1. Foundations Review

2. Foundations – 8000-600CE Major Transitions:
Agricultural revolution: shift from hunting/gathering
Urbanization: rise of river-valley civilizations
Metallurgy: increasing use of metals technologies & impact
Fall of Bronze-age civilizations
Formation of classical empires
Collapse of classical civilizations

3. Agricultural revolution: shift from hunting/gathering
Human/Environment interaction
Pastoralism
Early Neolithic settlements
Impact on population
Impact on women
Impact on environment
Causes

4. Urbanization: rise of river-valley civilizations
Political form of state
Social structure
Trade
Mesopotamia vs. Egypt
Outside of river-valley civilizations
Mycenaens
Nomadic peoples
Hunter-gatherers
Small-scale agriculturalists

5. Metallurgy: increasing use of metals technologies & impact
Neolithic technologies
Bronze
Iron

6. Fall of Bronze-age civilizations
Cause: Iron?
As reflection of nomadic vs. sedentary conflict

7. Formation of classical empires
Causes
Political developments
Social & Gender Structures
Arts, Sciences, & Technologies
Trading patterns

8. Collapse of classical civilizations
Causes
Effects

9. Religions & Philosophies
“isms”
Philosophies vs. Religions
As imperial ideologies
As counter-ideologies
Role in cementing hierarchies

10. Migrations
Bantu
Huns
Germans
Polynesians

11. 600-1450 Major transitions Development & expansion of Islam
Expanding zones of trade/expanding networks
Spread of religions
Mongol empire
Chinese renaissance
European middle ages & renaissance
Plague pandemics
Growth & role of cities

12. Development & expansion of Islam
Impact on economy & trade
As a business law
Impact on culture
Sharia & the five pillars
gender
Political structures
The Caliphate – Sultanates
Mali
Arts, sciences, technologies

13. Expanding zones of trade/expanding networks
Growth & expansion of major trade routes
Impact of Islam
Impact of technology
Camels
Dhows
Nature of trade
Indian Ocean basin
Trans-Saharan
Silk Road

14. Spread of religions Christianity Buddhism Islam Schism: East vs. West
Trade routes
Order of diffusion
syncretism
Islam
By conquest
By trade

15. Mongol empire Political Impacts Economic impacts Military impacts
China
Russia
Middle East
Economic impacts
Trade
Tax farming
Military impacts
Diffusion of military technologies
Social Impact
Spread of plague

16. Chinese renaissance Sui-Tang-Song Commercial revolution Maritime trade
Invention & innovation
Urbanization
Impact on East Asia
Zheng He
Compared to European Renaissance

17. European middle ages & renaissance
Political, Economic, and Social form of Middle Ages
Restructuring: Rise of cities, national kingdoms, decline of church power
Impact of Crusades on trade
Rise of city-states
Impact of plague & commerce on serfdom
Reformation

18. Growth & role of cities Cities as centers of innovation
Rise of city-states
Urban vs. Rural
Influence of cities on politics
Roles of cities
As trade centers
As religious centers
As political capitals