Foundations (8000 B.C.E. to 600 C.E.)

PART I of III:

Additional Background Chronology: The First Humans

Australopithecines / Thrived 2-4 million years ago
Homo erectus / Thrived 100,000-1.5 million years ago
Homo sapiens
Neanderthals / Thrived from 100,000-30,000 B.C.E.
Homo sapiens sapiens / Emerged 200,000 B.C.E.

Neolithic Age: (New Stone Age)

1) Agricultural Revolution: 10,000-4,000 B.C.E.

2) Mesolithic Period: 10,000-7,000 B.C.E. (middle Stone Age)

3) Systematic Agriculture (8,000-5,000 B.C.E.)

4) Neolithic Revolution (agricultural and overall advancements)

5) Technological Revolution (metals, written language)

1) Demography: major population changes resulting from human and environmental factors: Shift occurred after 10,000 B.C.E. and by 7,000 B.C.E. there was a shift from hunting and gathering to producing food by systematic agriculture. Planting of grains and vegetables, tamed animals, sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs added a steady source of meat, milk and fibers such as wool for clothing. Agricultural Revolution- the growing of crops and the taming of wild animals created a new relationship between people and animals. This new way of life gave humans greater control over their environment. This was the start of a new life, no longer nomadic people moving constantly, and people soon started living in villages.

2) Environment- geography and climate: interaction of geography and climate with the development of human society:

-Systematic agriculture developed independently in different areas of the world between 8000 B.C.E. and 5000 B.C.E.

-Middle East began to cultivate wheat and barley, domesticated animals: pigs, cattle, goats, and sheep by 8000 B.C.E.

-Farming spread into the Balkans region from the Middle East by 6500 B.C.E.. By 4000 B.C.E. it was well established in the south of France, central Europe, and the coastal area of the Mediterranean. The cultivation of wheat and barley spread from Western Asia into the Nile River valley in Egypt by 6000 B.C.E. and then spread up the Nile to other areas of Africa, especially the Sudan and Ethiopia. In the woodlands and tropical forests of central Africa, a separate agricultural system emerged based on the cultivation of tubers and root crops: yams, and tree crops; bananas. The cultivation of wheat and barley also moved eastward into the highlands of central and northwestern India between 7000 and 5000 B.C.E. By 5000 B.C.E. rice was being cultivated in southeastern Asia, where it then spread to southern China. In northern China, the cultivation of millet and the domestication of pigs and dogs seem well established by 6000 B.C.E. In the Western Hemisphere, Mesoamericans domesticated beans, squash, and maize, as well as dogs and fowl between 7000 and 5000 B.C.E.

-Growing crops on a regular basis made possible the support of larger populations and gave rise to more permanent settlements, or Neolithic farming villages or towns.

-Art: Paleolithic Cave Painting- Cave painting of large animals provide good examples of the cultural creativity of Paleolithic peoples. A cave was found in 1940 in Lascaux, France- dated around 14,000 B.C.E.

-The oldest and most extensive Neolithic villages were located in the Middle East

-Jericho, located in Palestine near the Dead Sea, was in existence by 8000 B.C.E. and covered several acres by 7000 B.C.E.

3) Developing agriculture and technology

Nature of village settlements:

-In modern day Turkey, where the past town of Catal Huyuk is located, walls enclosed the 32 acres located inside. With a population of around 6,000 during the years 6,700 to 5,700 B.C.E., people lived in rustic, mud-brick houses that were built so close there were very little streets. To get to their homes, people walked from rooftop to rooftop, and entered the house through a hole in the roof.

-The cultivated products of Catal Huyuk include fruits, nuts, and 3 different types of wheat. Food was stored primarily within the homes of the people. The civilization also had domesticated animals such as cattle, which provided yielded meat, milk and hides for rugs etc…

-There were paintings and drawings found on the walls of the houses in Catal Huyuk that showed people hunting wildlife, indicating that they did hunt, but unlike earlier hunter gatherers, they did not depend solely on hunting.

-Some people of Catal Huyuk became artisans and made weapons and jewelry that were traded with neighboring villages. In trading, Catal Huyuk became connected to the areas around them, demonstrating an example of globalization in the past.

-Religious shrines were also found at Catal Huyuk, showing figures of gods and goddesses. Statues of women were also found throughout the village, perhaps representing their appreciation of “mother earth” and their human mothers.

Neolithic Revolution: Once most peoples had started settling in villages or towns, they built houses as means of protection, and other buildings for storing goods. After goods became stored and materials were gathered, trade began among settlements.

-In the Middle East, new villages traded materials such as shells, flint and semiprecious stones. People also began to realize their strengths in different crafts, and so the working class became created. Pottery was a big trade, made from the formation of clay and then baked in a fire to harden it. Pottery became quite popular, serving as bowls for cooking, and storing grains. Woven baskets made of straw were also helpful in storing the latter. These baskets were created from plants such as flax and cotton, which were used in making thread that was woven into cloth.

Introduction of key stages of metal use:

-Stone tools grew in use as flint blades were used to make sickles for farming, as well as hoes.

4) Overall impact of agriculture on the environment:

-The change to a more systematic agriculture routine in the Neolithic Age created consequences between the relationships of men and women. Men assumed the main responsibility for herding animals and working in the fields; jobs that kept them out of the house. Women on the other hand remained at home, raising their children and weaving cloth, making cheese from milk, and performing various other tasks that required labor take place within the home. As time went on, work outside the home grew to be seen as more important than work which was done inside the home, and so men came to be the more dominant of the two genders in society, a role that would continue until recent times.

