. 6th century
BC), advocating humility and religious piety
➔ Wu Wei
Legalism: dependence on moral law rather than on personal religious faith
➔ Strict Leaders and laws
Silk Road: an ancient network of trade routes that connected the east and the
west
➔ Helped China expand
➔ become more prosperous
Cultural Advancements: paper, silk, Silk Road, cast iron, pictographs
Ancient & Modern Civilizations (similarities, differences, ancient
civilizations’ influence on modern society)
Similarities:
Differences::
Influence on Modern Society:
Greek Myth
Definition: stories that explain people’s belief about their world
Purpose of Myths: to explain how the world and people were created