Geography!
“Everything is Geography and Geography is Everything”
Five Themes of Geography
________ Location
A. Phoenician trade routes in the
Mediterranean
________ Region
B. Creating an irrigation system
________ Place
C. Trade along the silk road
________ Movement
________ Environmental Interaction
D. Emperor Qinshihuang’s (the First
Emperor of China) Grave site
E. The Valley of the Kings in Egypt
F. The City of Babylon
G. The Fertile Crescent
Timeline of Earth & Humanity
Culture
Develops
YA = Years Ago
MYA = Millions of Years Ago
BYA = Billions of Years Ago
4.5 BYA:
Formation
of Planet
1.5 BYA:
Dinosaurs
Roam Earth
3.5 BYA:
Life Appears
on Earth
65 MYA:
Dinosaurs
Extinct;
Primates
Appear
12 MYA:
Humans
develop
separately
from Apes
250,000 YA:
Homo
Sapiens
emerged
(“thinking
person”)
3 MYA:
Distant humans
climbed down
out of trees
12,000 YA:
Neolithic
Revolution
40,000 YA:
Humans
look
basically as
they do
today
Eras of Prehistory
Neolithic
Rev.
Life Before Farming
• Nomadic – Hunter and
Gatherers
• Small population
• Used fire...
• Simple tools (wood, stone,
bone)
Life after Farming
• Start building towns/ cities
• Bigger population
• More complex tools
• Domestication of plants and
animals (aka farming)
• Irrigation
• Most settlements around
river valleys
Defining Features of Civilization
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Organized governments
Complex religions
Job specialization
Social classes
Arts and architecture
Public works
Writing
Civilizations and Change
• Environment
– Rain, wood, fertile soil were all central to success
• Cultural diffusion
– The spread of ideas, customs, and technologies
from one people to another
• Cities
City-states
– A political unit that included a city and its
surrounding lands/villages
• Empires established
– A group of states or territories controlled by one
ruler
Geography “Quiz”: Mesopotamia
Timeline
Egyptians
6000 BC --3200 -3100 - 2660 21802080164015701075 -----751 ----671----521
Hebrews
2000 BC –1650 –1300 1200 –1020*922 -----586 –538 --------------
Sumerians
4000 BC --------2000BC
Amorites (Old Babylon)
2000 BC -----------1550BC
*1792 – 1750 (
)
Hittites
1680BC -------1200BC
Phoenicians
1500 --------1100------800----------300BC
Assyrians
850 BC----612 BC
Chaldeans (New Babylon)
600 BC --539BC
Persians
550BC ---------350BC
*550 – 539 --530
Civilization
Leader
Accomplishments
Sumer
X
First City-State, Writing – Cuneiform
Akkadians
Sargan
First Empire
Babylonians
Hammurabi
First criminal and civil laws
Hittites
X
Developed Iron and chariots
Assyrians
Assurbnanipal
First libraries
New
Babylonians
Nebuchadnezzar
Hanging gardens of Babylon (also enslaved the
Hebrews… again)
Persians
Cyrus and Darius I
Largest empire – built roads and had religious
tolerance, united currency and used satraps to
organize empire
Phoenicians
Hebrews
Purple dye and create a trading empire, alphabet
Abraham
Monotheistic and enslaved many times
Periodization of Ancient Egypt
• The Old Kingdom (2575 BCE – 2130 BCE)
• The Middle Kingdom (1938 BCE – 1630 BCE)
• The New Kingdom (1539 BCE – 1075 BCE)
• Power often passed from one dynasty to another,
but Egypt generally remained united.
The Old Kingdom (2575 BCE – 2130 BCE)
• Strong Government
– Pharaohs: Egyptian kings
• Played a key role in government and religion
• Egyptians believed each pharaoh was a god (and both human at
the same time)
• The people still expected their leaders to behave morally despite
their semi-divine status
– Built large Pyramids that eventually caused massive
debt
– Bureaucracy
• A system of government with various job functions (everybody
serves a special purpose)
• Vizier: chief minister, supervisor of business, tax collector, farm
manager, scribe-manager, etc.
Middle Kingdom (1938 BCE – 1630 BCE)
• A few turbulent centuries:
1. Power struggles, crop failures, the cost of building
pyramids all contributed to the collapse of the Old
Kingdom
2. Unlucky with the rising of the Nile River
3. Corruption and rebellions were common
• Some positives:
1. A large drainage project was accomplished, adding arable
land
2. Egyptian armies occupied part of Nubia
• More successful trade throughout the Mediterranean
• By 1700 BCE, the Hyksos took over the leadership of
Egypt, impressing Egyptians with their horse-drawn
chariots.
New Kingdom (1539 BCE – 1075 BCE)
• By 1450 BCE, the Egyptian empire reached as far
north as Syria and the Euphrates River.
• Hatshepsut (rule: 1472-1458 BCE): Egypt’s first
female ruler
• Thutmose III: Hatshepsut’s stepson, great military
leader, Egyptian borders greatest during his reign
• Ramses II (rule: 1279 BCE – 1213 BCE): best known
because of his reputation of bragging on
monuments, etc., but again expanded empire
almost to that of the days of Thutmose III
• Do you see any common themes here? How would
you define the New Kingdom period of Egypt?
The Shang: 1766 BCE—1122 BCE
• First dynasty in China. Development of Clans
The Zhou introduced the idea of the Mandate of Heaven to justify their actions.
Zhou Dynasty: 1122 BCE—256 BCE
In return, the nobles owed the king military service, taxes,
and loyalty. This type of government is called Feudalism.
Qin: 221 BCE—202 BCE
221 BCE: Zheng of the state of Qin overthrew feudal lords and
called himself Shi Huangdi, or “First Emperor.”
“The only way to achieve order is to pass strict
laws and impose harsh punishments for
crimes.” (Legalism)
Han Dynasty: 202 BCE—220 CE
Gao Zu restored order and justice
Lowered taxes, eased Legalist policies
Wudi (141 BCE to 87 BCE)
Gold Age of Ancient China
Monopoly on Salt and Iron
- Creation of use of Paper
- Confucianism
- Create a calendar