civilization
village culture turned into civilization in 4000 BCE. connected to the word "city" and involves practices connected with urban life. defined as a state of human society in which a complex level of culture, science, government, and social life is reached.
importance of water
earliest civilizations were connected with rivers and successful water management. it freed people to engage in activities other than farming
cultural diffusion
when cultures of a society or civilization spread to other civilizations
importance of writing
early civilizations often associated with writing. followed the development of speech, marks the boundary between prehistory and history.
ideograms and phonograms
early forms of writing. certain symbols called ideograms were added to represent abstract ideas. phonograms were symbols based on sounds
scribes
the usage of writing created a new class of scribes who often served as an elite corps of record keepers in temples and courts
Mesepotamia
the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Has Alluvial soil = silt deposited by the rivers. people in these valleys were able to grow crops on land that would have otherwise been desert. this area has been known in history as the Fertile Crescent.
ziggurat
high, terraced pyramid topped with a temple - shows that it was a center for worship. In addition to this, early civilizations in the valley were governed by a ruler and was a thriving place for commerce
Sumerians
laid the foundation for civilization. difference groups came into the valley and adopted their ways. City of Ur which dominated the other
Sargon
2334 BCE: great Akkadian warrior who conquered Mesopotamia and *
established 1st empire
*. Secret was a standing army, but when he died his empire fell apart
Hammurabi and Babylonia
1792 BCE: Amorite king of Syria established a new Mesopotamian empire, Babylonia. He also established Hammurabi's code, the first attempt of a code of law to be the basis of justice. the Babylonian empire fell to the Hittites in 1600 BCE
cuneiform
writing system developed in Mesopotamia. the system was based on symbols and words were written with a stylus on clay tablets and baked
creation of a calendar
in order to help farmers, a system of time measurement was created based on lunar cycles
polytheistic religion
many gods who took on anthropomorphic forms, in which the forces of nature lives in hierarchies and oversaw human tasks. thought to be architects of disasters like flooding, and therefore looked on their gods as angry
Epic of Gilgamesh
first great epic poem which shows the Sumerians wrestling with the enduring questions of life death mankind deity and immortality
the Nile
the worlds longest river. had layers of silt to replenish the soil and water to nourish new crops - therefore communities settled along the river.
Egypt vs. Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia was open to invasion from all sides but Egypt was protected by the sea, desert, river cataracts, and its borders. Egypt was nearly self sufficient with a lot of stone and clay. Egyptian civilization emerged confident, tranquil, and insular
pharaoh
Egyptian king; Egyptian theocracy - weren't only absolute rulers, but were also worshiped as gods
pyramid
required social organization and architectural skills. the largest was built at Giza by Pharaoh Cheops to shelter body of pharaoh into the afterlife.
hieroglyphics and the Rosetta Stone
portrayed link between politics and religion; priestly writings. were originally phonograms and later included ideograms. decoded in 1821 by Jean Champollion using the Rosetta Stone - found in 1799 near Rosetta with parallel inscriptions in Greek, Egyptia
King Menes
Egyptian Pharaoh who united Lower Egypt (north of the Nile delta) with Upper Egypt (from Nile to first cataract as Aswan): 3100 BCE. He also established the first of many dynasties which ruled for nearly 3000 years.
Old Kingdom
first period in Egyptian history; lasted until 2200 BCE which was follow but a period of civil wars and unrest. Old kingdom was mainly noted for its pyramids
Middle Kingdom
2100: period of unrest ended when the Prince of Thebes established the Middle Kingdom. Noted for literature, art and ideas. Reclaimed land in Nile delta in Lower Egypt and occupied Nubia beyond Upper Egypt. Trade expansion, linking Mesopotamia Crete and P
New Kingdom
1580: Egyptians rebelled against Hyksos and established the new kingdom. During this time there were outside influences (evident under Ikhnaton/Akhenaton), the people became warriors during the reign of Thutmose III, Egypt extended its borders through Syr
monotheism
Egyptians were monotheists with the idea of a single all-powerful god, the sun god Aton.
