“Nature, Humanity, and History: The First 4

Million Years”(Prehistory – 3500 B.C.E.)

Period 1: Technological and Environmental Transformations to 600 BCE

Bulliet, et al. The Earth and Its Peoples, 2nd ed. (Ch. 1)

Question of Periodization

Periodization: AP World History is broken into six chronological periods of study.

Period 1 (Ch. 1-3): Technological and Environmental Transformations to 600 BCE, (5% of AP Exam)

Key Concept 1.1. Big Geography and the Peopling of the Earth Key Concept 1.2. The Neolithic Revolution and Early Agricultural Societies Key Concept 1.3. The Development and Interactions of Early Agricultural, Pastoral and Urban Societies

Essential AP QuestionsYou should be able to...

Describe how, during the Paleolithic era, hunting-foraging bands of humans gradually migrated from their origin in East Africa to Eurasia, Australia, and the Americas, adapting their technology and cultures to new climate regions (AP Key-Concept 1.1.IA-C).

Analyze how the Neolithic Revolution (approx. 10,000 years ago) led to the development of new and more complex economic and social systems (AP Key-Concept 1.2.IA-E).

Describe how pastoralism and agriculture led to more reliable and abundant food supplies, which increased the population (AP Key-Concept 1.2.IIA).

Explain how surpluses of food and other goods led to specialization of labor, including new classes of artisans and warriors, and the development of elites (AP Key-Concept 1.2.IIB).

Important AP Ideas

Natural Selection Stone Age

Evolution Paleolithic

Great Ice Age Neolithic

Homo sapiens Forager (Hunter Gatherer)

Civilization Agricultural (Neolithic) Revolution

Culture History

And here we go!

The Calendar: Time

Before Christ (B.C)

Birth of Jesus

Anno Domini (A.D.)

Before Common Era (B.C.E.) Common Era (C.E.)

B.C. – before Christ = B.C.E. – before the common era A.D. – anno domini = C.E. – common era

think of a timeline...

1st century BCE → 100 - 1 BCE 2nd century BCE → 200 BCE - 101 BCE

1st century CE → 1 – 100 2nd century CE → 101 – 200

Theory of Evolution

- Evolution vs. Creation

- During the 19th century, Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution creates controversy

- Natural Selection is the diversity and changes to living species over time

- “humans were descended from a hairy, tailed quadruped (four footed animal)” -- The Descent of Man, 1870

- Man consider this to be offensive, atheistic, blasphemous

19th century political cartoon of Charles Darwin

Great Ice Age (Pleistocene)

- Approx. 2 million to 11,000 years ago!

- At their peak, glaciers covered a third of the Earth’s surface

- Created land bridges (causing migration to occur)

- What was the result? By 10,00 B.C., people all over the world (ex. Antarctica)

- Known as the Paleolithic Period (or… The Old Stone Age)

Spread of Homo Sapiens Sapiens

Paleolithic (Old Stone) AgeA Tale of Hunter/Gatherers (Foragers)

- Nomadic is a term that alludes to a dependency on the environment in order for survival. In other words, “followed the food”

- Always on the move; “don’t carry a lot of stuff”

- Temporary housing, learning how to make fire(s) and using simple stone tools (what we call “artifacts”)

- such as a projectile or scraper tools, etc.

- Small, clan-based groups; Egalitarians

Paleolithic CultureA Tale of Hunter/Gatherers (Foragers) [cont.]

- Prehistory is a time before writing was developed

- Artistic expression reveals much about human imagination, society, and wildlife

- Belief in nature spirits are expressed in Cave Paintings

- Venus figures represented fertility & power over nature

- Tool and weapon design changed along with new methods of hunting and the introduction of systematic agriculture, revealing the adaptability of the human species.

The Neolithic Revolution (The New Stone Age)

About 10,000 years ago → Possible change in climate (Holocene) [less wild food/game] influenced change from nomadic to SEDENTARY (permanent) way of life & the development of agriculture.

SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE & PASTORALISM (herding)

Domesticated animals; fire & tools for land cultivation; seeds from high yielding plants •

Villages → More Food → Increased population

Greatest change in society until the Industrial Revolution of the late 1700s! But, that story is for another day.

Changing Ways of Life in Neolithic Villages

Status of women declined

Counsels of elder (chiefs)

More personal property

Warfare increased

New technologies (Plow & Calendar)

Metallurgy: From copper to The Bronze Age

Changes led to the emergence of what we call CIVILIZATION.

Advantages Disadvantages

Helped develop and spread language

Diets not as varied or nutritious

Architecture evolved as towns grew

Farmers worked longer hours (the use of slavery evolved)

Trade and craftwork became important (division of labor)

Increased death rate from contamination and disease

Egalitarian Women’s status declined

What were the advantages & disadvantages of Neolithic communities?

Neolithic Revolution Leads to Civilization

Rise in major river valleys – 3500 BCE

Benefits of Agriculture:

Takes less people to grow food so other jobs develop such as potters, weavers, metal workers, warriors, and priests.

People are no longer nomadic and cities develop.

Government develops in order to deal with so many people living close together.

Writing develops.

Complex social institutions arise

Science and technology develop.

Something to think about (STTA): What was the importance of the Neolithic Revolution?

