1. Chapter 1:The Early Civilizations
AP World History I

2. The Basics…
Paleolithic (Old Stone Age): Until about 14,000 years ago (12,000 BCE)
Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age): 12,000 BCE – BCE
Neolithic (New Stone Age): 8000 BCE – ca BCE
Followed by Bronze Age and Iron Age

3. Characteristics… Paleolithic: Simple tool creation
Fire tamed around 750,000 years ago
1.5 million people around 100,000 years ago
Homo Erectus emerges between 500,000 and 750,000 years ago

4. Mesolithic: Characteristics… Improved tool making skills
Better weapons and cutting edges
Use of bone for needles.
Improved fishing

5. Characteristics… Neolithic: Invention of Agriculture
Creation of cities
Domestication of Animals
Concept of “civilization”

6. Human “evolution”

7. The Development of Agriculture…
Human beings are able to settle in one spot
Allows humans the ability to focus on economic, political, and religious goals
Spawns a great increase in the number of people in the world
6 to 8 million people during early Neolithic to about 100 million some 3000 years later!

8. The end of the Ice Age Population increases
Big game animals retreat…causes a decline in the effectiveness of hunting
Increased dependence on wild grains, berries, and nuts sets the stage for the deliberate planting of seeds, and the ultimate improvement of crops through natural selection.

9. The Neolithic "revolution"
Combined old systems of hunting and gathering with new concepts of Agriculture.
Early agriculture could support many people…far more than hunting and gathering ever could.
Agriculture requires more regular work than Hunting and Gathering.
Larger populations freed some people for other specializations.
Basket-making
Pottery
Knowledge of science (weather…flooding, etc)

10. The Neolithic "revolution"
The Development of agriculture is driven by the following process…
End of Ice Age
Ice melts, flooding the earths oceans, seas, rivers
Under ice, for thousands of years has been soil enriched by thousands of years of fertilization…untouched!
Floods cause this highly fertilized soil (silt) to overflow the river banks
This silt becomes the highly charged and energized soil necessary for agricultural experimentation!

11. The Bronze Age Development of agriculture causes faster development
By 4000 BCE we see the development of metal tools.
Copper at first…
Bronze (more resilient) later
Improved Farming
Caused greater specialization
We still live in metal ages today
Bronze Age
Iron Age

12. Civilization Tribes contained anywhere from 40-60 people
Slash and Burn Agriculture existed in parts of the American South and other parts of the world
Farm soil until it’s depleted
Advantages to staying in one place…
Houses can be built
Wells can be built for water
Irrigation systems

13. Civilization Economic surplus to form divisions of labor Formal states
Cities
Development of Writing

14. The 8 features of Civilization
Cities
Well-Organized Central Government
Complex Religions
Job Specialization
Social Classes
Arts and Architecture
Public Works
Writings

15. Mesopotamia The World’s first “civilization”
Founded in the valley of Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
An example of completely independent social creation
Only occurs in China and Mesoamerica
Wheel had been invented for transportation, well established pottery industry, interesting artistic forms, farming needed irrigation, gave basis for complex political structures.
By 3500 BCE, the SUMERIANS developed a system of writing known as CUNEIFORM

16. Mesopotamia

17. Cuneiform

18. Cuneiform

19. Mesopotamia Arts: statues and frescoes adorned the temples of gods
Science: founding of astronomy, and improved mathematical knowledge
Developed a number system based on units of 10, 60 and 360.
What do those numbers represent for us?
Complex Religious rituals
Ziggurats: monumental architecture
Polytheistic
Divine force was present in many natural objects
Belief in an afterlife of punishment

20. Mesopotamia

21. Mesopotamia
Organized City-States ruled by a king who claimed divine authority.
The King, noble class, and the priesthood controlled land which was worked by slaves.
Farmers learned about fertilizers, and adopted silver as a means of exchange.
Constant warfare in the region.
Sumerians
Akkadians
Babylonians

22. Mesopotamia Babylonians
King Hammurabi introduces the Code of Hammurabi, an early codified law.
Established rules of procedure for courts of law
Regulated property rights
Set harsh punishments for crimes
Continual warfare by Semitic peoples, then Assyrians, and later the Persians

23. Egypt
Second civilization to spring up…around the NILE River forming by 3000 BCE
Less susceptible to invasion
Benefited from trade with Mesopotamia, but produced a unique culture due to some degree of isolation
The king, or pharaoh possessed immense power.
Influential in controlling the economy
Built tombs for themselves…the pyramids
Control of Egypt spread up and down the Nile
The kingdom of Kush (southern Nile) invaded and ruled

24. Egypt

25. Egypt

26. Indus River and Chinese Civilization
Chinese Civilization (Huang He River)
Developed in considerable isolation
Extensive government that regulated the irrigation projects
By 2000 BCE, evidence of advanced technology and elaborate intellectual life.
Writing system of ideographic symbols
By 1500 BCE a line of Kings called the SHANG ruled
Indus River Valley Civilization
Civilization emerges by BCE
Many large cities, including Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
Houses had running water
Writing has yet to be deciphered
Infiltration by Indo- Europeans and natural calamities result in destruction of civilization

27. Indus Maps India and China Resources

28. Mohenjo-Daro

29. Chinese RVC Maps Chinese dynasty Art with maps

30. Heritage of RVC's Monuments Wheel Taming of the horse Usable alphabets
Writing implements
Key mathematical concepts
Well-organized monarchies
Bureaucracies
Calendars

31. Heritage of RVC's Most RVC’s were in decline by 1000 BCE
Phoenicians: Around 1300 BCE produced a simplified alphabet with 22 letters, which was the predecessor of Greek and Roman alphabets
The Lydians introduce coined money
A Semitic group of people, the Jews, influenced by Babylonian Civilization settled near the Mediterranean around 1200 BCE and introduced monotheism.
Single god: Jehovah guided the destiny of the Jewish people.
Forms the basis of the Hebrew Bible
Domination by foreign rulers from 772 BCE . Romans seize the state in 63 BCE