Early Civilizations

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TEACHING WITH PRIMARY SOURCES—MTSU
PRIMARY SOURCE SET: World History and Geography:
Early Civilizations through the Decline of the Roman
Empire (5th century C.E.)
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Covering the entire history of the world from the very
beginning of human life up to the 5th century C.E. is a
gargantuan task! Teachers have to pack almost 400,000
years of the human story into one short academic year,
including 10,000 years of human settlement and 1,500
years of complex civilization. What are the main themes
of this vast duration of history?
The evolution in complexity of human settlement has
taken us from hunter/gatherers, to agriculturalists, to
members of advanced civilizations. The culmination of
this chronology is the development of empires, in which
one civilization expands to control others across diverse
geographic regions. This process happened differently in
different parts of the world.
The geographic diversity of the world and how geography
has impacted the development of civilizations is another
major theme. For instance, the productive soil of the
Fertile Crescent and its location at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa compelled Mesopotamia to a highly
advanced status among early civilizations. Greece’s rocky
islands and peninsulas, moreover, influenced the development of independent city-states.
Thèbes. Bas-relief dans l'interieur du Rhamesséion. Egypte / Bonfils. [between 1867 and 1899]
SUGGESTIONS FOR TEACHERS
This primary source set is geared towards the 6th grade
Social Studies curriculum standards. The curricular units,
such as “Mesopotamia: 3500-1200 B.C./B.C.E.” and
“Ancient China,” are retained here in the subheadings,
about two per page, and follow the order in the standards. Sixth grade teachers can use this set throughout the
year as they cover different civilizations and events.
This period of world history also witnessed the development and growth of important trade routes, the birth of
democracy and republican government, and the emergence of many of the world’s important religions. Giving
students a thorough overview of these major themes is a
challenge, but also a wonderful opportunity to broaden
their perspectives on the world and its rich cultures.
Several of the following primary sources are parts of
online exhibitions that would make good secondary
source reading assignments for students, due to the explanatory narrative and development of world history
themes.
ADDITIONAL LINKS

World Digital Library

World History Links Guide

World History & Cultures newsletter (September
2009)

The Ancient World newsletter (January 2011)

