Unit 1 Topical Outline
Unit 1 Topical Outline
Chapter 1
I. The evolution of homo sapiens
A. The hominids
1. Australopithecus
a. Appeared in east Africa about four million to one million years ago
b. Walked upright on two legs; well-developed hands
c. Stone tools; fire later
2. Homo erectus
a. 2.5 million to two hundred thousand years ago, east Africa
b. Large brain; sophisticated tools; definitely knew how to control fire
c. Developed language skills in well-coordinated hunts of large animals
d. Migrated to Asia and Europe; established throughout by two hundred thousand years ago
B. Homo sapiens
1. Evolved as early as two hundred thousand years ago
2. Brain with large frontal regions for conscious and reflective thought
3. Spread throughout Eurasia beginning more than one hundred thousand years ago,
4. Ice age land bridges enabled them to populate other continents
5. The natural environment
a. Homo sapiens used knives, spears, bows, and arrows
b. Brought tremendous pressure on other species
II. Paleolithic society
A. Economy and society of hunting and gathering peoples
1. Economic life
a. Prevented individuals from accumulating private property
b. Lived an egalitarian existence
c. Lived in small bands, about thirty to fifty members in each group
2. Big game hunting with special tools and tactics
3. Paleolithic settlements
a. Natufians in eastern Mediterranean
b. Jomon in central Japan
c. Chinook in Pacific northwest area of North America
B. Paleolithic Culture
1. Neanderthal peoples
a. Europe and southwest Asia between one hundred thousand and thirty-five thousand years ago
b. Careful, deliberate burials were evidence of a capacity for emotion and feelings
2. The creativity of homo sapiens
a. Constructed powerful and flexible languages
b. Accumulate and transmit knowledge to new generations
c. New tools, weapons, and trade networks
d. Venus figurines--fertility
e. Cave paintings of animals--sympathetic magic
III. The neolithic era and the transition to agriculture
A. The origins of agriculture
1. Neolithic era; new stone age; refined tools and agriculture
a. From about twelve thousand to six thousand years ago
b. Neolithic women began systematic cultivation of plants
c. Neolithic men began to domesticate animals
2. Early agriculture around 9000 B.C.E.
a. Agriculture emerged independently in several parts of the world
b. Merchants, migrants, and travelers spread food knowledge
c. Slash-and-burn cultivation involved frequent movement of farmers
d. Agriculture more work than hunting/gathering but steady, large supply of food
B. Early agricultural society; population explosion caused by surplus
1. Emergence of villages and towns
a. Jericho, earliest known neolithic village
b. Mud huts and defensive walls
2. Specialization of labor
a. Neolithic site of Çatal Hüyük, eight thousand people
b. Prehistoric craft industries: pottery, metallurgy, and textile production
3. Social distinctions, due to private land ownership
C. Neolithic culture; calendars and life cycle deities
D. The origins of urban life
1. Emergence of cities, larger and more complex than villages
2. Earliest cities in the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, 4000 to 3500 B.C.E.
Chapter 2
I. The quest for order
A. Mesopotamia: "the land between the rivers"
1. Valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates
2. Little rain, so area needs irrigation (small scale by 6000 B.C.E.)
3. Food supplies increase
a. Human population increases
b. Migrants to the area increase--especially Semites
c. Sumer (in south) becomes population center
4. First cities emerge, 4000 B.C.E.
a. Between 3200 and 2350 B.C.E., they evolve into city-states (control of surrounding region)
b. Governments sponsor building projects and irrigation
c. Attacks by others led to wall building and military development
d. Kingships evolve with cooperation of noble families
B. The course of empire
1. Sargon of Akkad (2370-2315 B.C.E.)
a. Coup against king of Kish
b. Seizes trade routes and natural resources
c. Gradually empire weakens and collapses about 2000 B.C.E.
2. Hammurabi (1792-1750 B.C.E.)
a. Centralizes the bureaucracy and regulates taxation
b. Capital is Babylon
c. Law Code: law of retribution and importance of social status
d. Hittite assault and empire crumbles in 1595 B.C.E.
C. The later Mesopotamian empires
1. Assyrians (northern Mesopotamia), about 1300-612 B.C.E.
a. Cities: Assur and Ninevah
b. Powerful army: professional officers (merit), chariots, archers, iron weapons
c. Unpopular rule leads to rebellions; ends 612 B.C.E.
