THE BEGINNINGS OF CIVILIZATION

SOCIAL SCIENCE III

Let’s have a quick review…

Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age)

Neolithic Age (New Stone Age)

The early civilizations

PALEOLITHIC AGE

Old Stone Age Men and women of the Paleolithic Age

were nomads. Nomads- no permanent homes; wander from

place to place.

PALEOLITHIC AGE

Stone Age’s impressive achievements: Variety of tools

Stones (mostly), wood, and bones Learned to control and use fire Used spoken language

Neanderthal People of the Paleolithic Age

Neanderthals developed “beliefs”

Carefully buried their dead (placing tools, ornaments, food, etc. in the graves)

Present was the idea of a life after death.

CRO-MAGNON MAN

Developers of ART Cro-magnon’s art was

mostly found around Europe and Asia.

Made ivory and bone sculptures of birds and fish.

Drawings on caves in Altamira and Lascaux.

Environment changed…

Late Old Stone Age Earth’s weather became

cooler. Period of the Ice Age Because so much of the

earth’s water was frozen… H2O level in the oceans

dropped Lands more were exposed Land bridges were formed

NEW STONE AGE

Neolithic Period Farming developed Farmers settled in villages Special Skills were developed by village Trade and Private property developed

Farming Developed

Tamed wild animals Established villages

Farmers settled in villages

Jericho (about 7,000BC) Catal Huyuk (in Asia Minor)

Special Skills Developed

Artisans- people with skills in specialized crafts

Trade and Private Property Developed

Barter- a kind of trade in which one good is exchanged for another.

CATAL HUYUK

“basis for the ideas about the life of Neolithic people”

It is an agricultural village. Obsidian products were present.

Dark volcanic rock which looks like a glass. Religious shrines dedicated to a “mother

goddess”.

SUMMARY

HUNTING-GATHERING BANDS Invention of tools, mastery over fire, language, creation of

art

GROWTH OF VILLAGES Agriculture, domestication of animals, breakthroughs in

farming technology, food surpluses

RISE OF CITIES Specialized workers, record keeping, complex institutions,

advanced technologies

CIVILIZATIONS

A complex culture with these characteristics: Advanced cities Specialized workers Complex institutions Record Keeping Advanced technology

ELEMENTS OF A CIVILIZATION

Advanced city Cities – birthplace of

first civilizations City is more than a

large group of people living together.

Population does not distinguish a village from a city

City being a center of trade

Specialized Workers Because of artisans,

cities became thriving centers of trade.

FYI: Many historians believed that one of the first civilizations arose in Sumer (now Modern Iraq)

ELEMENTS OF A CIVILIZATION

COMPLEX INSTITUTIONS Institution- a long-

lasting pattern of organization in a community.

GOVERNMENT RELIGION ECONOMY

RECORD KEEPING Gov’t officials had to

document tax collecions, passage of laws, storage of grains.

Priests needed to keep track the calendar and other important rituals.

Merchants had to record accounts of debts and payments.

NOTE: CUNEIFORM, SCRIBES

ELEMENTS OF A CIVILIZATION

Advanced Technology BRONZE AGE FYI: Toolmakers

discovered how to combine copper with a small amount of tin to make bronze. Bronze is harder than copper!

EXAMPLES OF CIVILIZATIONS SUMER CHINA INDUS VALLEY MESOPOTAMIA ANCIENT EGYPT