Foundations Review

(8000 BCE – 600 CE)

Major Themes

The first civilizations Development & Spread of

Religions Classical Societies Role of trade in Classical Societies Movement of Peoples Fall of Classical Societies

Development of Agriculture Neolithic Revolution (8000 BCE)

Transition Slash-and-burn agriculture Domestication of animals

More stability = more people Life in a Neolithic village

Surplus Specialization of labor Gender roles

Development of Agriculture Early inventions in metal and

transportation Pottery, metallurgy, & textiles Copper, bronze, iron Wheel (~3200 BCE)

Not everyone became a farmer Pastoral nomadism Steppe geography

The First Civilizations Characteristics of complex

societies: Surplus Cities Specialization Trade Social stratification Organized government Complex religions Written language Arts/architecture

The First Civilizations Mesopotamia “land b/n the rivers”

Fertile Crescent Sumer Free commoners Dependent clients Slaves Cuneiform Epic of Gilgamesh Hammurabi Civil laws

The First Civilizations

Egypt Nile River – natural protection Pharaohs Hieroglyphics Skilled in math, medicine, and

astronomy Polytheistic - mummification

The First Civilizations Indus (Indus River)

Mystery civilization? Polytheistic Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro Technologically & economically

advanced Writing ≠ deciphered Mysterious end Aryan invasion

The First Civilizations

Aryans Indo-European origin ~ 1700 BCE … on the move Vedas Caste system Varnas (four castes)

The First Civilizations Shang & Zhou

Huang He (Yellow River) – loess Shang (1766-1122 BCE) “oracle bones” Bronze metallurgy Zhou (1122-256 BCE) Mandate of Heaven Veneration of ancestors Iron metallurgy Period of Warring States … three “isms”

emerge

The First Civilizations Mesoamerica & South America

Olmecs Colossal heads Great artisans – social status = type of

clothing Chavin

Andean heartlands Artisans => ceramics, textiles, and gold

Both laid the foundation of later, more elaborate & powerful empires

Development & Spread of Religion

Most early civilizations were polytheistic

Axial Age (~600 BCE) Core ideas around which a society

revolves Great philosophers emerged New answers to difficult questions

Development & Spread of Religion

Hinduism No founder – heavily influenced by

Aryans Dharma – karma – samsara Reincarnation – moksha Brahmin Trinity Caste System embedded Concepts of purity and pollution

Development & Spread of Religion Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama (~563-483 BCE) “Why is there suffering?” Buddha; the Enlightened One Four Noble Truths Eightfold Path

Desire => suffering Missionaries Asoka

Development & Spread of Religion Confucianism

Confucius (551-479 BCE) “Warring States” Right kind of leadership will bring back peace Ren (appropriate feelings) Li (correct actions) Filial piety Five Basic Relationships Han Chinese will flourish by embracing Confucianism

Legalism Man was inherently evil and needed strict laws and

punishment to behave properly … Qin dynasty??

Development & Spread of Religion Daoism

Laozi (~6th century BCE) Daodejing – collection of Daoist wisdom “the Way”

All life is interdependent Humans should exist in harmony Relax and get in harmony with the Dao

Wu wei – act by not acting; do nothing and problems will solve themselves, like nature

Water example Jedi Knights of the era? “war should only be

used for defensive purposes”

Development & Spread of Religion Judaism

Nomadic peoples (2000-1000 BCE) Egypt ~ 1700 BCE Moses & Exodus Yahweh Ten Commandments Covenant Monotheistic tradition “Promised Land” Kingdom of Israel – Solomon & David Babylonians & Romans

Development & Spread of Religion Christianity

Jesus (4 BCE – 29 CE) Judea Kingdom of God Eternal life New Testament Edict of Milan – Constantine Spread via Roman roads

Classical Societies Greece

Political Development Role of geography – polis Athens - Direct democracy (free adult males

only), strong navy Sparta – “militocracy” Persian War (500-470 BCE) Delian League Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE) King Philip II Alexander of Macedon Hellenistic Empire

Classical Societies Greece … (cont.)

