1. Beginnings of Civilization 4 million B.C. –450 B.C.
Unit 1

2. Human Origins in Africa
Earliest humans discovered in Tanzania East Africa
Artifacts: human made objects that help in understanding history
Culture: people’s unique way of life studied by anthropologists
Hominid: humans and other creatures that walk upright
B. Stone Ages
Paleolithic Age: Old Stone Age, (2.5 mil to 8000 B.C.)
Neolithic Age: New Stone Age, (8000 B.C. to 3000 B.C.)

3. Human Origins in Africa (cont’d)
3. Neanderthals: smaller brains, “cave man”
Cro-Magnons: fully modern humans
C. Humans advance
Nomads: highly mobile
hunter-gatherers: food supply depends on hunting animals and collecting plants
Neolithic Age: agricultural revolution
Slash-and -burn farming: cut grasses and burned them to clear a field.
Domestication: taming of animals

4. II. Mesopotamia (Fertile Crescent)
--”land between the rivers”
--between Tigris River and
Euphrates River
--unpredictable flooding
--no natural boundaries
--limited natural resources
--women had rights

6. Civilizations Advanced Cities Specialized Workers Complex Institutions
Record Keeping
Improved Technology

7. Mesopotamia (cont’d) Government: city-states Religion: polytheism
—like independent countries
Religion: polytheism
--belief in more than one god
Accomplishments:
Hammurabi’s Code
Empire builders
Cuneiform
Ziggurats
D. Decline: overtaken by new groups/breaks up

8. Hammurabi’s Code Hammurabi’s Code of Laws
 If any one ensnare another, putting a ban upon him, but he can not prove it, then he that ensnared him shall be put to death. 2
   If any one bring an accusation against a man, and the accused go to the river and leap into the river, if he sink in the river his accuser shall take possession of his house. But if the river prove that the accused is not guilty, and he escape unhurt, then he who had brought the accusation shall be put to death, while he who leaped into the river shall take possession of the house that had belonged to his accuser. 3
   If any one bring an accusation of any crime before the elders, and does not prove what he has charged, he shall, if it be a capital offense charged, be put to death. 4
   If he satisfy the elders to impose a fine of grain or money, he shall receive the fine that the action produces. 5
   If a judge try a case, reach a decision, and present his judgment in writing; if later error shall appear in his decision, and it be through his own fault, then he shall pay twelve times the fine set by him in the case, and he shall be publicly removed from the judge's bench, and never again shall he sit there to render judgment.

10. First Empire Sargon of Akkad From Akkad; a city-state north of Sumer
Long adopted most Sumerian aspects
Created 1st Empire: brings together several peoples, nations, or previously independent states under control of one ruler.

11. Egypt Along Nile River Natural Desert Barriers Upper and Lower Egypt
Upper is south
Lower is north, near Med. Sea, includes delta (100 miles before Med. Sea, broad, marshy, triangle area, of silt at river mouth.)
Hierarchy of classes
Women had rights

13. Egypt (cont’d) Government: Theocracy/Pharaohs Religion: Polytheistic
Rule is based on religion; run God-kings
Religion: Polytheistic
Accomplishments:
Hieroglyphics: picture writing
Pyramids
Calendar
System of numbers/geometry (engineers and architects)
Medicine
Decline: Pharaohs lose power

15. Indus River Valley (India)
Indian Subcontinent
Surrounded by mountains: Hindu Kush, Karakorum, and Himalayan ranges
Between Indus and Ganges Rivers
Monsoons: seasonal winds from mid-June to Oct. winds shift and blow east (from SW) bring rains

17. Indus River Valley (cont’d)
Government: Theocracy
Religion: Hinduism
Accomplishments:
Language—impossible to decipher
City-planning/grids
Decline: earthquakes and floods alter Indus River; trade became impossible

18. V. China Natural Barriers isolate China
Yellow Sea, Pacific Ocean, East China Sea (East), Mt ranges and deserts dominate 2/3 of its land mass, Taklimakan Desert and Plateau of Tibet (West), Himalayas (SW), Gobi Desert and Mongolian Plateau (North)—No trade
Huang He River (Yellow River) and Chiang Jiang River (Yangtze)
Family more important than individual
Women have no rights; considered inferior
Hierarchy of classes

20. China (cont’d) Government: monarchy (Shang Dynasty)
Rule by one
Religion: polytheism
family spirits consulted supreme gods
Accomplishments:
Chinese characters (written language)
Roads and canals
Coined money
Cast iron weapons (not seen elsewhere until middle ages)
Decline: Nomads attack and kill monarch
Enter “period of warring states”

