CCoT between Period 1 (pre-history-600 B.C.E. and Period 2 (600 B.C.E. – 600 C.E.)

Terms Defined

Changes: What has changed from the previous era in this era?

Continuities: What has stayed the same from the previous era to this era?

Reasons: What are the reasons for the changes and continuities between the time period?

600 B.C.E. – The Big Picture Agriculture revolution is complete

Its transformations have taken hold in many parts of the earth

Large city-states (Mesopotamia, Indus Valley, China, Nile, Latin and Andean America) and river valley civilizations are starting to form in many areas

Most of the earths population still lives in rural areas

A large part of the earth’s population now lives in areas where one of these civilizations is dominant

By 600 C.E.

Large empires will (second wave civilizations) have risen and collapsed only to be replaced by new empires that rise and fall in a cycle

Society has produced many lasting social and cultural achievements. Religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism,

Zoroastrianism

Social Hierarchies: Indian caste system, Agriculture serfdom

No major social revolutions that changed the course of humanity such as the Neolithic Revolution in the previous time period

Happenings in This Time Period

Large empires sucked up and engulfed the old cities of the first wave of civilization expansion. Each of these empires brought together diversities of people under one rule (one third of earth’s landmass)

Important cultural innovations: Daoism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Greek rationalism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam.

Technological innovations: China: piston bellows, draw loom, silk machinery, paper, gunpowder, iron casting, crossbow: India: cotton textile manufacture and sugar crystallization; Rome: civil engineering (roads and water transport)

More widespread and dense network of communication and trade—moved goods and culture from large cities within civilizations

And the Same Old Continues

Population continued to expand but not at the rapid pace that was to be seen in future periods.

The power of the state continues to increase and expand to include large portions of the earth’s population. Most power was still held by Monarchs.

Women continued to be dominated by men.

There was a sharp divide between the elites and everyone else persisted, as well as slavery.

No major technological revolutions took place to change human society.

Why oh Why do These Keep Happening Modest population growth is a result of no major

technological advances.

Spiritual and philosophical frameworks developed as people sought order to their existence and define their relationship with an unknown and mysterious world

Growing trade and communication networks were a result of increasing elite demand for foreign goods.

(Con.) As weapons and transportation tech. increased states were able to expand and capture more and more territory.

Social groups had little interest in innovating: elites benefited to much from social exploitation as land lords and peasants did not want to increase production because the surplus would only go to the elites. Merchants were viewed with suspicion because they interacted with foreigners and brought strange and unknown culture from their travels.