Chapter 18.2 History

Section 2-6 Prehistoric Peoples People have been living in North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia for at least ten thousand years.  Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. (page 446) Hunters and gatherers first settled in the area, and later the region’s farmers were among the first in the world to domesticate livestock.

Section 2-8 Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Early Civilizations Mesopotamia Mesopotamia, the fertile area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, was one of the world’s first culture hearths, or a place where a culture evolved.  (page 447) The Sumerians used irrigation for farming and made advances in mathematics and engineering.  They also kept records by using a writing system.

Section 2-9 Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. The Egyptian civilization flourished along the Nile River and used irrigation for farming the fertile soil.  Early Civilizations (cont.) The Egyptians developed a calendar with a 365-day year, built impressive pyramids as tombs for their rulers, and invented hieroglyphics for writing. (page 447)

Section 2-11 Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Empires and Trade The Phoenicians of the eastern Mediterranean developed the basis for alphabets used by most Western countries.  (page 447) The Persian Empire of the 500s B.C. stretched from Egypt to Central Asia.  Persians developed a system of underground canals that irrigated their crops.  The Silk Road was an overland trade route connecting China with the Mediterranean Sea.

Section 2-12 Many present-day cities in the region, such as Samarqand, were originally trading posts along the Silk Road.  Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Empires and Trade (cont.) In the 1200s, nomadic Mongols led by Genghis Khan invaded Central Asia, establishing a vast inland empire.  The Mongols at first caused widespread destruction but later introduced such benefits as paper money and safer trade routes. (page 447)

Section 2-13 What effects did the Silk Road have on the region’s culture? Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer. Possible answers: The Silk Road made thriving trade possible among people of different cultures. People traveled and learned one another’s languages and customs, and some people probably settled in the countries to which the Silk Road led them. The Silk Road contributed to a blending of many cultures. Empires and Trade (cont.) (page 447)