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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFQeQCOeOaY&feature=bf_prev&list=PL586CA5E9B94FA339The

Neolithic Revolution and the

Beginnings of Civilization

Chapter 1

SSWH1: The student will analyze the

origins, structures, and interactions of

complex societies in the ancient

Eastern Mediterranean from

3500 BCE to 500 BCE

Making Sense of AD, BC, CE & BCE

• AD= Anno Domini (Latin for Year of Lord

• BC= Before Christ

NOW, referred to as….

• AD= CE (Common Era)

• BC= BCE (Before Common Era)

Prehistory

• If history is “the study of the past,” what is

prehistory?

• Prehistory literally means “before writing”

Early Life and Culture

• During the Old Stone Age early people were nomadic hunter-gatherers

– Nomads: People who moved from place to place in search of plants and animals to eat

• This lifestyle did not leave much time to focus on anything other than survival

Neolithic Revolution

• Greatest

breakthrough in

human history…ever.

• Agricultural (or

Neolithic)

Revolution was the

change from food

gathering to food

producing • http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=i+am

+farming+and+i+grow+it&oq=i+am+far&gs_l=youtub

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Neolithic Revolution

• The change from

hunting &

gathering societies

to farming

societies

– Occurred around

~10,000 year ago

– Provided a more

stable source of

food

Villages Grow into Cities • After the Neolithic Revolution,

more organized communities developed – Animals were domesticated

– new tools were invented (ex. wheel & sail)

– Some individuals specialized in particular crafts

• Eventually, civilizations (like Sumer in Mesopotamia) arose

What is a Civilization?

• A civilization is a complex culture with the following five characteristics: – 1. Advanced cities (basically, a center for trade,

not just a bunch of people standing around)

– 2. Specialized workers (so, since not everyone in a civilization has to spend all his or her time finding food, people can become artisans and learn different kinds of work like making tools, weapons or clothing, etc.)

• In Sumer, people made clothing, crafts & many trade items

A Cameroonian artisan at work

What is a Civilization?

• 3. Complex Institutions (this would include

governments, religions, the economy, family,

education, etc.)

– Sumerian religion dictated that every city belonged to

a god who controlled that city’s activities

• 4. Record Keeping (well how do you keep

records? today you’d probably use a pen &

paper, but some civilizations, like the Inca,

kept records without writing)

– Sumerian scribes (professional record keepers)

used an early writing system called cuneiform

Jean Miélot, a European

author and scribe at work

A list of Sumerian deities,

ca. 2400 B.C.

What is a Civilization?

• 5. Improved Technology (mostly farming

equipment, irrigation & crafting of metals)

– Around 3000 B.C., Sumerians began using bronze

for tools & weapons rather than copper. This period

was known as the Bronze Age.

Bronze age weaponry and

ornaments

The City of Ur in Sumer

• Examining the city of Ur in Sumer

(which was in Mesopotamia) shows how

civilization arose about 5000 years ago

• Ur’s geography

– located on the banks of the Euphrates

River

– Modern day southern Iraq

Archeological excavations

at Tell el-Mukayyar, Iraq

Civilization in Ur

• Ur’s economy was based around agriculture – Irrigation was used to create food surpluses

• Artisans specialized in metalwork, pottery & other crafts – People traded goods for other goods (barter), in

other words, they didn’t use coins

• The city was a center for trade & religion – Ziggurats were pyramid-shaped monuments

where priests would conduct religious rituals (yes… like sacrifice)

The Great Ziggurat of Ur

EXAMPLES OF 5

Components to Civilization

• Advanced cities- a large group of

people living together and acts as a

center for trade.

– Present day example:_____________

• Specialized workers- the development

of skills in a specific kind of work.

– Present day example:_____________

Continue: 5 Components of

Civilization

• Complex Institutions-a long-lasting pattern

of organization in a community.

– Present day example:_____________

• Record Keeping- Devised methods of

recording data and historical events.

– Present day example:_____________

• Advanced Technology- New tools and

techniques to solve problems.

– Presentd day example:____________