a brief introduction to civilization - steven a. martin
TRANSCRIPT
ABriefIntroductionTo Civilization
StevenAndrewMartin,Ph.D.FacultyofInternationalStudiesPrinceofSongkla University
“BeyondtheGreatWall...Youwillfindnofriends...”
EducationAbroadAsia.comfacebook.com/EducationAbroadAsia
For2020Coursesin: Eastern
Civilization Western
Civilization SouthEastAsian
Civilization
UnderstandingHistoricalDates
• B.C.(BC)=BeforeChrist(beforethebirthofChrist)
• A.D.(AD)=AnnoDomini(Latinphrase)– “IntheyearofourLord”– TheJulianCalendar(AD525)– Doesnotactuallystandfor“AfterDeath”
• B.C.E.(BCE) =BeforeCommonEra• C.E. (CE)=CommonEra
– TheGregorianCalendar– Doesnotactually[necessarily]standfor
“ChristianEra”
• BP=BeforePresent
• Mya =Millionyearsago
TheuseofB.C. andA.D.wasproposedbythemonkDionysiusExiguus (DennistheLittle)inA.D.525to
representtheentranceofChristintotheworldandas
aturningpointofhistory(i.e.,the“JulianCalendar”).
BCE isthesameasBCCE isthesameasAD
BCEandCEavoidreferencetoChristianity.
TheBC andAD,asdesignateddates,arelikelyoffbyasmanyas10years.
c.=Circa (Latin)=“AroundAbout”
EarlyHumans• Earlyhumanswerehunter-
gatherers.• Theyreliedonanimalsand
plantsforfood.• Theymovedconstantlyin
searchoftheirfood.• Earlyfarmersusedslashand
burntechniques.AftertheIceAges,peoplebeganto
domesticateplantsandanimalsandbuildmud- brickhouses,eventuallyleadingto
permanentsettlements
‘Civilization’isanambiguousconceptAgriculture
ArchitectureArtAstronomyCoins&CurrencyCultureEconomyEducationLegalsystemsMaterialcultureMathematicsMetallurgy
Whatotherwayscanweidentify
‘civilization’?
Politicalorganization(organizationabovethefamilylevel)PotteryReligionScienceSocietyTechnologyTransportationsystemsUrbanizationandCitiesWriting
OntheRoadtoCivilization...• OldStoneAge(Paleolithic)
– 2.6Millionyearsago― 10,000 BCE
• NewStoneAge(Neolithic)– c.12,000BCE– Theriseoffarming
• BronzeAge– Theabilitytosmeltcopperanditsalloy
bronze– c.3,000BCE
• IronAge– Theabilitytosmeltvariousironores– c.1,200BCE– Useofironforcuttingtoolsandweapons
• Prehistory― Beforetheadventof
writingorwrittenhistory
• History― Theperiodoftimeafter
writingwasinvented.― Thediscovery,
collection,organization,andpresentationofinformationaboutpastevents.
The Ages of Man did not begin simultaneously around the world
Howdowestudy Ancient Civilizations?
• Archaeology• Anthropology• Architecture&Monuments
• Writtenrecords• Linguistics• Socialtheory
Whatotherwayscanwestudyancientcivilizations?
WhatisCivilization?
• Civilization(n.)– Arelativelyhighlevelofculturaland
technologicaldevelopment– Especiallyinthecontextofwritingandthe
keepingofwrittenrecords– Theculturalcharacteristicsofa
particulartimeorplace• Civilized(adj.)
– Developedbeyondaprimitivestate– Rationallyorderedstageofcultural
development– Technicallyadvanced
• Civil(adj.)(Latincivilis)– Social;civilsociety– Theactivities,needs,oraffairsof
people(distinguishedfrommilitaryorreligiousaffairs)
Sumer (from3200BCE)
Egypt (from3150BCE)
• Ancientsettlementsandcities– Organizedandsedimentary
communitiesbecamecapableofproducingasurplusofrawmaterialsandengagingintrade
– Cityplanning(grids)areevident,followedbytheadventofrunningwaterandsewagedisposal
• Agrarian(Agriculturalsocieties)– C. 8,000BCE– Thecharacteristicsoffarmersandtheir
waysoflife– Agricultureandanimalhusbandry
• Hunter-gatherer– Culturesweresustainedthrough
hunting,fishing,andforaging– Harvestingofwildgrains
TheSpreadofAgricultureinPrehistory
EasternUSA (4000-3000BP)
CentralMexico(5000-4000BP)
NorthernSouthAmerica(5000-4000BP)
TheFertileCrescent(11000BP)
Sub-SaharanAfrica (5000-4000BP)
TheYangtzeandYellowRiverbasins(9000BP)
NewGuineaHighlands(9000-6000BP)
TheWorldat4000YearsBP
TheWorldat3000YearsBP
GreatCivilizationsoftheWorld
Egyptian (Egypt,Africa)
Sumerian (Iraq,Mesopotamia,CentralAsia)Persian (Iran,CentralAsia)
Greek (Greece,WesternEurope)Roman (ItalyandthegreaterMediterranean)
Chinese (China,EastAsia)Khmer (Cambodia,SoutheastAsia)
IndusRiverValley(Pakistan,SouthAsia)
Aztec (Mexico,CentralAmerica)Mayan (CentralAmerica)Incan (AndeanMountains,SouthAmerica)
Canyounamesome
otherancient
civilizationsoftheworld?
AncientEgypt(c.5000BP)
• TheNileRiverflooded everyyearprovidingfertilefarmlandinthedesert.