Ramses II
the last of the great New Kingdom pharaohs. During his reign Egypt fought to retain its territory along shores of Mediterranean, but by 10th century they had lost their empire and independence to foreign rule. During this imperial period, temples (rather
Egyptian numerical system
used calendar and calculations for agriculture, government used system of numbers based on the decimal for taxes, but they didn't develop the usage of money - the traded by bartering or swapping items
Etesian winds
Nile current carried ships down stream toward Mediterranean for trade. the seasonal Etesian winds worked against the current, moving ships upstream towards Luxor = two way river traffic
Egyptian society
offered freedom and constraints, majority of people were servants/laborers (slavery wasn't until New Kingdom), elite minority served as priests and nobles, dynastic rights were matriarchal (traced through women's family) - upper class women had important
Hatshepsut
wife and half sister to two pharaohs; rules for 40 years, only women to serve as a pharaoh during this period
Indus River Valley
2900: Third civilization to emerge. Indus river deposited rich soil over vast area; the valley is protected by the Himalaya and Hindu Kush mountains, and the Great Indian desert
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
two great cities in the Indus River Valley (less is known about the valley than about Mesopotamia and Egypt). Well planned cities with walled central city where rulers lived, rulers were likely strong priestly class, standard system of weights and measure
Mesoamerica/Olmec
didn't know about change from hunter-gatherer to agriculture - Domestication of plants began between with maize. from 2000 there are villages and pottery evident of Archaic period. around 1200 when King Tut ruled Egypt, the Olmec appeared ("mother civiliz
Peru
central coastline of Peru = Norte Chico. complex society with features of Sumer Egypt Harappa and China developed. worked metals like copper gold and silver to make jewelry. agriculture based on irrigation systems freed people for religious activities . c
Chavin
urban society emerged about same time as the Olmecs around 1200 BCE. created original art and worshiped two main deities. at its height had 3000 inhabitants
north america
200 BCE: Adena culture - inhabited area around Mississippi and Ohio rivers. constructed mounds for defense and burial. between 200-500 CE: Hopewell people extended this culture
bronze
4000 BCE: copper mixed with tin to make bronze - gave rise to special group of artisans; production occurred around back sea and in Southwest Asia; allowed faster manufacture of greater variety of tools. (tin was scarce though)
Minoans
influenced by development of sea routs for trade in 2900-2100 BCE; developed society on the island of Crete and traded with Mesopotamia and Egypt; copied art, architecture, math, and alphabet - important artistic styles reflected in Knossos
Mycenaeans
Indo-European invaders who entered Greece in 1900 BCE and built Sparta, Thebes, Athens, and Tiryns.
Siege of Troy
most famous example of the Mycenaeans advancing through the Aegean Sea. 1200 BCE
Greek Epic poems
written by Homer; 1)The Illiad - Mycenaean King Agamemnon kills Trojan hero Hector. 2)the Odyssey - Odysseus, soldier who fought in Trojan wars, goes home to Greece; wisdom=source of power and victory; thought to have been myth until Heinrich Schloemann e
chariots
reason for success of nomadic conquerers overrunning civilized world from Aegean to Indus in 1900 BCE - earliest chariots found in modern day Kazakhstan; mobility, firepower, and armor. Chariot age = age of aristocracy (because only few could afford to co
Dorians
invaders adopted culture of places they conquered; Hyksos took over Egypt but were driven out in 1570; Mycenaeans crossed from central Asia to Greece and were absorbed into Minoan culture - overrun in 1200/1100 by the Dorians = nomadic people who became p
Yu of Xia Dynasty
founder of China's first dynasty (before Shang); controlling the Yellow River was a major preoccupation
Shang Dynasty
1752-1122: (invasion left lasting record); first Chinese dynasty to be fully documented; began at same time as Hammurabi; Huany He (Yellow River) - northern china, deposited rich layer of loess. Shang monarch = between mortal beings and Supreme being. Kin
shang society
peasants worked the land/were servants to aristocratic families. peasants lived in nuclear families composed of husband, wife, children, and possibly grandparent or cousin. aristocrats lived in extended families consisting of several generations. family p
oracle bones
concern for fruitful harvests led to Shaman priests whose predictions were based on oracle bones = reading inscribed in bones/shells.