The Legacy of Greece and Rome primary source set

Browse by Topic: World History and Cultures
Because most primary sources created during this early
time period were created so very long ago, very few of
them have survived to the present day. Many of the following sources are therefore creations of later time periods that depict a building or cultural tradition that represent an earlier era. Talk to your students about what
kinds of sources remain, and what they (and later ones)
can reveal about early civilizations.
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HUMAN ORIGINS IN AFRICA THROUGH THE NEOLITHIC AGE
Rock Painting S00176, Bethlehem, Dihlabeng District
Municipality, Free State, South Africa [1986 CE]
MESOPOTAMIA: C. 3500-1200 BC/BCE
The archaeological map of
Iraq. [1967, detail]
School exercise tablet [22001900bc; translation and drawing
included]
ANCIENT EGYPT: C. 3000-1200 BC/BCE
Pyramides de Chéops et de
Cheffren, le sphynx, et la
temple de Cheffren [between
1869 and 1899]
The Great Temple of AbooSimble, Nubia (Head of Ramses
II) [between 1846-1849]
Mummy, Ramses
II [between 1898 and
1946]
Thèbes. Bas-relief dans
l'interieur du Rhamesséion
[between 1867 and 1899]
2
ANCIENT INDIA
[Brahman priest, in India, painting his
forehead with the red and white
marks of his sect and caste] [between
1900 and 1923]
[Images of Hindu cosmogony and gods] /
G. Heck, dirt. ; Henry Winkles sculp.
[1851]
Mahābhāratakālīna
Bhāratavarshācā nakāśā. [19--?]
Compare to modern political map
of India.
Bhagavad-gîta : "The songs of the master" / translated
with an introduction and commentary by Charles Johnston ... [1908; p. 26]
ANCIENT CHINA
Liu sheng Huang He sao ba he dao quan tu. [etween 1824 and 1825]
The Analects of
Confucius [1533]
[Bird's-eye view of the Great Wall of China along
mountain ridges, disappearing into the haze in the
distance] [1979]
China. [1996]
3
ANCIENT ISRAEL, C. 2000 BC/BCE-70 AD/CE
Pesher Hoshe`a. 4Q166 [Copied
late first century B.C.E.] Courtesy
of the Israel Antiquities Authority
(6) Translation
[Caves of Qumran where Dead Sea scrolls
were found] [1958]
Iraq. Babylon.
Basalt lion
marking
Daniel's den
[1932]
Palestine, Tribes, and Jerusalem [1783, detail]
ANCIENT GREECE, C. 800-300 BC/BCE
Exterior door panel depicting Euclid. National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C. [between 1980
and 2006]
Asia Minor. Corinth, ruins of the Temple of
Apolo [i.e., Appollo] [between 1950 and 1960]
The Empire and
Expeditions of
Alexander the
Great [1833, depicting events
from 356-323
BCE]
Greece - Athens - The Parthenon - near view [ca.
1925]
4
ANCIENT ROME, C. 500 BC/BCE-500 AD/CE
Veduta dell' arco di Costantino, e dell' anfiteatro Flavio
detto il colosseo [between 1746 and 1760] (Translation:
“View of the Arch of Constantine and the Flavian Amphitheatre called the Colosseum”)
History and Ethnology of Ancient Rome: 4 illus: fig. 1 Exhibition of captives in the forum; fig. 2 Gladiators in the theatre;
fig. 3 Gladiators at funerals; fig. 4. Funeral of Emperors [1851]
Rome. Baths of Caracalla [between 1860
and 1890]
Stone bridge and San Giorgia (i.e., Giorgio),
Verona, Italy [between ca. 1890 and ca. 1900]
Rome par la voie du Mont-Cenis /
Geo Dorival. [ca. 1920; poster of
Roman Forum, advertising train
line that runs through MontCenis, France, to Rome]
Rome. Frescoes in house of Claudius Nero.
Palace of the Caesars [between 1860 and 1890]
The Metamorphoses of Publius
Ovidius Naso / translated in
English blank verse by Henry
King. [1871]
5
Theatrum historicum ad annum Christi quadringentesimum : in quo tum Imperii Romani tum Barbarorum
circum incolentium status ob oculosponitur pars orientalis / [1712] (Translation: “The Historical Theater in
the Year 400 AD, in Which Both Romans and Barbarians Resided Side by Side in the Eastern Part of
the Roman Empire” and blurb)
CITATIONS
Teachers: Providing these primary source replicas without source clues may enhance the inquiry experience for students. This list of citations is supplied for reference purposes to you and your students. We have followed the Chicago Manual of Style format, one of the formats recommended by the Library of Congress, for each entry below, minus the access date. The access date for each of these entries is June
24, 2014
HUMAN ORIGINS IN AFRICA THROUGH THE NEOLITHIC AGE
Woodhouse, Herbert Charles, photographer. “Rock Painting S00176, Bethlehem, Dihlabeng District Municipality, Free State, South
Africa.” 1986. From World Digital Library, Woodhouse Rock Art Collection, University of Pretoria Library. http://www.wdl.org/en/
item/3006/
MESOPOTAMIA: C. 3500-1200 BC/BCE
“School exercise tablet.” Photograph. Between 2200 and 1900BCE. From Library of Congress, Cuneiform Tablets: From the Reign of
Gudea of Lagash to Shalmanassar III. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?intldl/cunei:@field(DOCID+@lit(amcune000004))
The archaeological map of Iraq. Map. Baghdad: Directorate General of Antiquities, 1967. From Library of Congress, Map Collections.
http://www.loc.gov/item/gm70005037/
Maison Bonfils (Beirut, Lebanon), photographer. “Pyramides de Chéops et de Cheffren, le sphynx, et la temple de Cheffren / Bonfils.” Albumen print. Between 1867 and 1899. From Library of Congress, Miscellaneous Items in High Demand. http://www.loc.gov/
pictures/item/2004666849/
Haghe, Louis, lithographer. “The Great Temple of Aboo-Simble, Nubia / David Roberts, R.A.” Lithograph, color. Between 1846
and 1849. From Library of Congress, Miscellaneous Items in High Demand. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2002717575/
“Mummy, Ramses II.” Dry plate negative. [Between 1898 and 1946] From Library of Congress, Matson (G. Eric and Edith) Photograph
Collection. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/mpc2004000675/pp/
Maison Bonfils (Beirut, Lebanon), photographer. “Thèbes. Bas-relief dans l'interieur du Rhamesséion. Egypte / Bonfils.” Albumen
print. Between 1867 and 1899. From Library of Congress, Miscellaneous Items in High Demand. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/
