Download - The Beginnings of Civilization
The Beginnings of Civilization
3,700,000 to 587 B.C.
Exploration of Prehistory
Hominidswww.houseofcanes.com/ ordinfo.htm
Key characteristic• Walk upright
Role of Artifactswww.texasbeyondhistory.net/ rubin/images/artif...
• Let us know more about ancient cultures
• Somewhat limited – theories have formed to attempt to explain the past
Lucywww.pbs.org/saf/ 1105/features/eureka3.htm
• Oldest human-like skeletal remains ever found
• 3-4 Million Years old• Found in Africa• Discovery has been
questioned lately over the species of the find
First Humanswww.sonoma.edu/.../ anclub/neanderfacts.html
• Characteristics• Powerful jaw• Receding chins• Low foreheads• Heavy eyebrows
More First Humanswww.public.iastate.edu/ ~cfford/342ggsintro.htm
• Hunter/gatherers• Nomadic• Traveled in clans of
40-50• Men hunted while
women gathered nuts/berries/seeds
Homo Sapienswww.fossils-as-art.com/ images/0200.jpg
• Appeared on the scene between 100,000 and 400,000 years ago
Ice Ageswww.salzburg.com/ freizeit/185_3920.htm
• Several over 1.7 million years
• Warm era that we live in today started about 10,000 years ago – coincides with last ice age
First Homo Sapiens
Neanderthals• Appeared 35,000-130,000 years ago (Old
Stone Age)• Wore animal skins• Used fire• Buried their dead
Cro-Magnons• Appeared about 35,000 years ago• Better tools• Cave Art
• Textbook• History lessons• Religious
Three Stone Ages
OldMiddleNew
Old Stone Agewww.chennaimuseum.org/.../ 02/05/prehist.htm
• Very crude tools• Stones used to throw at
animals
Middle Stone Age www.dungarvanmuseum.org/ index.cgi?art_id=5&pa...
Mesolithic Age• 10,000 to 5,500 years
ago• Not only use stones
but bones• Bows and arrows• Fish hooks• Harpoons
New Stone Agewww.turizm.net/turkey/ history/neolithic.html
Neolithic Age• Development of
Agriculture• Domestication of
animals/plants for food
Characteristics of the Evolution of Civilization
Agriculture to Surplus Production
• People began to grow more food than they would need – allowed people to do things other than farming
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Establishment of Towns/Cities
• With surplus populations could grow
• Families now could be larger
www.turizm.net/turkey/ history/neolithic.html
Division of Laborwww.jupiter.fl.us/.../ BuildingSafety.htm
• In towns/cities people could specialize in one job or another
Evolution of Civilization
Lesser Characteristics
Calendarwww.hcc-nd.edu/images/ Calendars-Oct03.gif
• Needed to track seasons for planting/harvesting and migrations (if needed)
Form of Writingmrspock.marion.ohio-state.edu/.../ cuneiform.htm
• Needed for communication
• Early forms were cumbersome with too many symbols – became better as time past
Early Civilizations
Chapter 2
Peoples of the Fertile Crescent
Section 1
Fertile Crescentxenohistorian.faithweb.com/ worldhis/Hist02.html
• Situated along the Tigris-Euphrates River valleys
• Much like Egypt in that it needed rivers to flood for irrigation
• Rivers begin in mountains of Turkey and flow into the Persian Gulf
Bronze Agedomino.kappa.ro/.../ ist_ilustrata/$file/4.jpg
• Developed as an alloy of copper and tin
• Easily made into tools• Weakness: not strong
enough
Sumerians
• Located in Sumer• Cuneiform• Architecture
• Arch• Class system• Gods were forces of
nature and heavenly bodies
Akkadianswww.utexas.edu/courses/ clubmed/sargon.jpg
Major leader was Sargon• 2334 B.C. to 2279 B.C
• Akkadian empire lasted 150 years
Babylonianswww.globalsecurity.org/.../ images/hammurabi.jpg
• Greatest Leader – Hammurabi• Code of Hammurabi• Rule from 1792 B.C.to
• Much like the Sumerians in many ways
Egyptians
Section 2
Egypt: Role of the Nile
• Civilization found upon the Nile River Valley
• Nile River is the longest river flowing north in the World
Nile River• Flows northward –
divided into two parts:• Upper Egypt (South)• Lower Egypt (North)
• Originates at Lake Victoria
• Cataracts (rapids)• Surrounded by two deserts• Flows into delta – then
into the Mediterranean
Nile River: Lifeblood of Egyptwww.wwnorton.com/.../ nawol/maps/MAP3EGYP.JPG
• Nile River floods yearly leaving silt in valleys adjacent to River – provide fertile soil• < Flooding – Bad
crops• > Flooding – Villages swept away
Egypt moves toward Civilization
astro.temple.edu/ ~rguay/rosetta%20stone.jpg • 3000 B.C. –
Hieroglyphics developed
• Language artists have been able to translate the Hieroglyphics with use of the Rosetta Stone
Egyptian Kingdoms
Menesmembers.tripodnet.nl/ ancientegypt/history.html
• Unites Upper (southern) and Lower (northern) Egypt in 3200 B.C.