5) Technological advancements with written language and new metals:

Technological revolution:-Between 4,0000 and 3,000 B.C.E. many new technical developments occurred. The invention of a written language enabled records to be kept, and peoples’ use of metals showed how humans used their environment and its resources. Even before 4,000 B.C.E., craftsmen discovered that rocks made of metal could be heated to liquefy the metal, and they were then able to cast it in molds to create weapons and tools that were more useful than stone objects.

-Copper was the first metal used for producing tools, but after 4,000 B.C.E., metalworkers in western Asia discovered a combination of copper and tin created bronze, marking the start to a new age. Bronze was a durable and harder metal than copper, and its use worldwide led to the Bronze Age from about 3,000 to 1200 B.C.E., and then after time it was replaced by iron.

Analytical Questions:

1. How did the Agricultural Revolution change humans’ way of life?

The growing of crops and the taming of wild animals created a new relationship between people and animals. This new way of life gave humans greater control over their environment. This was the start of a new life. They were no longer nomadic people moving constantly, but people farming and living in villages.

2. What does an area have to have in order to be called a civilization?

1.  Sustained agriculture

2.  demographic density- (lots of people)

3.  patterns of cities

4.  complex commercial network- (trade)

5.  hierarchical political/social system (ranking structure)

6.  literate- (usually) ex.: Incas

3. When was the village of Catal Huyuk said to have existed? What was interesting about this place?

6,700 to 5,700 B.C.E. Example: To get to their homes, people walked from rooftop to rooftop, and entered the house through a hole in the roof.

4. What were the main trades/crafts of the Middle East? What were these crafts used for in everyday life?

In the Middle East, new villages traded materials such as shells, flint and semiprecious stones. Pottery was a big trade, used as bowls to store food and grain. Woven baskets made of straw were also helpful in storing the latter. These baskets were created from plants such as flax and cotton, which were used in making thread that was woven into cloth.

5. In detail, describe the job relationship between men and women. Which job was seen as superior to the other?

Men assumed the main responsibility for herding animals and working in the fields; jobs that kept them out of the house. Women on the other hand remained at home, raising their children and weaving cloth, making cheese from milk, and performing various other tasks that required labor take place within the home. As time went on, work outside the home grew to be seen as more important than work which was done inside the home, and so men came to be the more dominant of the two genders in society, a role that would continue until recent times.

6. What was the technological revolution? Describe it.

Between 4,000 and 3,000 B.C.E. many new technical developments occurred. The invention of a written language enabled records to be kept, and peoples’ use of metals showed a new understanding between humans, their environment and its resources.

7. What was bronze a mix of? About when was it discovered?

Bronze was a mix of copper and tin. Soon after 4,000 B.C.E.

PERSIA CHART for Mesopotamia

Politics: The Sumerians were the first creators of Mesopotamia. They took economic and political control over surrounding areas, and formed city states which were the basic units of the Sumerian civilization. They had kings who they viewed as divine in origine, and believed they derived their power from gods. The kings led armies, initiated legislation, supervised public works and provided courts and organized irrigation projects. The kings lived in great palaces with their wives and children. Hammurabi, the king of the city-state of Babylon, created the Law Code which were 282 laws people should live by, and provided punishment for crime. These codes were an example of how dominant the class system was because crimes that lower class commited against a higher class has a more extreme punishment than a higher on a lower class citizen.

Economy: This are was known as the “Land between the rivers” as they received little rain, but in the late spring the Tigris and Euphrates rivers would overflow leaving very fertile soil. The flooding was so irregular though that it could be catastrophic and not effective for agriculture. A system of irrigation was developed however, and this let the people control the flow of the river, and so they could plant crops and expand agriculture. There was more abundance of food because of this. The economy was primarily agricultural, with some commerce and industry where they produced wool textiles, pottery and metalwork. Foreign trade was fairly extensive.

Religion: The Mesopotamians believed each city state were examples of a divine model and order and were each linked to a god or goddess. In the center of each city was always a temple complex that occupied several acres. A lot of money was put into the temples and other spiritual purposes. A common form of divination was sacrifice of animals. They examined the organs of the animals because supposedly the details on them could foretell events to come.

Society: Their city was surrounded by walls with defense towers. The houses were built of sundried bricks. The city states included three major social groups; nobles, commoners and slaves. Nobles were royalty and priest officials and their families. Commoners were the noble’s subjects who worked for the palace, and also other free citizens like merchants, fishers, and craftspeople. 90% or more were farmers. Slaves belonged to palace officials, built temples and buildings, women weaved cloth and ground grain.

Intellectual: They were remarkable with mud bricks, and could build high arches and domes with them. The earliest of Mesopotamian text dates to around 3000 BC when the Sumerians used cuneiform writing. They used reeds and wrote on clay tablets that dried in the sun. They primarily used writing to keep record, but some texts were created to teach. The people also made good achievement in math and astronomy by devising a number system based on 60, and geometry to erect buildings. They also created a calendar based on 12 months.

PERSIA chart for EGYPT

Politics: Kingship was divine in ancient Egypt, and the kings were mostly known as pharaohs. They held absolute power but were not supposed to rule arbitrarily. The chief principle was called a Ma’at and conveyed ideas of order and harmony. The kings also did not rule alone, and their family members preformed administrative tasks but by the 4th dynasty a bureaucracy was developed. There was taxation and a careful assessment of land and tenants was taken to base the taxes on. Egypt was divided into provinces and a governor was head of each.