Summary: From Human Prehistory To The Early Civilizations
-AP World History - StearnsChapter 1 – From Human Prehistory to the Early CivilizationsI. IntroductionA. Human origin – 2.5 million years ago1. 1/4000 of earth’s existence – 24 hour day – last 5 minutesB. Human negatives and positives1. Aggressiveness, long baby time, back problems, death fears2. Grip, high/regular sex drive, omnivores, facial expressions, speechC. Paleolithic (Old Stone) Age – 2.5 million to 12000 BCE1. Simple tools – increase in size, brain capacity – Homo erectusII. Late Paleolithic DevelopmentsA.Homo sapiens sapiens – 120,000 years ago – killed off others?a.Population growth required change – 1 square mile to hunt/gather for 2 peoplei.Long breast feeding – limit fertilityii.Relative gender equality – women harder, but both
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Some races more inventive, moral, courageous, artistica. Savage to civilized – white,yellow, red, brown, black b. Social Darwinism – historiographyc. Justified European expansion – White Man’s Burdend. EthnocentrismE. Other approach – civilization just one form of social organization1. All societies produce cultures, though might lack food surplus/specialization2. All peoples capable – but lack resources, historical circumstances, desireV. Tigris-Euphrates CivilizationA. Precedents1. Writing2. Law codes3. City planning/architecture4. Trade institutions & moneyB. Mesopotamia – land between two rivers1. One of 3 civilizations from scratch – Central America, China, Mesopotamia2. Farming required irrigation3. Sumerians 3500 BCEa. Cuneiform – scribes b. Sumerian art – frescoes for templesc. Science – astronomy – calendar/forecasts – aided agriculture1. Charts of constellationsd. Ziggurats – first monumental architecturee. Role of geography1. Swift and unpredictable floods – religious2. Polytheism – punishment of humans through floods – Noah3. Gloomy – punishment in afterlife – hell4. Easy to invade – constant war f. City-states – king w/ divine authority1. Regulate religion2. Court system for justice3. Land worked by slaves – warfare created labor surplusg. Inventions – wheeled carts, fertilizer, silver money4. Babyloniansa. Hammurabi – first codified law1. Procedure for courts2. Property rights3. Harsh punishments5. Indo-European invasions from Northa. Adopted cultureC. Egyptian Civilization1. Benefited from trade/technology of Mesopotamia2. Geographic factorsa. Difficult to invade b. Regular flooding cycle3. Economy – government directed vs. Mesopotamia – freedom4. Pharoahs – godlike – tombs – pyramids 5. Interactions with Kush to the South6. Egyptian art – lively, cheerful, colorful – positive afterlife – surrounded by beauty7. Architecture influenced later MediterraneanD. Indian and Chinese River Valley Civilizations1. Indus River –
Some races more inventive, moral, courageous, artistica. Savage to civilized – white,yellow, red, brown, black b. Social Darwinism – historiographyc. Justified European expansion – White Man’s Burdend. EthnocentrismE. Other approach – civilization just one form of social organization1. All societies produce cultures, though might lack food surplus/specialization2. All peoples capable – but lack resources, historical circumstances, desireV. Tigris-Euphrates CivilizationA. Precedents1. Writing2. Law codes3. City planning/architecture4. Trade institutions & moneyB. Mesopotamia – land between two rivers1. One of 3 civilizations from scratch – Central America, China, Mesopotamia2. Farming required irrigation3. Sumerians 3500 BCEa. Cuneiform – scribes b. Sumerian art – frescoes for templesc. Science – astronomy – calendar/forecasts – aided agriculture1. Charts of constellationsd. Ziggurats – first monumental architecturee. Role of geography1. Swift and unpredictable floods – religious2. Polytheism – punishment of humans through floods – Noah3. Gloomy – punishment in afterlife – hell4. Easy to invade – constant war f. City-states – king w/ divine authority1. Regulate religion2. Court system for justice3. Land worked by slaves – warfare created labor surplusg. Inventions – wheeled carts, fertilizer, silver money4. Babyloniansa. Hammurabi – first codified law1. Procedure for courts2. Property rights3. Harsh punishments5. Indo-European invasions from Northa. Adopted cultureC. Egyptian Civilization1. Benefited from trade/technology of Mesopotamia2. Geographic factorsa. Difficult to invade b. Regular flooding cycle3. Economy – government directed vs. Mesopotamia – freedom4. Pharoahs – godlike – tombs – pyramids 5. Interactions with Kush to the South6. Egyptian art – lively, cheerful, colorful – positive afterlife – surrounded by beauty7. Architecture influenced later MediterraneanD. Indian and Chinese River Valley Civilizations1. Indus River –