Rise of Civilization Unit 1
Prehistory • The period before people developed writing.
3 types of early man • Homo-habilis – man had ability • Homo-erectus – man could walk upright • Homo-sapiens – man could think
Civilizations • A highly organized society marked by knowledge of a written language, the arts, sciences, and government.
Anthropologists • Scientists who study past human civilizations; they compare bones, looking for changes in size and structure.
Archaeologists • Scientists who study the life and culture of ancient peoples by excavating ancient living sites.
Artifacts • An object made by humans, such as a tool, ornament, weapon, or pottery, that has historical or archaeological importance.
Culture • The ideas, customs, skills, and arts of a given people at a given time.
Aspects of culture(ways of life) • Language • Foods • Religion • Achievement in art and music • Use of tools • Technology
Technology • The skills and knowledge available to a people.
Nomads • A person without a permanent home who moves about canstantly in search of food.
Early Man • When population was small, had a nomadic lifestyle – men traveled in small groups (tribes) usually following and hunting wild herds of animals. They had no permanent home; people traveled constantly. There emerged a single leader. (Usually, the ruler of each tribe was the 1. Strongest, 2. Eldest, 3. Wisest, and 4. The highest religious leader.)
Early People • Neanderthals • Originated in Africa and spread to Europe. • Hunters/gatherers. • Used fire for warmth and cooking. Use of fire and clothing made migration to cooler climates possible.
Neanderthals (Cont.) • Lived in caves • Some built shelters with skins.
Cro-Magnons • Originated in Asia; artifacts in France • Either lived at the same time as Neanderthals or came to be when Neaderthals disappeared. • Develop knife and chisel • Chopped down trees and built canoes.
Cro-Magnons (Cont.) • Developed bow and arrow tohunt larger animals and have a better food suply. • Left behind cave paintings
Human Race • People that look like people of today. • Begins with Adam. Story of Genesis in the Old Testament in the Bible.
The Neolithic Revolution • The development of Agriculture changed the nomadic lifestyle as farming tied people down to the land in one permanent place/spot. Thus, villages started to form and grow into cities, and civilizations formed.
People shifted from gathering/hunting food to producing food. • New innovations allowed this: • Agriculture • Domestication of animals • Villages • Plow • Fertilizer • Loom • Wheel • Metalworking for weapons
The domestication of plants and animals led to the domestication of humankind, meaning hunters lived in nature, while farmers tried to control nature.
4 Earliest Known Civilizations • First highly organized societies that developed out of river valleys: • Mesopotamia (Iraq – on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers) • Ancient Egypt (on the Nile River) • India (on the Indus River) • China (on the Huang/Yellow River that empties into the Yellow Sea)
“The test of civilization is the power of drawing the most benefits out of cities”-Emerson. • What do cities provide for people? Jobs, government
Civilization • A highly, organized society marked by knowledge of a written language, the arts, sciences, & government.
Most civilizations developed out of the 4 River Valleys. • Nile • Tigris/Euphrates • Indus • Huang
Basic Features of Civilizations: • 1. Food supply (is stable; often, a surplus thanks to anIrrigation System: rainfall fell to ditches, which ran into canals, & into reservoirs.)
Why must there be a surplus of food before a city can develop and grow? • In order to free others to engage in other activities.
2. Specialized labor • Artisan-A skilled craftworker, such as a builder, potter, & textile worker. • -worked one task • -very skilled • -produced large quantities • -improved quality
Metalworking-introduced the Bronze Age; used bronze which was easier to pour into a mold and shape weapons.Artisans had a major effect on the economy.
Economy-a system of producing, distributing, and consuming wealth to meet people’s needs. • Trading-the exchange of goods and services thanks to the ability to travel. • HOW? • A.Overland by animals or caravans B. Water by small canoes and later, ships
3. Government • Govt. needed a way to supervise and protect agriculture and trade. • a.Government officials were created to oversee collection, storage, & distribution of the food surplus. • b.Soldiers guarded the city’s territory and trade routes. c. The king was the head of government.
4. Social levels followed the city’s layout. • a.In the center were the government and religious buildings; • b.Then, houses of the ruling class; • c.Then, groups of artisans; • d.On the outskirts, farmers. • Compare to the city of Glasgow.
5. System of writing; tools of writing were a quill pen and berry ink. • -Writing originated when priests would record a surplus of food and the distribution of food. • -Early people used pictograms. • -Early people also wrote true stories and myths.
6. Organized large-scale projects • To control flooding, dams and earthen dikes were built