Chinese writing
similar to Egyption hieroglyphics, it is pictographic. over time the number of characters increased and united people who spoke different languages - Chinese symbols convey ideas to people who speak different languages. problem of transliterating Chinese
Bronze
Bronze Age reached southeast Asia before it reached China. Non Nok Tha culture in ancient Thailand: by 2500 they were already using bronze. use of bronze reached its height in 500 BCE in Vietnam when dong Son people created bronze drums
Iron
discovered in Hittite Empire (Anatolia, Turkey); widespread use began 1200 BCE following Hittite decline. iron was abundant - made it cheaper but needed more complex technology. set off barbarian invasions; increased efficiency of agriculture; trade = spr
empires during the Iron Age
Assyrian and Persian empires built on and spread ideas of early civilizations (empire = large territorial estate)
Hittites
first ones to use Iron and spread the use of iron throughout the area. by 1400 BCE the Hittite king had extended his power over wide area between Med. and Black seas; weakened by conflict - 1200 they were overwhelmed by barbarians
Assyrian empire
by 800 BCE, Assyrian king brought all of Mesopotamia under one empire; capital at Nineveh; rules with force and relied on military power; 612 they were overthrown, 546 the Persians reconquered the area; cause of Assyrian overthrow - cavalry that occurred
Vedic Age
Aryans (steppe nomads): spoke Sanskrit, used khyber and Bolan passes through the Kindu Kush mountain range to migrate to India in 1500 BCE; claimed Indus Valley region; conquered native Dravidians
Indian epic poems
knowledge of charioteer "heroic age" of Indian history can be found in the Rig Veda = oldest religious writing in the world, and the Mahabharata = epic poem describing heroic battles between charioteers. other great epic poem of India = Ramayana - story o
Ganges river valley
abundant with monsoons; rice cultivation brought civilization; use of iron spread by 900 - iron tools used to clear the jungle
caste system in India
caste system emerged in India because of the unique character of the civilization; separated society into groups and subgroups of families with the same occupation who had the same Dharma = religious duties; avoided contact with other groups, caused stren
Vedic Religion
records of Aryans describe deities - one was the war leader and strongest on Indra, destroyer of cities and god of thunder and storm. rituals for the gods is found in the vedas = 4 books of sacred knowledge originally recited orally in Sanskrit. the oldes
Upanishadic religion
rival religious tradition based on asceticism; oral tradition recorded in the Upanishads - says the end of life is a quest for the release from the cycle of rebirths, or reincarnations. merger of Vedic and Upanishadic religions = birth of Hinduism
Kingdom of Kush
present day Sudan; became independent by 1000; conquered Egypt in 715 - but their bronze weapons were no match for the Assyrians iron weapons so they lost Egypt to them in 672; learned iron technology - new capital at Meroe (rich in iron); phonetic alphab
Phoenicians
emerged in 2000 in eastern Med; shared coast with Lydians; had purple dye from shellfish - used in clothing, came to symbolize royalty; extended markets across med; most famous colony = Carthage; *developed phonetic alphabet - by 1000 they had developed p
Aborigines
arrived in Australia during the Ice Age when Indonesia and Australia were connected; developed unique hunter-gatherer culture; believed in Dreamtime = ancestors spirits living in all things and their life force is passed down to new generations
Hebrews and religious diaspora
trace back to Abraham - God commanded him to leave sumer and go to Canaan; Jacob led people to Egypt during famine; Exodus= Moses leading Jews out in 1240 to Mt. Sinai where he got the 10 commandments = covanent; Torah - ethical monotheism; by 1021 Saul u
desiccation
9000: area of Sahara desert began to become dry and by 3000 it became mostly desert; caused populations to move north towards Med or south unto Sudanic region in Africa - composed of dry sahel and grassy savannas
Pastoralism
people lived along the borders of settled societies and developed own culture centered around animals; lived in small groups that followed herds; large migrations of Eurasian pastoralists - 1st = 2000 BCE resulted in weakening of early civilizations, 2nd
Indo-Europeans
originated near the Caucasus mountains, moved to Europe in 6500 and were ancestors of the Celts and Greeks, expansion occurred because of waves (population increase, disease, drought, invasion)
deforestation
Europe was originally extensive forest but between 500 and 1600 CE trees were cut to create agricultural land