Rise of Civilization

Unit 1

Prehistory

The period before people developed writing.

3 types of early man

Homo-habilis – man had ability

Homo-erectus – man could walk upright

Homo-sapiens – man could think

Civilizations

A highly organized society marked by knowledge of a written language, the arts, sciences, and government.

Anthropologists

Scientists who study past human civilizations; they compare bones, looking for changes in size and structure.

Archaeologists

Scientists who study the life and culture of ancient peoples by excavating ancient living sites.

Artifacts

An object made by humans, such as a tool, ornament, weapon, or pottery, that has historical or archaeological importance.

Culture

The ideas, customs, skills, and arts of a given people at a given time.

Aspects of culture(ways of life)

Language Foods Religion Achievement in art and music Use of tools Technology

Technology

The skills and knowledge available to a people.

Nomads

A person without a permanent home who moves about canstantly in search of food.

Early Man

When population was small, had a nomadic lifestyle – men traveled in small groups (tribes) usually following and hunting wild herds of animals. They had no permanent home; people traveled constantly. There emerged a single leader. (Usually, the ruler of each tribe was the 1. Strongest, 2. Eldest, 3. Wisest, and 4. The highest religious leader.)

Early People

Neanderthals Originated in Africa and spread to Europe. Hunters/gatherers. Used fire for warmth and cooking. Use of

fire and clothing made migration to cooler climates possible.

Neanderthals (Cont.) Lived in caves Some built shelters with skins.

Cro-Magnons Originated in Asia; artifacts in France Either lived at the same time as

Neanderthals or came to be when Neaderthals disappeared.

Develop knife and chisel Chopped down trees and built canoes.

Cro-Magnons (Cont.) Developed bow and arrow tohunt larger

animals and have a better food suply. Left behind cave paintings

Human Race Creation of Adam. Story of Genesis in the

Old Testament in the Bible. Genesis 3 shows how nomadic lifestyle began.

The Neolithic Revolution

The development of Agriculture changed the nomadic lifestyle as farming tied people down to the land in one permanent place/spot. Thus, villages started to form and grow into cities, and civilizations formed.

People shifted from gathering/hunting food to producing food.

New innovations allowed this: Agriculture Domestication of animals Villages Plow Fertilizer Loom Wheel Metalworking for weapons

The domestication of plants and animals led to the domestication of humankind, meaning hunters lived in nature, while farmers tried to control nature.

4 Earliest Known Civilizations

First highly organized societies that developed out of river valleys:

Mesopotamia (Iraq – on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers)

Ancient Egypt (on the Nile River) India (on the Indus River) China (on the Huang/Yellow River that

empties into the Yellow Sea)

“The test of civilization is the power of drawing the most benefits out of cities”-Emerson. What do cities provide for people?

Jobs, government

Civilization

A highly, organized society marked by knowledge of a written language, the arts, sciences, & government.

Most civilizations developed out of the 4 River Valleys. Nile

Tigris/Euphrates

Indus

Huang

Basic Features of Civilizations: 1. Food supply (is stable; often, a

surplus thanks to an Irrigation System: rainfall fell to ditches, which ran into canals, & into reservoirs.)

Why must there be a surplus of food before a city can develop and grow?

In order to free others to engage in other activities.

2. Specialized labor

Artisan-A skilled craftworker, such as a builder, potter, & textile worker.

-worked one task -very skilled -produced large quantities -improved quality

Metalworking-introduced the Bronze Age; used bronze which was easier to pour into a mold and shape weapons. Artisans had a major effect on the economy.

Economy-a system of producing, distributing, and consuming wealth to meet people’s needs.

Trading-the exchange of goods and services thanks to the ability to travel.

HOW?– A.   Overland by animals or caravans

B. Water by small canoes and later, ships

3. Government Govt. needed a way to supervise and protect

agriculture and trade. a.  Government officials were created to

oversee collection, storage, & distribution of the food surplus.

b.   Soldiers guarded the city’s territory and trade routes.

c. The king was the head of government.

4. Social levels followed the city’s layout. a.  In the center were the government

and religious buildings; b. Then, houses of the ruling class; c.  Then, groups of artisans; d.  On the outskirts, farmers. Compare to the city of Glasgow.

5. System of writing; tools of writing were a quill pen and berry ink. -Writing originated when priests would

record a surplus of food and the distribution of food.

-Early people used pictograms. -Early people also wrote true stories

and myths.

6. Organized large-scale projects To control flooding, dams and earthen

dikes were built