Economic Developments Trade = cornerstone of its economy Trade = cosmopolitan culture

Social Structure & Gender Roles Patriarchal society Women were subjugated to men Priestesses Educated (Athens) Athletes (Sparta) Slaves = debt or POW’s

Classical Societies Greece … cont.

Culture, Arts, Science, and Technology “arete” Religion, philosophy, art, architecture,

literature, athletics, and science Socrates – “the unexamined life …” Plato – Republic Aristotle – biology, physics, astronomy,

politics, and ethics Olympic Games

Classical Societies India

Political Development Small, regional kingdoms after Aryans Decentralized Alexander the Great Mauryans (320’s BCE) – bureaucratic Ashoka Gupta Empire – local government

emphasis Taken out by White Huns

Classical Societies India … cont.

Economic Development Expansion of agriculture & increase in trade Silk Roads Knowledge of monsoons aided maritime

trade Social Structure & Gender Roles

Like Greece … patriarchal Caste system Class distinctions grew under the Guptas

Classical Societies

India … cont. Culture, Arts, Science, Technology

Buddhist monasteries & stupas Spread of Buddhism Guptas re-established Hinduism Indian art = stressed symbolism rather

than accurate representation (Greeks) Geometry, algebra, value of pi, concept of

zero, decimal system, “Arabic numerals”

Classical Societies China

Political Development Era of Warring States (403-221 BCE) Three Schools of Thought Qin Shihuangdi & Qin Dynasty (221-206

BCE) Great Wall Han Dyansty (206 BCE-220 CE) Wu Di (141-87 BCE) Civil service exams

Classical Societies China … cont.

Economic Development Agrarian – long distance trade –

metallurgy Silk Roads Tributary system of trade

Social Structure & Gender Roles Patriarchal Upper-class women were educated Scholar-gentry

Classical Societies

China … cont. Culture, Arts, Science, Technology

Importance of the family Ancestors – filial piety Reverence for nature = Daoism Wheelbarrow, horse collars, watermills,

sternpost rudder, paper

Classical Societies

Rome Political Development

509 BCE = republic …. Patricians vs. plebeians Twelve Tables Punic Wars Dictators Transition to empire Julius Caesar (46 BCE) – murdered in 44 BCE Octavian (Augustus) – 27 BCE … ruled 45 years Pax Romana

Classical Societies

Rome (cont.) Economic Development

Extensive road system aided trade Creation of large markets … trade &

communication of ideas Uniform currency Latin = trade language

Classical Societies Rome (cont.)

Social Structure & Gender Roles Patriarchal, pater familias Women’s roles was supervising domestic affairs Slavery = very common

Culture, Arts, Science, Technology Polytheistic = copied the Greeks General toleration of all religions except …. Constantine & Edict of Milan Architecture heavily influenced by Greeks Stadiums, public baths, temples, aqueducts,

roads

Role of Trade in Classical Societies Silk Roads Indian Ocean Mediterranean Sea “mare nostrum”

Goods that traveled East to West

Goods that traveled West to East

Silk CoralSpices IvoryCottonPearls

Glassware Olive OilJewelry GoldBronze goods SilverWool & linen

Spread of Disease

2nd-3rd centuries CE Han China & Roman Empire suffered

from large-scale epidemic disease Both lost between 20-25% of their

population … Silk Road & Trade Huge economic & social change …

both became regionally focused, not globally

Movement of Peoples

Bantu Migrations ~2000 BCE – 1000 CE Occupied most of sub-Saharan Africa Increased population = strains Common language, iron technology,

cultivation of bananas all attributed to them

Movement of Peoples

Polynesian Migration ~60,000 years ago – Asia to Australia Long-distance trade w/ double canoes Some believe settlement was

accidental Hierarchal chiefdoms, yams, taros,

breadfruit, bananas, dogs, pigs, chickens