Key Features of a Civilization

Political Structure: central government, laws

Economic Structure: trade, money, division of labor

Religious Beliefs: complex belief system & structure

Social Structure: gender roles, hierarchy, division of labor

Inventions/Innovations: philosophy, math/science, education, writing, technology/innovation

Arts/Literature: art, music, architecture, and literature

We’ll use these features and more in a study guide called a PERSIAEn chart in a moment …

CultureConsists of learned patterns of action and expression:

Language

Type of clothing

Type of homes

Family organization

System of government

Methods of obtaining food

Types of crafts

Art & Music

Religious beliefs

Catal Huyuk & Jericho

Catal Huyuk Art Forms

Jericho: It is also believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world.

Big Ideas

1. Hunting & gathering societies were relatively egalitarian, small, mobile and spiritual.

2. Early humans spread out from Africa to the entire world and adapted to a variety of climates.

3. After the last Ice Age, humans settled around available sources of grains and water forming larger populations and societies.

4. Agriculture developed independently in many parts of the world. · Agricultural societies became more varied, complex and socially stratified.

5. Core and foundational civilizations developed around these centers of agriculture.

6. Because of the Agricultural Revolution, larger and expanding civilizations resulted in more complex, urban, organized, and unequal societal structures.

7. Power became increasingly consolidated in various forms of government.

8. Civilization developed unifying cultures based on language, literature, laws, myths, religion, and monumental art.

The PERSIAEn ChartSo many civilizations...

Key Features of a Civilization -- The PERSIAEn Chart

Catagory Features

Political Structure central government, laws

Economic Structure trade, money, division of labor

Religious Beliefs: complex belief system & structure

Social Structure gender roles, hierarchy, division of labor

Invention/Innovation(s)

philosophy, math/science, education, writing, technology/innovation

Art and/or Literature art, music, literature, architecture

EnvironmentalInteraction

Physical & Human Geography (location, demography, urban/rural, human/environment interaction)

Key Features of a Civilization -- The PERSIAEn Chart (cont.)

Catagory Features

Interaction Connections with other regions/cultures (war, migration, alliances)

Decline Fall/Collapse of Civilization or Society in question…

Note: Interaction and Decline are also some PERSIAEn categories you MAY want to study and jot down, but for the purpose of keeping this study guide of different regions/time periods/societies (i.e., civilizations) specific and down to the point -- it’s not required.

Key Features of the Paleolithic PeriodGenerally accepted to start around 2 Million years ago

Catagory Features

Political Structure:

rather simple and tended to be focused around clans and elders of the clansmaking decisions due to experience.

Economic Structure:

Almost no trading took place during the time period; some groups may have traded items that they saw what other groups’ had. If it did exist it was a BARTER system. Women (gathered) and Men (hunted) had more equal status than Neolithic and beyond.

Religious Beliefs:

Both Paleolithic & Neolithic periods shared a similar set of beliefs, never having a named religion. It was Polytheistic, and was centered on Gods and Goddesses to explain the unexplainable. There was an afterlife, and was created to explain death. Dead were buried with their personal belongings to be used in the afterlife.

Social Structure

Small Hunting/Gathering groups. Slow Population growth. During the Middle Stone age, Growth was faster, and warfare took place. Since they were nomadic, they traveled in small groups; gender rolls but equally important. EGALITARIAN.

Catagory Features

Invention/Innovation(s)

Crude shaping of stone, animal bones & wood implements for tools and weapons, use of fire.

Art and/or Literature

Keep in mind...art is a reflection of culture--Cave Paintings showing the hunt; venus fertility figures.

EnvironmentInteraction

Originated in Eastern Africa. There were shifts in the Earth’s climate which at time included ice ages. Early people began to migrate in search of food (followed wild herds); nomads hunted and gathered

Key Features of the Paleolithic Period (cont.)

Interaction Little to no interaction.

Decline Although nomads do not disappear, due to the environment getting warmer, there are less as time goes on. Hunters and Gathers (Foragers) exist but many evolve into pastoralists (followed domesticated herds) Discovery of agriculture led to the Agricultural/Neolithic Revolution. SEDENTARY society began. Sedentary society would interact with pastoralists.

Key Features of the Neolithic PeriodBegan About 12,000 years ago (10,000BCE), ended at the start of the river valley civilizations

Catagory Features

Political Structure:

The settlement of the people led to the more developed gov’t, but still organized around elders

Economic Structure:

With the development of agriculture, internal trade was common amongst each village, because of job specialization and some trade occurred between villages; mostly BARTER; development of traditional economy. People were existing at a SUBSISTENCE level.

Religious Beliefs:

Similar to the Paleolithic period. Polytheistic, but no named god. The Neolithic age would see the development of dedicated places to bury their dead in the village. Priests held high power.

Social Structure

There was more interaction, larger population (due to more consistent food and sedentary societies) and wealth was also common among sedentary societies; women’s roles began to become confined to the household and SUBORDINATION begins.

Catagory Features

Invention/Innovation(s)

Farming began in 10,000 BCE with the discovery that seeds dropped grew plants (women gathers discovered this), 1st place was the Middle East; animals were domesticated (goats, pig, horses and cattle around 8,000 BCE , a potters wheel created 6,000 BCE. Irrigation was also created. Copper and bronze metal was a used material.

Art and/or Literature

Art also took on another dimension; beads and pottery.

EnvironmentInteraction

Ice sheets rescinded and in the more temperate zones, domestication of plants and animals occurred with the 1st area being the Middle East; farming spread along similar line of latitude.

Key Features of the Neolithic Period (cont.)

Interaction Little cultural interaction; however, some trade with nearby villages

Decline Neolithic Age began to end with the dawn of civilizations. Start of River Valley Civilizations (3500BCE). The biggest difference between the Neolithic villages and the River Valley civs is consistent food surpluses led to more advanced settlements which allowed for job specialization & trade.