isolation and expansion civilization vs. geography 700-1000 ad expanding civilizations move to new...

Isolation and Expansion

CIVILIZATION VS. GEOGRAPHY700-1000 AD

Expanding civilizations move to new regions seeking new

resources

Africa Geography and barriers

Sahara Ocean High ground with steep rivers

Only 5-6 major basins Half rivers never reach coast

Dense forest Malarial mosquitoes

Spread and exchange of cultures took centuries longer than Europe

African Exceptions Ethiopia

Contact via sea trade Monsoon winds

West Africa Jenne – Jeno C. 300 BC Flood plain of Niger river Crossroads of trade

North to South Slaves Salt Copper Gold

African Exceptions cont. Ghana and Gao

C. 1000 AD Sacred kings Rich middlemen of trade Lack of contact between E and W along Sahel

reason Africa does not mirror Asia/Europe

America and Geography Lack of N-S corridor kept Americas from

mirroring Eurasia

No known contact between South America and Mesoamerica

The Maya 3 contrasting environments

Volcanic highlands (Guatemala) Limestone plateau (Yucatan) Caribbean coast (Mexico)

Rulers 3 responsibilities (similar in all North American civilizations) War Communicate with Gods Building ceremonial centers

Maya cont. Mayan City-states

Too equally matched for imperialism Constant warfare

Terror Sacrifice

Centered around ceremonial building Markets Temples Human Sacrifices

Maya cont. Unique writing system

Astronomical observation Genealogies of Kings

Mayan Civilization declines c. 1000 AD Environment changes Droughts and storms El Nino currents

Mayan Calendar

North American Civilization Civilization expands along Ohio &

Mississippi river valleys Maize Culture

Maize and beans move to central plains New crops allow spread of people Allowed large scale building

Mound building in Mississippi Adobe cliffs in South West

Areas of Mound-Builder Influence

Maize

Islam and the Environment Imp expansion slows in late 700s Ecological exp. increases

New foods gathered and moved Medicinal Plants Examples

Coffee Cotton Sugar

New technology Clearing forests Fertilizer Increases amount of arable land

Coffee Plant

Cotton Plant

Sugarcane Plant

Clearing Forests

Frontier Expansion in Japan Drive to increase food production

Gov sponsored Slow development of marginal land farming Adopt barley to replace millet as secondary

crop Open new lands to agriculture by displacing

“barbarians” Ainu people Developed fortified farming settlements

Ainu Peoples

India and Environmental Expansion Gupta empire collapse 500 AD

Replaced by many rival kingdoms Small kingdoms sent priests and warriors to

clear/cultivate uninhabited “wasteland” Forests Swamps Generated revenue by taxes these new lands

Tang China and Environmental Expansion Improved canal system and irrigation Land reform

Break large holdings among smaller holders New rice strains from Vietnam Moved southward

Away from steppes Take land from southern “barbarians”

Exterminated Assimilated Marginalized

China’s southern movement led to conflict with coastal trading powers

New Agrarian States 700-1000 AD Chenila (Cambodia) Khmer (lower MeKong) Viet Cham Java Sumatra

Expanding Christendom Conquest rather than new crops

Ireland & Scotland (monks) Saxons (Boniface) 719

Charlemagne Carolus Magnus Traveled to Italy 774 -> collected books, etc. Proclaimed self successor of Rome Conquered in name of a new “Roman” empire First “Roman” expansion since Trajan

Charlemagne’s satellites (Christian states) Slav states in Bohemia Bulgars in modern Bulgaria

Carolingian Empire

Charlemagne

700-1000 AD Overall, a time of new environmental

expansion and conquest New crops New farming strategies Military expansion Agriculture expanded into marginal areas All to deal with population increase