22. VI. Indo-Europeans Migrate
Indo-Europeans: group of nomadic peoples; came from the Steppes; ancestors of many modern languages
Hittite Empire: lived in Anatolia, excelled in technology of war (esp. chariots)
Aryans: lived between the Caspian and Aral Seas
Vedas: four collections of prayers, magical spells, and instructions for performing rituals
Castes: social system of Aryans

24. VII. Hinduism Develops (750-550 B.C.)
a collection of beliefs; seeks to achieve moksha: liberation from desires and suffering
Teach from Vedas (became Upanishads once written down)
Reincarnation: individual soul or spirit is born again until achieves moksha
Karma: good or bad deeds
Strengthened caste system
Brahman: world soul seen in 3 main gods

26. VIII. Buddhism Develops (750-550 B.C.)
Founded by Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha: enlightened one)
Four Noble Truths:
1. Life is filled with suffering and sorrow
2. The cause of all suffering is people’s selfish desire for the temporary pleasures of this world
3. The way to end all suffering is to end all desires
4. The way to overcome such desires and attain enlightenment is to follow the Eightfold Path, which is called the Middle Way b/t desires and self-denial

27. Buddhism (cont’d)
Eightfold Path: guide to behavior mastered one step at a time, over many lifetimes
Nirvana: release from selfishness and pain
Originated in India, spread worldwide
TRADE played a crucial role in the spread of Buddhism.

29. IX. Sea Traders Minoans: Phoenicians:
dominated trade in eastern Mediterranean ( B.C.)
Lived on Crete
King Minos: owned a Minotaur
Volcano destroyed civilization
Phoenicians:
Most powerful sea traders after Minoans
Alphabet is their greatest legacy

31. X. Judaism Develops 1800 B.C.
Palestine: trade crossroads for many peoples
Canaan: “Promised Land” of the Hebrews (Jews)
Abraham
“Father” of the Hebrew people
Torah: first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible
Monotheism: belief in ONE god
Covenant: promise b/t God and Abraham

32. Judaism develops (cont’d)
B. The Exodus
1. Moses
2. Ten Commandments
3. Israel
a. Saul
b. David
c. Solomon
i. Judah: southern division of Israel formed in 922 B.C.
ii. Tribute: peace money paid to Assyria

33. XI. Empires Develop New Kingdom of Egypt
Hyksos ruled Egypt from B.C.
During this time, Hebrews settled Egypt
Series of rulers began to restore power (kicked the Hyksos out!)
Hebrews stayed and were forced into slavery

34. New Kingdom (cont’d) Queen Hatshepsut: declared queen; expanded trade
Thutmose III: warlike (might have murdered Hatshepsut); now a mighty empire
Ramses II: made treaty with Hittites (who they often fought)
Also built great palaces and temples
Built their tombs in the cliffs

36. New Kingdom Declines
Egypt suffered invasions from “Sea Peoples”, tribes of Palestine, and Libyan raids.
Egyptian Empire broke apart

37. Empires Develop (cont’d)
Assyrian Empire
From Northern part of Mesopotamia
Through war, created empire
Glorified military strength
Peak of empire included all of the Fertile Crescent and Egypt
Eventually falls to Chaldeans who make Babylon their capital.

38. Assyrian Empire (cont’d)
Hanging Gardens of Babylon

40. Empires Develop (cont’d)
Persian Empire
Based on tolerance and diplomacy (instead of war)
Cyrus: King who was a military genius; controlled land from the Indus River to Anatolia
Kind towards conquered peoples
Allowed NO looting and burning
Honored local customs
Allowed Jews to return to Jerusalem
His successors conquered Egypt
Divided land into 20 provinces to govern with satraps (ruled locally)
Roads and coins promoted trade that helped hold the empire together. (Royal Road)

41. Persia (cont’d) Legacy:
Zoroaster: Persian prophet founded Zoroastrianism
Taught belief in one god
Earth is a battleground with a great struggle between good and evil
Shares concept of Satan and angels with Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

42. Empires Develop (cont’d)
China Unites
Remember: Zhou Dynasty ruled for 800 yrs. But declined during “warring states period”
Confucius: China’s most influential scholar
Lived in Zhou dynasty’s decline
Taught history, music, and moral character
Believed China could restore order
by following 5 basic relationships
which were based upon the family
Children should practice filial piety:
respect for parents and ancestors
(honoring during life & performing
rituals after death)

43. China Develops (cont’d)
Daoism: philosophy of Laozi; taught that people should be guided by an invisible force known as the Dao.
Pursued scientific studies
Qin Dynasty: replaced the Zhou in third century B.C.
Defeated invaders (doubled China’s size)
Crushed political opposition
Murdered hundreds of scholars who could criticize him and had books burned
Established autocracy: gov’t with unlimited power
Began production on the Great Wall of China
Decline: peasant rebellion; Han dynasty begins (one of longest in history)