Paleolithic Age – Stone Age •
•
•
•
•
Paleolithic Social Structure:
o Leadership often based on age and strength
o Men typically hunted; women gathered and preserved food
Paleolithic Tools & Technology:
o Made from stone, bone, and wood (e.g., bows, arrows, spears, knives)
o Developed hunting tactics, leading to more time for art
o Pottery and cave paintings emerge
Paleolithic Food & Survival:
o Women gathered food, preserved it for winter (e.g., jerky)
o Men hunted, many hunts were unsuccessful
Paleolithic Culture & Religion:
o Emergence of early spiritual beliefs (small figurines/dolls as treasures for
gods)
Paleolithic Legacy:
o Laid the groundwork for tool use, art, and basic social organization
Assyrian Empire •
•
•
•
Assyrian Overview:
o Noted for its military strength and fear-based rule
Assyrian Military Tactics:
o Brutal strategies (e.g., decapitating or skinning enemy leaders)
o Led by rulers like Ashurnasirpal II, who organized a highly effective army
Assyrian Political/Social Aspects:
o Empire stretched from Persia to Egypt
o Eventually overthrown by uprisings and internal resistance
Assyrian Legacy:
o Remembered both for military prowess and ruthless methods
Sumerians •
•
Sumerian Overview:
o Considered the first civilization (around 3500 BCE)
Sumerian Cultural & Technological Innovations:
•
•
o Cuneiform Writing: The earliest writing system on clay tablets
o Developed monumental architecture (ziggurats) and early
mathematics/astronomy
o Produced literary works such as the Epic of Gilgamesh
Sumerian Social Structure:
o Kings (often seen as divine), nobility, free workers, and slaves
Sumerian Decline:
o Confronted issues like land overuse and nutrient depletion, leading to
conquest by the Akkadians
Nebuchadnezzar II •
•
•
Nebuchadnezzar II Achievements:
o Built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World
o Rebuilt significant structures in Babylon (sometimes linked to tower legends)
Nebuchadnezzar II Military & Political Actions:
o Conquered regions, took Israelites as slaves, and attacked Jerusalem
o Attempted campaigns against Egypt
Nebuchadnezzar II Legacy:
o Remembered in both historical records and biblical texts for his grand
constructions and conquests
Neolithic Age – Great Leap Forward •
•
•
•
Neolithic Key Developments:
o Transition from nomadic hunting/gathering to settled farming communities
o Domestication of animals (e.g., dogs, cats) and development of agriculture
Neolithic Tools & Technology:
o New farming tools, pottery for food storage, and construction of permanent
structures
o Creation of monuments (e.g., Stonehenge)
Neolithic Social Structure:
o Emergence of social hierarchies (farmers, leaders, specialized workers)
Neolithic Cultural Shifts:
o Increased religious practices tied to agricultural cycles and seasonal
changes
Cuneiform •
•
•
Cuneiform Overview:
o Developed by the Sumerians around 3500 BCE as the first known writing
system
Cuneiform Characteristics:
o Utilizes wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets
o Served for administrative records, trade, communication, and law (e.g., King
Hammurabi’s laws)
Cuneiform Notable Uses:
o Examples include personal records (like a humorous “girl’s tablet”) and legal
documentation
King Hammurabi •
•
•
Hammurabi Achievements:
o Best known for the Code of Hammurabi, one of the earliest and most
comprehensive legal codes
o Established a legal system based on “an eye for an eye,” with punishments
varying by social class
Hammurabi Political Impact:
o Expanded and strengthened the Babylonian Empire through centralized
government and law
Hammurabi Legacy:
o His code influenced future legal systems and is a landmark in the history of
law
Australopithecus •
Australopithecus Overview:
o Early hominid group, representing a key step in human evolution (e.g., the
fossil "Lucy")
•
•
•
Australopithecus Physical Characteristics:
o Bipedal but with a smaller brain and more apelike features (shorter stature,
more body hair)
Australopithecus Tool Use & Social Behavior:
o Employed simple tools (rocks, sticks) for survival
o Lived in groups for safety and resource sharing
Australopithecus Evolutionary Importance:
o Marked a critical transition between primates and later human species
Neanderthals •
•
•
•
•
Neanderthal Time Frame:
o Approximately 400,000 to 40,000 BCE
Neanderthal Physical Characteristics:
o Stocky build, robust features, large brow ridges, adapted to cold climates
Neanderthal Culture & Technology:
o Made and used tools, controlled fire, and practiced burial rituals suggesting
symbolic behavior
Neanderthal Interactions with Homo sapiens:
o Interbred with early modern humans; their genetic legacy persists in many
people today
Neanderthal Decline:
o Likely succumbed to a combination of climate change and competition with
Homo sapiens