2. New Babylonian empire, 600-550 B.C.E.
a. Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 B.C.E.)
b. Hanging gardens of palace shows wealth and luxury
II. The formation of a complex society and sophisticated cultural traditions
A. Economic specialization and trade
1. Bronze (made from copper and tin); used in weapons and later agricultural tools
2. Iron (about 1000 B.C.E.), cheaper and more widely available; used in weapons and tools
3. Wheel (about 3500 B.C.E.) helps trade; carts can carry more goods further
4. Shipbuilding: maritime trade increases in all directions; network develops
B. The emergence of a stratified patriarchal society
1. Social classes
a. Cities: more opportunities to accumulate wealth
b. Kings (hereditary) and nobles (royal family and supporters) are highest class
c. Priests and priestesses rule temple communities with large incomes and staff
d. Free commoners (peasants), dependent clients (no property); pay taxes and labor on building projects
e. Slaves (POWs, criminals, debt servitude): mostly domestic servants
2. Patriarchy
a. Hammurabi's code: men are head of the household
b. Women get fewer rights after 2000 B.C.E.; by 1500 B.C.E. are wearing veils
C. The development of written cultural traditions
1. Cuneiform, Mesopotamian writing style, becomes standard
a. Reed stylus (wedge-shaped) pressed in clay then baked
b. Mostly commercial and tax documents
2. Education: vocational to be scribe or government official
3. Literature: astronomy, mathematics, abstract (religious and literary like Gilgamesh)
III. The broader influence of Mesopotamian society
A. Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews
1. Early Hebrews are pastoral nomads between Mesopotamia and Egypt (second millennium B.C.E.)
a. Settle in some cities
b. Abraham leads group to Palestine 1850 B.C.E.
c. Descendents borrow law of retribution and flood story from Mesopotamia
2. Some migrate to Egypt in eighteenth century B.C.E. then back to Palestine with Moses
a. Twelve tribes become Israelites
b. Mesopotamian-style monarchs with Jerusalem as capital
c. David (1000-970 B.C.E.) then Solomon (970-930 B.C.E.)
3. Moses and monotheism
a. Ten Commandments: moral and ethical standards for followers
b. Compilation of teachings into Torah (1000-400 B.C.E.)
4. Assyrians conquer
a. Conquer Israel in north and Judah in south and destroy Jerusalem
b. Deportees return to Judea; become known as Jews (586 B.C.E.)
c. Prophets in this period increase devotion of people
d. Build distinct Jewish community in Judea with strong group identity
B. The Phoenicians
1. First settlers about 3000 B.C.E.; develop into kingdoms of independent city-states
2. Little agriculture; live on trade and communications networks
a. Overland trade to Mesopotamia; influence on culture
b. Sea trade most important; get raw materials, trade for manufactured goods
3. Have early alphabetical script (1500 B.C.E.)
IV. The Indo-European migrations
A. Indo-European origins
1. Linguists discover similarities between many languages; they must be related
2. Originate in steppes of central Asia; pastoral people; 4500-2500 B.C.E.
3. Domesticate horses; learn to ride; use horses with carts, then chariots
B. Indo-European expansion and its effects
1. Indo-European society breaks up about 3000 B.C.E.; peoples gradually migrate
2. Hittites settle in central Anatolia about 2000 B.C.E.
a. Build powerful kingdoms
b. Conquer Babylonian empire 1595 B.C.E.
c. Dissolve by about 1200 B.C.E.
d. Technology: light horse-drawn chariots (spokes) and iron metallurgy
3. Some migrate into central Asia by 2000 B.C.E.
4. Other migrations: Greece, Italy, central Europe, western Europe, Britain
a. All pastoral agriculturalists
b. All speak related languages and worship similar deities
5. Later wave of migrations to Iran and India ("Aryan")
Chapter 3
I. Early agricultural society in Africa
A. Climatic change and the development of agriculture in Africa
1. Sahara region used to be grassy steppe lands with water (10,000 B.C.E.)
a. Abundant hunting, fishing, wild grains
b. Eastern Sudan begins to herd cattle and collect grains (9000 B.C.E.)
c. Permanent settlements and the growing of sorghum and yams (7500 B.C.E.)
d. Small states with semi-divine rulers (5000 B.C.E.)
2. Climate becomes hotter and drier after 5000 B.C.E.
a. People are driven into river regions--Nile
b. Annual flooding makes rich soil for agriculture
B. Egypt and Nubia: "gifts of the Nile"
1. Egypt--lower third of Nile River; Nubia--middle third of Nile
2. After 5000 B.C.E. peoples cultivate gourds and watermelons, domesticate donkeys and cattle (from Sudan), and grow wheat and barley (from Mesopotamia)
3. Agriculture easy in Egypt (due to Nile flooding) but more work in Nubia
4. States begin to emerge by 4000 B.C.E., small kingdoms by 3300 B.C.E.
C. The unification of Egypt
1. Strong Nubian realm, Ta-Seti (3400-3200 B.C.E.)
2. Egypt, large and prosperous state by 3100 B.C.E.
a. Menes at Memphis unites Upper and Lower Egypt
b. Pharaoh, absolute ruler and owns all land
3. Archaic Period (3100-2660 B.C.E.) and Old Kingdom (2660-2160 B.C.E.)
a. Great pyramids of Giza built during this period; Khufu the largest
b. Violence between Egypt and Nubia (Egypt dominates from 3000-2400 B.C.E.)
c. Nubia later develops into Kingdom of Kush
d. Interaction through diplomacy, Nubian mercenaries, and intermarriage
D. Turmoil and empire
1. Period of upheaval after Old Kingdom (2160-2040 B.C.E.)
2. Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 B.C.E.)
