Humanity’s origins
• Historians always try to use primary resources like
journals, books, paintings to understand life during
a specific period. When looking at prehistory
(before people could write) it is much more difficult
to understand how people lived and events that
occurred. Archaeologists dig for artifacts to
understand them.
• One mission that Archaeologists have taken on is to
look for the first humans. The oldest hominid to
ever be found is called Lucy, 3.5 million years old.
The time period where people were nomads and
used limited tools is called Paleolithic.
Becoming Civilized (30,000BC)
• During the Paleolithic Era, hominids
went through multiple phases to
become the first homo sapiens. The
Neanderthal also emerged, but
eventually went extinct.
• Homo sapiens had a more advanced
language and planned out their
hunts.
• During the Paleolithic Era all people
were nomads. The Neolithic
Revolution began when people began
to domesticate crops and livestock.
• People began to live in small towns in
one place. We are able to learn much
about these early villages from
artwork. Before we learned from
cave paintings.
• Some of these small towns eventually
grew to big cities.
Civilization and Empire (5000 BC)
• The first Civilization developed in the Fertile Crescent or
Mesopotamia which was in between the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers. All civilizations developed around rivers. The people of
Mesopotamia were able to develop large surpluses of wheat from
fertile soil that was created when the rivers flooded.
• The rivers were unpredictable, cities had no protection, and few
natural resources. To combat these challenges people set up
irrigation systems, built thick brick walls. Public works were able to
be built because of job specialization.
Advances
• People developed tools, irrigations, and job specialization. Religion
and government also became more organized and sophisticated.
Social classes developed-Upper, Middle, and Lower classes. People
stopped using copper in favor of Bronze.
• Ur was one of the biggest cities of the Bronze Age. Most lived in
small one story tall homes. Metalworkers, Potters, farmers,
writers, and priests were needed.
• Money was not used. Instead people bartered or traded with each
other.
• The center of life was the Ziggurat which were holy temples.
Sumer (2500 BC)
• One of the first civilizations in
Mesopotamia was the Sumerians.
Sumer was unique in that it was a
collection of multiple city-states
with the same culture, but with
different governments. It was
believed that it was entirely up to
the Gods regarding rainfall and
other elements of nature. People
thought that priests directly
communicated with the Gods, so
most tried to get on the priests
good side. Priests were in charge of
the government.
• War became very frequent.
Warriors were given control of the
army, and became kings. Their sons
became kings after them-Dynasty.
Culture and Empire (2350 BC)
• Many aspects of Sumerian culture spread to other civilizations. Nearly all
civilizations were polytheistic meaning they believed in multiple gods.
People sacrificed much to appease the gods.
• Slavery goes back at least to 10,000 BC and stayed with humanity for a long
time. Sumerian practices of math, agriculture, and cuneiform all spread.
• Sargon the Conqueror of Akkad was the first person to build an empire by
taking over all of Mesopotamia and Sumer. They kept many of Sumer’s
traditions.
Hammurabi’s Code(2000 BC)
• Civilizations became more complicated and advanced. The empire of
Babylon exemplified this by their system of laws. Hammurabi is the most
well known king of Babylon. His major contribution to humanity was a set
of laws written down with an appropriate punishment-Hammurabi’s Code.
• These laws set out to protect women and children, punish wrong doers, and
applied to everyone. Punishment was different depending on what social
class you were. Eye for an Eye. Gov=Justice.
•
Geography
of
Egypt
(3000
BC)
Egypt is one of the world’s oldest
and most unique civilizations.
People love Egypt! Egypt was able
to create a complicated civilization
because of the Nile River which is
the longest river in the world. It
provided food, water, and more.
• Egypt especially stood out in Africa
because of the lack of water
everywhere else. Egypt was able to
avoid war because it was very
difficult to get there. It is
surrounded by desert and ocean.
• The south is called Upper Egypt
because of its high elevation and
the north is called Lower Egypt
because of its lower elevation.
Egypt Grows
• Pharaohs were in charge of Egypt. People believed that they were a god.
They believed the Pharaoh was responsible for the sun to rise, water to fall,
etc.
• When pharaohs ‘died’ they were mummified and buried in pyramids. All
organs were removed and put in jars. Egyptians believed that if a person did
enough good deeds they would be let in to a beautiful afterlife.
• The Egyptians believed in immense record keeping using Hieroglyphics on
Papyrus. They had an accurate calendar, collected taxes, mathematics.
India and China (3200 BC)
• Civilization in ancient India developed upon Ganges and Indus River. We
don’t know much about the first civilization in India. Historians call it the
Harappan civilization. We have never been able to interpret their writing.
• This civilization disappeared due to earthquakes and severe flood.
• China developed on the Yellow and Yangtze. China went thousands of years
before becoming unified. China developed several opposing dynasties.
• Family may have been more important in China because people believed
their ancestors could bring good or bad fortune upon them.
China Advances (1000 BC)
• The Chinese believed in the
Mandate of Heaven. If a dynasty
became weak and was ruling
poorly they would lose their rule
because the gods ruled them
unworthy. The gods would use
another family that would be
better rulers.
• The Zhou dynasty expanded and
used feudalism to try and unite
the land. Feudalism is when
Nobles are supposed to rule part
of the land, and be loyal to the
king when called upon. These
lords ending up fighting each
other, and the king lost power.
• The Chinese used money instead
of bartering.
Migration
• We don’t know why, but around
the year 2000 BC, people from
the Caucasus Mt began to
migrate all over. One of these
groups were known as the
Hittites. The Hittites ruled a big
empire, but could not conquer
Egypt. The Hittites used chariots
exceptionally well, and excelled
in the use of iron which is much
stronger than Bronze.
• The Dasas and Aryans went to
India, and a war was fought
with the Aryans winning. A
caste system was created. Your
social and economic class set
from the day you were born.
Eastern Religion Evolves (2500 BC)
• Hinduism is unique as there is not a founder of it. Hinduism evolved and
combined from different and very ancient religions. Hinduism main goal is
to avoid want and suffering. It is said that this can be achieved by
understanding the relationship between your individual soul and the world
soul. They believed that if a person committed good deeds, they would be
reincarnated in a good caste.
• Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) was prophesized to be a great man. His
father kept him in his castle till he was 29. One day he escaped, and saw
four men in different stages of life suffering. He began a quest to end
suffering-enlightenment
Mediterranean Culture (1500 BC and
800 BC)
• The Minoans lived on Crete, an island in the Mediterranean. They were very
wealthy because of trade. They were experts with pottery and
metalworking. They didn’t have to worry about being invaded. Greece and
later Europe adopted their architecture style, sports, and art. They were
destroyed by nature.
• Phoenicians set up multiple city-states that thrived in the arts of the sea.
Their biggest contribution was alphabet (symbols represent sound). Before
people only used pictures to represent words. Learning how to read and
write was easier.
Judaism (700 BC)
• What we know about Judaism comes
from the Torah or Old Testament.
Abraham is said to be the father of the
Jewish People. Judaism is the oldest
monotheistic religion. When the Jews
first moved to Egypt they were treated
well. They eventually became slaves.
• Moses led the Jews out of Egypt and is
said to have been given the Ten
Commandments by God.
• Under Saul, David, and Solomon the Jews
expanded to create the nation of Israel.
Solomon traded with many different
nations. He made Jerusalem a beautiful
city in part with a huge temple. Babylon
took over Israel. Babylon was conquered
by Persia. Persia let the Jews move back
to Israel.