item/2004667883/
ANCIENT INDIA
“[Brahman priest, in India, painting his forehead with the red and white marks of his sect and caste].” Photograph. Between 1900 and
1923. From Library of Congress, Carpenter Collection. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/94509889/
Winkles, Henry, engraver. “[Images of Hindu cosmogony and gods] / G. Heck, dirt. ; Henry Winkles sculp.” Engraving. 1851.
From Library of Congress, Miscellaneous Items in High Demand. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/95522139/
Johnston, Charles, editor and translator. Bhagavad-gîta : "The songs of the master." Book. Flushing, N.Y. : C. Johnston, 1908. From
Library of Congress. https://archive.org/details/bhagavadgtatheso00john
Mahābhāratakālīna Bhāratavarshācā nakāśā. Map. [Poona, India? : s.n., 19--?] From Library of Congress, Maps Collection. http://
www.loc.gov/item/88691872/
ANCIENT CHINA
Liu sheng Huang He sao ba he dao quan tu. Map. 1824. From Library of Congress, Maps Collection. http://www.loc.gov/item/
gm71002474/
Norwood, Jean E., photographer. “[Bird's-eye view of the Great Wall of China along mountain ridges, disappearing into the haze in
the distance].” Slide, color. 1979. From Library of Congress, Miscellaneous Items in High Demand. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/
item/2012650138/
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CITATIONS (CONT.)
The Analects of Confucius. Book. Sakai: Asaino families, 1533. From World Digital Library, National Diet Library. http://
www.wdl.org/en/item/11844/
United States. Central Intelligence Agency. China. Map. [Washington : Central Intelligence Agency, 1996]. From Library of Congress, Maps Collections. http://www.loc.gov/item/96681216/
ANCIENT ISRAEL, C. 2000 BC/BCE-70 AD/CE
The Hosea Commentary Scroll. Pesher Hoshe`a. 4Q166 (4QpHos[superscript]a). Scroll. Copied late first century B.C.E. Courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority. From Library of Congress, Scrolls from the Dead Sea: The Qumran Library. http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/
scrolls/late.html#obj6
Safieh, Hanna, photographer. “[Caves of Qumran where Dead Sea scrolls were found].” Nitrate negative. 1958. From Library of
Congress, Matson (G. Eric and Edith) Photograph Collection. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/mpc2007010267/pp/
American Colony (Jerusalem). Photo Dept., photographer. “Iraq. Babylon. Basalt lion marking Daniel's den.” Dry plate negative.
1932. From Library of Congress, Matson (G. Eric and Edith) Photograph Collection. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/
mpc2004000688/pp/
Anville, Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d', cartographer. Palestine, Tribes, and Jerusalem. Hand-colored, engraved map. 1783. From World
Digital Library, Library of Congress. http://www.wdl.org/en/item/136/
ANCIENT GREECE, C. 800-300 BC/BCE
Visuri, Osmo, photographer. “Asia Minor. Corinth, ruins of the Temple of Apolo [i.e., Appollo].” 1 slide : color. [Between 1950 and
1960]. From Library of Congress, G. Eric and Edith Matson Photograph Collection. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/
mpc2010000486/PP/
Highsmith, Carol M., photographer. “[Exterior door panel depicting Euclid. National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C. ].” 1
transparency. [Between 1980 and 2006]. From Library of Congress, Carol M. Highsmith Archive. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/
item/2011636508/
Delamarche, Félix. The Empire and Expeditions of Alexander the Great. 1 map : hand colored, mounted on linen. 1833. From World Digital Library, Library of Congress. http://www.wdl.org/en/item/11738/
“Greece - Athens - The Parthenon - near view.” 1 photographic print. [ca. 1925]. From Library of Congress, Carpenter Collection.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2001705753/
ANCIENT ROME, C. 500 BC/BCE-500 AD/CE
Piranesi, Giovanni Battista, artist. “Veduta dell' arco di Costantino, e dell' anfiteatro Flavio detto il colosseo.” 1 print : etching.
[Between 1746 and 1760]. From Library of Congress, Fine Prints. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2009633840/
“History and Ethnology of Ancient Rome: 4 illus: fig. 1 Exhibition of captives in the forum; fig. 2 Gladiators in the theatre; fig. 3
Gladiators at funerals; fig. 4. Funeral of Emperors.” 1 print : engraving. 1851. From Library of Congress, Miscellaneous Items in High
Demand. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2006679885/
Dorival, Géo, artist. “Rome par la voie du Mont-Cenis / Geo Dorival.” 1 photomechanical print (poster) : halftone, color. Cannes :
Affiches Photographiques Robaudy, [ca. 1920]. From Library of Congress, Posters: Artist Posters. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/
item/2004675357/
“Rome. Baths of Caracalla.” 1 photoprint : albumen. [Between 1860 and 1890] From Library of Congress, Miscellaneous Items in High
Demand. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/92501495/
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CITATIONS (CONT.)
“Stone bridge and San Giorgia (i.e., Giorgio), Verona, Italy.” 1 photomechanical print : photochrom, color. [Between ca. 1890 and
ca. 1900] From Library of Congress, Photochrom Prints. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2001701087/
“Rome. Frescoes in house of Claudius Nero. Palace of the Caesars.” 1 photoprint : albumen. [Between 1860 and 1890] From Library
of Congress, Miscellaneous Items in High Demand. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/92501493/
L'Isle, Guillaume De. Theatrum historicum ad annum Christi quadringentesimum : in quo tum Imperii Romani tum Barbarorum circum incolentium status ob oculosponitur pars orientalis/. Map. [London] : Sold by J. Senex ... London, [1712]. From Library of Congress, Maps Collection. http://www.loc.gov/item/2004629155/
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