3. Nomadic horsemen, Hyksos, invade Egypt
a. Using bronze weapons and chariots (Egypt does not have)
b. Captures Memphis in 1674 B.C.E.
c. Causes revolts in Upper Egypt
4. New Kingdom (1550-1070 B.C.E.)
a. Pharaoh gains power, huge army, large bureaucracy
b. Building projects: temples, palaces, statues
c. Tuthmosis III (1479-1425 B.C.E.) built empire including Palestine, Syrian, Nubia
d. Then Egypt falls into a long period of decline
5. Egyptians driven out of Nubia in 1100 B.C.E.
a. Nubian Kingdom of Kush; capital is Napata
b. King Kashta conquers Thebes (in Egypt) in 760 B.C.E.
6. Assyrians with iron weapons invade from the north
7. After sixth century B.C.E. series of foreign conquests
II. The formation of complex societies and sophisticated cultural traditions
A. The emergence of cities and stratified societies
1. Cities are not as prominent in Egypt as in Mesopotamia (agricultural villages)
a. Memphis, head of the delta
b. Thebes, administrative center of Upper Egypt
c. Heliopolis, center of sun god cult
d. Tanis, important sea port on Mediterranean
2. Nubian cities
a. Kerma, dominates trade routes
b. Napata, most prosperous city after Nubian conquest of Egypt
c. Meroë, most influential city after Assyrian invasion because it is farther south
3. Social classes
a. Egypt: peasants and slaves (agriculture), pharaoh, professional military and administrators
b. Nubia: complex and hierarchical society (can tell from tombs)
4. Patriarchy in both but women have more influence than in Mesopotamia
a. Women act as regents, like female pharaoh Hatshepsut
b. Nubia: women serve as queens, priestesses, and scribes
B. Economic specialization and trade
1. Bronze important but copper and tin rare and expensive
2. Iron metallurgy develops independently in Sudan
3. Transportation: sailboats, carts, and donkey caravans
4. Trade networks
a. Egypt and Nubia: exotic goods from Nubia (ebony, gold, gems, slaves) and pottery, wine, linen, decorative items from Egypt
b. Egypt and the north: especially wood, like cedar from Lebanon
c. Egypt with Africa: Punt (East Africa)
C. Early writing in the Nile valley
1. Hieroglyphics found on monuments and papyrus by 3200 B.C.E.
2. Hieratic script, everyday writing 2600-600 B.C.E.
3. Demotic and Coptic scripts adapt Greek writing
4. Scribes live very privileged lives
5. Nubia adapts Egyptian writing until Meroitic in fifth century B.C.E. (has not been deciphered)
D. The development of organized religious traditions
1. Principal gods: sun gods Amon and Re
2. Brief period of monotheism: Aten
a. Pharaoh Akhenaten's idea of a new capital at Akhetaten
b. Orders all other gods' names chiseled out; their names die with him
3. Mummification
a. At first only pharaohs are mummified (Old Kingdom)
b. Later ruling classes and wealthy can afford it
c. Eventually commoners have it too (Middle and New Kingdom)
4. Cult of Osiris
a. Brother Seth murders Osiris and scatters his body
b. Wife Isis gathers him up and gods restore him to life in underworld
c. Becomes associated with Nile, crops, life/death, immortality
d. Osiris judges the heart of the dead against the feather of truth
5. Nubians combine Egyptian religions with their own
III. Bantu migrations and early agricultural societies of sub-Saharan Africa
A. The dynamics of Bantu expansion
1. Bantu--language group from west central Africa
a. Live along banks of rivers; use canoes
b. Cultivate yams and oil palms
c. Live in clan-based villages
d. Trade with hunting/gathering forest people
2. Early migrations of Bantu (3000-1000 B.C.E.)
a. Move south and west into the forest lands
b. Move south to Congo River and east to Great Lakes region
c. Absorb much of the population of hunter/gather/fisher people
d. By 1000 B.C.E. occupy most of Africa south of the equator
3. Features of the Bantu
a. Use canoes and settle along banks of rivers; spread from there
b. Agricultural surplus causes them to move inland from rivers
c. Become involved in trade
4. Bantu rate of migration increases after 1000 B.C.E. due to appearance of iron
a. Iron tools allow them to clear more land for agriculture
b. Iron weapons give them stronger position
B. Early agricultural societies of sub-Saharan Africa
1. Many other societies besides Bantu migrate
2. Spread of agriculture to most of sub-Saharan Africa by 1000 B.C.E.