Isolation and Expansion CIVILIZATION VS. GEOGRAPHY AD Expanding civilizations move to new regions seeking new resources

Africa Geography and barriers Sahara Ocean High ground with steep rivers Only 5-6 major basins Half rivers never reach coast Dense forest Malarial mosquitoes Spread and exchange of cultures took centuries longer than Europe

African Exceptions Ethiopia Contact via sea trade Monsoon winds West Africa Jenne – Jeno C. 300 BC Flood plain of Niger river Crossroads of trade North to South Slaves Salt Copper Gold

African Exceptions cont. Ghana and Gao C AD Sacred kings Rich middlemen of trade Lack of contact between E and W along Sahel reason Africa does not mirror Asia/Europe

America and Geography Lack of N-S corridor kept Americas from mirroring Eurasia No known contact between South America and Mesoamerica

The Maya 3 contrasting environments Volcanic highlands (Guatemala) Limestone plateau (Yucatan) Caribbean coast (Mexico) Rulers 3 responsibilities (similar in all North American civilizations) War Communicate with Gods Building ceremonial centers

Maya cont. Mayan City-states Too equally matched for imperialism Constant warfare Terror Sacrifice Centered around ceremonial building Markets Temples Human Sacrifices

Maya cont. Unique writing system Astronomical observation Genealogies of Kings Mayan Civilization declines c AD Environment changes Droughts and storms El Nino currents

Mayan Calendar

North American Civilization Civilization expands along Ohio & Mississippi river valleys Maize Culture Maize and beans move to central plains New crops allow spread of people Allowed large scale building Mound building in Mississippi Adobe cliffs in South West

Areas of Mound-Builder Influence

Maize

Islam and the Environment Imp expansion slows in late 700s Ecological exp. increases New foods gathered and moved Medicinal Plants Examples Coffee Cotton Sugar New technology Clearing forests Fertilizer Increases amount of arable land

Coffee Plant

Cotton Plant

Sugarcane Plant

Clearing Forests

Frontier Expansion in Japan Drive to increase food production Gov sponsored Slow development of marginal land farming Adopt barley to replace millet as secondary crop Open new lands to agriculture by displacing barbarians Ainu people Developed fortified farming settlements

Ainu Peoples

India and Environmental Expansion Gupta empire collapse 500 AD Replaced by many rival kingdoms Small kingdoms sent priests and warriors to clear/cultivate uninhabited wasteland Forests Swamps Generated revenue by taxes these new lands

Tang China and Environmental Expansion Improved canal system and irrigation Land reform Break large holdings among smaller holders New rice strains from Vietnam Moved southward Away from steppes Take land from southern barbarians Exterminated Assimilated Marginalized Chinas southern movement led to conflict with coastal trading powers

New Agrarian States AD Chenila (Cambodia) Khmer (lower MeKong) Viet Cham Java Sumatra

Expanding Christendom Conquest rather than new crops Ireland & Scotland (monks) Saxons (Boniface) 719 Charlemagne Carolus Magnus Traveled to Italy 774 -> collected books, etc. Proclaimed self successor of Rome Conquered in name of a new Roman empire First Roman expansion since Trajan Charlemagnes satellites (Christian states) Slav states in Bohemia Bulgars in modern Bulgaria

Carolingian Empire

Charlemagne

AD Overall, a time of new environmental expansion and conquest New crops New farming strategies Military expansion Agriculture expanded into marginal areas All to deal with population increase