• Begins the first of 30 dynasties of Egypt
Old Kingdom
2680 B.C. to 2180 B. C.
Achievements in Arts and Science
www.astro.utoronto.ca/ ~yao/egypt1999/sphinx.gif
• The Great Sphinx
The Old Kingdom
• Class society• Lower: Peasants and Farmers• Upper: Pharaoh, the Royal Family, Priests,
Scribes, and Government Officials• At end of dynasty the pharaohs became
weaker and the nobles grew stronger• Revolutions began probably because of
famine and lack of food
First Intermediate Period
• Lasted from 2180 B.C. to 2050 B.C. • Time period marked by many civil wars• Period ends as new line of pharaoh comes
to power
The Middle Kingdom
2050 B.C. to 1650 B.C.
Middle Kingdom
• Considered the “golden age” of Egypt• Noble and Priests begin to challenge the
power of the Pharaoh – led to instability• Period also marked by invasions of Hyksos• Disputes arise over how devastating the
Hyksos invasion was on the Egyptians• Hyksos did bring in new tools of warfare:
the chariot and compound bow
Second Intermediate Period
• Begins as Hyksos gain control of all of Egypt – probably because of the weakness of Egypt
• Period ends as new line of rulers come to power
The New Kingdom
1570 B.C. to 1080 B.C.
New Kingdom
• Kingdom centered around their capital, Thebes
• Drove the Hyksos out of Egypt with use of a strong army
• Begin to build an empire• The strongest of the rulers were….
Hatshepsut
• First female to ever hold the title of Pharoah
• Technically co-ruler – with her son
• Kept empire’s boundaries secure and built trade
Thutmose III
• Stepson of Hatshepsut• Continued trend of
mother• Expanded Egypt’s
territory to its largest extent until his death in 1450 B.C.
Amenhotep IV
• First monotheistical leader of Eygpt
• Believed in the sun god, Aton
• Changed name to Akhenaton
• After his death, Egypt returns to polytheism
Nefertiti
• Wife of Akhenaton• political move
against priests of Amon-Re
• moved capital to Amarna
• worshipped Aton, the sun disk
Tutankhamen 1335-1325 BCE
• (King Tut)• ruled nine years,
died at 18• young death meant
burial in the tomb of a lesser person (noble) resulting in preservation
Ramses II (the Great)• Ruled from 1279
B.C. to 1215 B.C.
• Great Builder• Considered to be
the pharoah at the time of the Exodus
Cleopatra
• Becomes ruler in 51 BC when father dies
• Cleopatra sees the end of the empire as Rome takes over
Egyptian Achievements
Arts and Architectureforum.paradoxplaza.com/ forum/showthread.php?g...
• Pyramids – close to perfect symmetry
• Used as tombs for the pharoahs
Science, Math, and Medicine
• Devised a 365 day calendar• Used numbering system based on 10• Used herbs for medicinal purpose• Mummification – preservation of dead
New Centers of Civilization
Sections 3 and 4
Iron Agewww.hants.gov.uk/museum/ ironagem/reception.html
• Iron was smelted (melted) from iron ore
• Much stronger than bronze
• Gave those who possessed iron weapons a huge advantage over those who did not
Hittitesnefertiti.iwebland.com/ hittites.jpg
• Warlike• Among first peoples to
smelt iron• Were from Asia Minor• Invaded Babylonian
area around 1600 B.C.
www.sarissa.org/ images/hittites_reg.jpg
Phoenicians • They lived along the Mediterranean in Palestine.
Their trade was the basis of their prosperity.
Israelites • Minor people south of Phoenicians whose
religion known today as Judaism and has influenced the religions of Christianity and Islam.
Israel and Judah• Israel- King David united all the
territory that becomes Israel with Jerusalem as capital.
• King Solomon expanded the government, army, and trade.
• After the death of Solomon, Israel was broken into two kingdoms; Israel and Judah
Judaism• Monotheistic- the Jews believed in one God
called Yahweh.• Because the Jews believed in one God they were
not accepted by their neighbors.
Assyriansmembers.shaw.ca/ scud/assyrians.jpg
• Warrior like• First people to use
chariots and cavalry in battle
• First to effectively rule a large empire
• Capital was Nineveh
www.bible-history.com/ people/assyrians/map_as...
Chaldeanswww.cts.edu/.../Images/ oldtest/TissNebu.jpg
• Greatest leader was Nebuchadnezzar• Hanging Gardens of
Babylon• Biblical story
• Skilled astrologers• Calculated the length of a
year• Defeated by the Persians
www.faculty.fairfield.edu/ jmac/rs/7hanging.gif
Persians• Greatest leaders
• Medes• Cyrus***• Darius• Xerxes
• Kept large empire• Built extensive road
system• Religious beliefs• Persian army defeated by
Alexander the Great (Macedonian)