Sixth Grade History-Social ScienceWorld History and Geography: Ancient Civilizations

Development of humankind

Mesopotamia

Egypt

Hebrews

Greece

India

China

Rome

Prehistoric

The time before written language

Lucy

Australopithecus afarensis

Early bones found in Africa - Olduvai Gorge

Proved that early humans walked upright

Discovered by Donald Johanson

Early Hominids

Homo habilisHomo habilis - Handy man – tool maker

Homo erectusHomo erectus – Upright man – discovered how to control fire

Homo sapiens NeanderthalensisHomo sapiens Neanderthalensis – Wise man – found in the Neander Valley in modern Germany – sense of community

Homo sapiens sapiensHomo sapiens sapiens – Doubly wise man – early modern humans

Hunting and Gathering Farming

                               

*The transition from hunting and gathering to farming is one of the most important advance people have ever made.

*Tools – advanced from simple stone tools to complex metal ones

Early Humans

Early humans sites are found all over the world

Two theories:

Out of Africa

Multicentric

River Valleys

Most early civilizations developed around a river

Tigris and Euphrates

Nile

Indus

Huang He

Agricultural Advancements

Irrigation

Economic Surplus

Division of labor

With the new time, early people were able to create new inventions – plow and writing

Cuneiform

An early form of writing

Developed in Mesopotamia

Scribes were trained to read and write it

Used mostly for trade

Egyptian – hieroglyphics

India - sanskrit

The Code of Hammurabi

One of the first codes of law (1792 – 1750 BCE)

Babylonia

Based on the concept of “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

Written on stone pillars (stele) for all to see

The laws applied to all people.

Egyptian and Mesopotamian Architecture

Egyptian Pyramids

Mesopotamian Ziggurats

Egyptian Leadership

Pharaohs controlled Egypt

Queen Hatshepsut

Promoter of Egyptian Trade

Ramses II (the Great)

Military Leader and Master Builder

Kingdom of Kush

Capital was Meroë

Ruled Egypt for over100 years

Present day Sudan

Built their own Pyramids

Abraham – “Father of the Hebrews”

He was a polytheist who devoted his life to one god and became a monotheist

Led his followers (they will come to be called Hebrews) from Mesopotamia to Canaan

Established the beginnings of the religion called Judaism

Moses – Leader and Prophet

He led the Jews out of Egypt back to their homeland.

This event is called the Exodus

On the journey, Moses received the Ten Commandments from his god

Christianity

Jesus of Nazareth

Raised as a Jew

Great teacher and speaker

Sermon on the Mount

Parables

His followers established the religion called Christianity

Greek Democracy

Monarchy

Oligarchy/Aristocracy

Tyranny

Democracy

Pericles – Funeral Oration

City-States: Sparta vs. Athens

SpartaSparta AthensAthensMilitary State Democracy

Agrarian Economy Trade Economy

Fought each other in the Peloponnesian War.

Greek Architecture

Greek Mythology

Greeks explained their world through their mythology

Trojan Horse

Pandora’s box

Homer

Iliad and Odyssey

Zeus Poseidon Hades

Ares Athena Apollo

GreekPhilosophy

“Love of Wisdom”

Socrates

Encouraged people to question the things they thought they knew.

Plato

Student of Socrates

Aristotle

Student of Plato

Taught Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great

*Ruler of a vast empire from Macedonia to India in the 300s BCE.

*As he conquered an area, he usually showed respect for the culture and religion of the area

*Spread the ideas of the Greeks throughout his empire - Hellenism

Alexander’s Empire

India

Hinduism

Dharma – perform one’s duties and so to live as one should

Samsara – Reincarnation – cycle of birth, death, and rebirth

Karma – the right way to live

Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama – the Buddha or the “Awakened One”

Discovered that life is suffering – aging, sickness, and death

Moving towards Enlightenment and Nirvana

China - Philosophies

Confucianism: “Lead by example.”

Moderation in conduct and emotion

Respect of elders

Daoism: “If you must rule, rule as little as possible.”

Legalism: “Set clear laws and harshly punish those who disobey them.”

China – Silk Road

Roman Army

Disciplined

Resourceful

Created public works during non war times

Building roads

Aqueducts

Buildings

Rome – Government

Etruscan Kings

Republic (509 BCE)

Patricians Plebeians

Julius Caesar (49 BCE)

Augustus Caesar First Emperor

(37 BCE)

Fall of RomeEconomic Problems

Inflation

Loss of trust in currency

Military ProblemsRomans could no longer pay for soldiers

Relied on Germanic warriors

Rome is invaded