• TheEgyptiansdevelopedirrigationandothertechniquestocontrolNilefloodwaters.
Mesopotamia(c.5000BP)• “Thelandbetweenthetworivers”– TheTigrisandEuphratesRivers
• Providedwaterandtransportation
• Yearlyfloodingcreatedrichsoilallowingforagricultureandearlycivilizations
Cuneiform: ‘Sumerian’wastheearliestwritten
languageinMesopotamia
IndusRiverCivilization(c.3000BP)
• c.2300-c.1900BC– IndusValley
civilization(mature)
• c.1900-c.520BC– Norecords.
Indo-Aryanmigrations.
• c.520-c.326BC– Persian
EmpireUnderdirectPersiancontroland/orlocalcontrolunderPersiansuzerainty.
• c.326-c.305BC– Occupiedby
AlexandertheGreatandMacedoniangenerals
IndianCasteSystemOrganizedIndiansinto
fourclasses– Brahmins
• Teachers,scholarsandpriests
– Kshatriyas• Kingsandwarriors
– Vaishyas• Traders
– Sudras• Agriculturists,serviceproviders,andsomeartisangroups
Yellow&YangtzeRiversofChina(c.5000BP) (c.7000BP)?
FUNAN(2000BP)
MainlandSoutheast Asia
KHMER(1000 BP)
• Irrawaddy• Salween• ChaoPhraya• Mekong
Angkor
MekongRiver&TheTonle Sap
IrrawaddyRiverBegan
TheAxialAge800BCE– 200BCE
• Theprofoundemergenceofmalesages,prophets,religiousreformersandphilosophers
– China,India,Iran,IsraelandGreece.
KarlJaspers(1883-1969)Germanhistoricalphilosopher
Ancientcivilizationsaroundtheworldsimultaneously andindependently transformed
Socrates(c.470– 399BCE)Plato(c.428– 348BCE)Aristotle(c.384–322 BCE)
OldTestament(c.500BCE)
Ashoka (304- 232BCE)Vrihaspati (c. 500BCE)Jainexpansion(c. 500– 300+BCE)
LaoTzu(c. 600BCE)Confucius(c. 551– 479BCE)
ChuangTzu(c. 369– 286BCE)
GautamaBuddha(c. 563– 483BCE)
• Greatbreakbetweenordinaryhumanexistenceand“cosmicorder”– Eachculturequestionedand
reinterpretedtheirpreviouscosmologies
• ThecloselytimedchangesinChina,India,PalestineandGreece– regionsthatarewidely
separatedfromeachother– tooremarkabletobedismissed
asaccidental
TheAxialAge(5th CenturyBCE)
Plato (424– 348BCE)Aristotle (384–322 BCE)
TheAxialAge(6th CenturyBCE)
§ Emergenceofnewideas,worldviewsandvalues
§ Radicalchangesinhumanity’sspiritualdevelopmentandbasicreligiousconcepts
§ Majorsourceofmostofourpresent-dayfaithtraditions
§ Newbeginning(morethanjustanincorporationofmankind’straditionalritualsandbeliefs)
Majoradvancesintheworld'spolitical,philosophical,andreligioussystems
• Greatadvancesinreligion,philosophy,science,democracy,andmanyformsofart
• Occurredindependentlyandalmostsimultaneously
• China,India,theMiddleEast,andGreece
• Spiritualfoundationswerelaidwhichhumanitystillusestoday
• Greatreligiousleadersrosetoprominenceattractingamassfollowing
• Eagernessfordiscoveringthefundamentalprinciplesofexistenceandtheimplicationstheyhadonhumanlifeandbehavior
TheAxialAge(5th CenturyBCE)
Huntington's ClashofCivilizations
Western
Hispanidad/LatinAmerican
HinduBuddhistIslamic Orthodox
African
Huntingtonproposedthatpeople'sculturalandreligiousidentitieswillbetheprimarysourceofconflictinthe21st Century
Japanese
Protestant Sinic
CivilizationintheChinese
Context
ForbiddenCity1995
Civilized vs. Barbarian• Cooked(Sinicized)– shufan熟番
• Raw(Barbarian)– shengfan生番
Nei Ren (inner-persons)Wai Ren (outer-persons)
TangDynastyPoembyWangWei
“InWeicheng,thecentraltown,itrainslightlyinthemorning.Allthehousesandthewillowslookfreshaftertherain.Isuggestyouhaveanothercupofwine,becauseassoonasyouleaveYangguanPass,therearenofriends.”
中国
Han-centriccosmos
ZhongguoMiddleKingdom
中国
GreatWallisHere
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Thanksforyourtime
andattention!
APPENDICES
ANIMISM (n.)
§ Theideathatanimmaterialforceanimatestheuniverse.§ Inanimateobjects,suchashills,trees,rocks,rivers,andotherelementsofthenaturallandscape,possesssoulsandcanhelporhinderhumaneffortsonearth.
§ Thebeliefthattheexistenceofindividualspiritsthatinhabitnaturalobjectsandphenomena.
§ Thebeliefintheexistenceofspiritualbeingsthatareseparableorseparatefrombodies.
RelatedtermsAnimisticAnimismAnimateTotemTotemicIndigenousbeliefsystems
IsAnimismatypeof
Polytheism?
ecologicalethics
ETHNICRELIGION
• Areligionthatisparticulartoone,culturallydistinct,groupofpeople.– Donotactivelyseekconverts• e.g.throughevangelismormissionarywork
Universalizingvs.Ethnic
TaiwanAborigines