Unit 1

Chapters 1-4

Beginnings of Civilization

4 Million B.C. 200 B.C.

Objectives• Ancient vocabulary

• Agriculture

• Development of Civilization

–Elements of Civilization

• Egypt—Middle East—Persia

• Ancient India

• Ancient China

Pre-history

• Before written records• Fossil records

– Animal remains

• Artifacts– Man-made objects

• Carbon-14 dating– Extremely accurate

method of determining age of something once living

1

Neanderthals• Large brains

• Shorter

• Skulls shaped differently

• Died out 35,000 years ago

Cro-Magnon• Could pass for

modern human• If seen in Rolla,

wouldn’t look too different from anyone else

Prehistoric period—Stone Age

•Old Stone Age

•Paleolithic

•New Stone Age

•Neolithic

Paleolithic Era

• Nomads– Wanderers—no permanent settlements

• Fire• Tools

– Survival easier– Man had time to THINK!

• Language– Basic communication

• (Dad, can I have the car keys?)

• Religion– Belief in life after death

• Art– Cave paintings

Ice Ages

• 20,000 years ago• Polar ice caps grew, taking

water from oceans forming land bridges (Bering)

• Animals died • Humans adapted

– Fire, better shelters, heavy clothing, new foods

– Video: “Caveman”

Neolithic Era

Agriculture• Nomadic hunting unreliable

• Middle East

• Advantages–Steady source of food

–Easier to store (meat rotted, grain didn’t)

–Saferthe corn wouldn’t attack you

Development of Agriculture

Causes & Effects

Bronze Age• Copper

–first metal worked into tools–Too soft

• Bronze–Copper with tin–Weapons/tools with sharper

cutting edge–Demand greater trade

Achievements of the Neolithic Era

• Food supply more reliable• Population increased• Trade expanded• Settlements grew larger

cities

Beginnings of Civilization

• Mesopotamia– Tigris & Euphrates Rivers

• Egypt– Nile River

• India– Indus River

• China– Yellow River (Huang)

Elements of Civilization

Organized Government

• Makes & enforces laws to keep order, defense against enemies

• Exercises authority over an organized state, judges

• Plans, organizes, & directs large projects

• Standardizes money system

• Collects taxes

Organized Religion• Formalizes religious belief & offers

guidance in questions of life, death, spirit

• Selects clergy• Establish rituals & symbols, shrines &

sacred places• Keep gods happy to ensure survival• THEOCRACIES: the ruler is seen as a

god or a representative of the gods; laws are the god’s commandments (can’t be argued against)

Division of Labor

• Provides goods & services

• Enables people to develop specialized skills

• Trade & new technology

• Promotes system of social classes

Class Structure

• Defines a person’s place in society

• Reflects the distribution of wealth

System of Writing

• Provides a way to keep accurate records

• Serves as a way to pass on knowledge– including HISTORY