How did humans become civilized? What were we like? How did we change?

Food, What would we do without it? Food is the most important need for humans. How we get food now is different than how humans got food for hundreds of thousands of years.

Before farming Foraging AKA Hunter-Gatherers Food sources: plants and animals Plants are gathered in season and stored when possible Meat is hunted and dried for food and other uses, clothing, rope, etc. Move around to take advantage of seasonal offerings i.e. nomadic

Hunter-Gatherers’ societies Advantages Disadvantages Fit into nature (little environmental impact) Relatively little labor expended to get food Variety in diet Deep knowledge of uses for plants and animals in the region they live. Dependent upon wild animals and plants Nature can only support small groups and cultures Must travel around to find food, so no permanent building structures No animals to help with labor

What changed? Hunter Gatherer type societies had survived for thousands of years. After the last ice age ended in 10,000 B.C.E., humans began selecting dependable plants for food

What tastes makes a good food plant? The first crops that met with humans’ approval were cereals and pulses. Tastes good (not bitter) Large (larger fruit or seeds) Easy to pick Grow fast or with lots of fruit/seeds. (High Yields) Grow Annually

Domestication! The process of humans selecting plants for more useful characteristics is called Domestication It was also used with animals.

First domesticated plants Geographical Area Crops domesticated Middle East aka Fertile Crescent China India Mesoamerica Andes/Amazonia Wheat, barley, peas, lentils, chickpea, flax, muskmelon Millet, rice?, soybean, adzuki bean, mung bean, hemp Rice, hyacinth bean, cotton, cucumber Corn, common bean, yucca, jicama, squashes Potato, quinoa, lima bean, peanut,

What makes a useful animal? Good characteristics Bad characteristics Humans have used animals for… Meat Milk Fertilizer Transportation Military Assault Plowing fields Wool and unknowingly Germs Big Easy to control Herbivore or omnivore Multiple uses Short childhoods But not too big Bad temper Carnivore

Species Dates (B.C.E.) Place Approximate dates and locations for Domestication of Large Mammal Species Species Dog Sheep Goat Pig Cow Horse Donkey Water buffalo Llama/alpaca Bactrian camel Arabian camel Dates (B.C.E.) 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 3,500 2,500 Place Middle East, China, North America Middle East China, Middle East India, Middle East Ukraine Egypt China? Andes (South America) Central Asia (the stans) Arabia From Guns, Germs, and Steel pg. 167

Definition of Civilizations Civilizations have: An urban focus – major cities Political and military systems Social structure based on economic systems-upper and lower classes Development of labor specialization Distinct religious structure Development of Writing New and significant artistic and intellectual activity Advanced Cities System of Writing Advanced Technology Civilization Has… Complex Institutions Skilled Workers