World Cultures Chapter 1
Toward Civilization
Prehistory – 3000B.C.
Understanding Our Past
Try to imagine the dawn of civilization – cave men, dinosaurs, wooly mammoths
Geography and History Geography is the study of people, their
environments, and the resources available to them
Geography often determines how a culture develops
How has the geography here impacted you?
Geography and History
Location Where on earth you are, measured in latitude and
longitude Place
Physical features and human characteristics Human-Environment Interaction
How humans have impacted the environment Movement
How people move throughout the centuries
Geography and History
Region Areas defined by political, physical, economic,
or cultural features
How Do We Know?
There is much confusion about Prehistory Prehistory is the period of time before
recorded history Why would it be hard to learn about
prehistory? What are some ways that we can learn about
prehistory?
How Do We Know?
Anthropology The study of the origins of human culture
Archaeology The study of past cultures through artifacts Most archaeologists dig to discover hidden
artifacts Archaeologists also use radio-carbon dating,
relative dating, geological clues, and sonar to find and date artifacts
Reconstructing the Past Historians are people who try
to reconstruct the past using what we know and intuition What things can we use to
help us decode past events? Great vs. Small
Past historians usually wrote about monarchs / kings / leaders
Newer historians usually focus on the plight of common people
The Dawn of History
The Old Stone Age Paleolithic Age 2 million B.C. to 10,000 B.C.
Early humans most likely lived in Eastern Africa and the Middle East (Mesopotamia)
Most people were hunters / gatherers Most civilizations were nomadic The Earth was several degrees colder (called the
Ice Age) and men lived amongst woolly mammoths and saber toothed cats
The Dawn of History
Early Religious Beliefs Men needed an explanation for the way things
were: the rising sun, the changing of the seasons, etc.
Many gods and religious figures were derived by things in nature: animals, seasons, the seas, etc.
Cave paintings and figurines are signs of idol worship
A belief in the afterlife is also evident
Neolithic Agricultural Revolution
Called the New Stone Age Around 11,000 years ago people learned how
to cultivate crops This required the nomadic tribes to settle in
one area Tribes also learned how to domesticate
animals How would Stone Age people learned how to
plant? Why would they domesticate animals?
Neolithic Agricultural Revolution
The shift to agriculture was probably the most significant advancement in human history Farming lead to a greater social structure The role of women may have decreased as
men did more farm work and served as elders in the society
Competition for resources increased with population, giving rise to warriors and increasingly sophisticated war techniques
This would continue until the 1700’s
Neolithic Agricultural Revolution
New Technology Farming implements Calendars Use of animals for
work Specialization of Labor Clothing
Beginnings of Civilization
Civilization A complex, highly organized social order Expanding agricultural areas created the first
civilizations First Civilizations
River Valley Civilizations Tigris and Euphrates Nile River Indus River Yellow River (Huang He)
Beginnings of Civilization
American Cities Cities also arose in the Mayan, Aztec, and Inca
cultures completely devoid of Eastern Civilization The American tribes developed calendars and
complex math long before Eastern cultures
Features of Civilizations Organized Governments
Early civilizations had either a council or chief As civilizations grew, their roles expanded and
gained more power The religious leaders also held a great deal of
power
Beginnings of Civilization
Complex Religions Many cultures were polytheistic The gods were thought to be responsible for all
aspects of life Many rituals including ceremonies, dances,
songs, temples, hymns, and sacrifices were devised to please the gods
Job Specialization As societies grew, it became evident that certain
people were better at doing a particular trade People specialized to master a particular trade
Beginnings of Civilization
Social Classes Strata of people developed based on monetary
values, land, family history, and honor Priests and noblemen Wealthy merchants Commoners (Free Men) Slaves
Debtors Prisoners of War
Beginnings of Civilization
Arts and Architecture Most were created to pay homage to the gods The best, most artistic buildings were built for the
rulers or the gods for worship Early civilizations also used art as a means of
communication Public Works
Irrigation systems, roads, bridges, and defensive walls
Beginnings of Civilization
Writing Created to serve as a means of record keeping Most citizens could not read or write Usually only the wealthy or religious men were
schooled Original writing was pictograms – pictures used to
describe something Later on symbols were used Scribes were professional writers who kept track
of numbers, people, and official orders
Spread of Civilization
City States As individual tribes grew they competed for
land and resources Cities went to war with each other and
eventually grew into larger and larger areas Empires
The first empires grew out of the combination of several city states
Conquered city states were often treated harshly but made peace in the long run
Spread of Civilization
Despite the advancement of civilizations, some people remained nomadic
Conflicts with nomadic peoples would plague civilizations for centuries
Civilizations and Change
Environmental Changes Both nomadic and civilized people needed
resources Timber, fresh water, farm land, and metal
were essential to communities Interactions among People
Cultural Diffusion – the spread of ideas between cultures as a result of trading, travel, and exploration
Civilizations and Change
People migrated as a result of natural disasters or famine and took their ways of life with them
Metal working, writing, religious beliefs, etc were exchanged
Warfare also caused cultures to bend to the will of the victorious army (Jewish culture)