1. AP World History Unit 1
B.C.E.

2. Paleolithic Era (Anything in red doesn’t go in notes)
Archaeological evidence indicates that bands of hunter-foragers:
migrated from East Africa to Eurasia, Australia, and the Americas
Developed tools (including fire) as they adapted to various environments
Lived in small groups that provided political, social, and economic activity
Exchanged people and ideas with one another
QUESTION: Why must we rely on archaeological evidence for this?

3. Neolithic Revolutions: c. 8000 B.C.E.
Permanent agricultural villages developed in Eastern Mediterranean
Possibly in response to climate change
Agriculture (domestication of plants/animals) occurred independently in:
Tigris and Euphrates river valleys (Mesopotamia)
Nile River Valley (Egypt)
Indus River Valley (India)
Huang He (Yellow) River Valley (China)
Sub-Saharan Africa
Papua New Guinea
Mesoamerica (Mexico, Central America)
Andes Mountains (South America)

4. Agricultural Communities
People Worked together to cleared land, created water control systems
(Dams, irrigation)
Affected Environment

5. Pastoralism Semi-nomadic culture that moved herds for grazing
Grasslands of Afro-Eurasia
Overgrazing led to environmental damage

6. Human Societies Transform
Pastoralism, agriculture result in more reliable, abundant food supplies
Populations increase
Labor specialization begins, creating new classes
Artisans
Warriors
Elites

7. Patriarchal societies develop
Hierarchies intensify as societies grow and expand

8. New Technology Pottery, Plows, Textiles, Wheels/vehicles, Metallurgy
Lead to improvements in agriculture, trade, transportation
Chinese Bronze tools

9. Foundational Civilizations
Developed where agriculture flourished
Mesopotamia (Tigris/Euphrates)
Egypt (Nile)
Mohenjo-daro, Harappa (Indus)
Shang (Huang He)
Olmec (Mesoamerica)
Chavin (Andes)

10. The First States Developed in Mesopotamia, Egypt
Powerful systems of rule
Mobilized surplus labor and resources
Rulers
often claimed divine connection
enjoyed military support

11. Expansion States grew and competed for land, resources
Growing populations, food supply enabled those with best resources to expand through conquest
Example: Hittites had access to iron, which they used for weapons

12. Mesopotamia

13. Egypt

14. War Technology Often developed and spread by pastoralists
Weapons included those made of iron as well as composite bows
New transportation included horseback riding and chariots
Peace Treaty of the battle of Kadesh (1269 BCE; between Egypt and the Hittites), which was the biggest chariot battle in history. Both sides claimed victory, but Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II actually won the fighting. This is the oldest known peace treaty.

15. Urban Planning Streets and Roads Sewage and Water Systems
Defensive Walls
“Monumental architecture”
Ziggurats
Pyramids
Temples

16. Record Keeping Systems develop separately Cuneiform Hieroglyphics
Pictographs
Alphabets
Quipu

17. Legal Codes Reflected existing hierarchies
Facilitated rule of government over people
Code of Hammurabi (Babylonia)
Code of Ur-Nammu (Sumer)

18. Religious Beliefs Developed during this time
Would continue to have impact in future
Vedic Religion (c BCE)
Hebrew Monotheism/Judaism (c BCE)
Zoroastrianism (c BCE)

19. Expansion of trade Initially local Expanded to regional, interregional
Mesopotamia-Egypt
Egypt-Nubia
Mesopotamia-Indus River Valley

20. Exchanged were: Goods – food, etc.
Cultural Ideas – Religion, government
Technology – weapons, etc.