Are You Ready For An Adventure?
Dr. T’s Magical Mystery Tour
The Beginning of Our Story:
Chapter One – The Peopling of the World
Day 1: Broken Pots
How Long Ago?Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age): 2.5
million years to 8000 B.C.
Neolithic Age (New Stone Age): 8000 B.C. to early 3000 B.C.
PREHISTORIC WORLD MIGRATION
Our Dig SitesSumer (Iraq) – Egypt – Indus River Valley (India) - China
The Beginning of Our Story:
Chapter One – The Peopling of the World
Day 3:
Paleolithic-Neolithic Periods Revisited
&
The Five Characteristics of a Civilization
Key Terms and Roles Paleolithic Neolithic Neolithic Revolution
(Agricultural Revolution) Archaeologist Artifacts Anthropologists Culture Paleontologists Fossils Civilization
Neolithic Revolution
1. Early Farming Methods:
2. Domestication of Animals:
3. Development of Settlements into Villages:
4. Development of Villages into Cities
Comparing and Contrasting Paleolithic and Neolithic Periods
The Five Characteristics of a Civilization Are…
A Summary of the Paleolithic and Neolithic Periods
Early River Valley Civilizations
Mesopotamia/Sumer (Rivers: Tigris/Euphrates) – See pp. 27-32
Egypt (River: Nile) – See pp. 33-41
Indus River Valley (River: Indus) – See pp. 42-45
China (Rivers: Huang He/Yangtze) – See pp. 46-51
The Rise of Complex
Civilizations
Chapter Two – Early River Valley Civilizations
(continue into week three – see Chapter Two Folder)
Days 4-5-6:
Paleolithic-Neolithic Periods Revisited
&
The Five Characteristics of a Civilization
Early River Valley Civilizations
Mesopotamia/Sumer (Rivers: Tigris/Euphrates) – See pp. 27-32
Egypt (River: Nile) – See pp. 33-41
Indus River Valley (River: Indus) – See pp. 42-45
China (Rivers: Huang He/Yangtze) – See pp. 46-51
Discovery Box
You will need your Artifact Information Organizer.
Unpack the Discovery Box. BE GENTLE
Examine the photographic artifacts and the physical artifacts.
Write information on your Artifact Information Organizer. Be very specific and use the sample questions as examples.
Begin to categorize your artifacts into the P.E.R.S.I.A. categories. For example, after you describe what the artifact tells us about a civilization place the symbol of the corresponding P.E.R.S.I.A. category next to what you wrote.
You will need to be VERY SPECIFIC so that you can use this information to work independently on Monday.
Early River Valley Civilizations
Mesopotamia/Sumer (Rivers: Tigris/Euphrates) – See pp. 27-32
Egypt (River: Nile) – See pp. 33-41
Indus River Valley (River: Indus) – See pp. 42-45
China (Rivers: Huang He/Yangtze) – See pp. 46-51
Four River Valley CivilizationsVisual Timeline
The Five Characteristics of a Civilization Are…
Mesopotamian/Sumerian Geography
Fertile Crescent: Between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea
Mesopotamia: Meaning the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Mesopotamian/Sumerian Geography
Environmental Challenges:Flooding and drought.
Solving Problems Through Organization: Irrigation to ease
flooding and water crops.
Mesopotamian/SumerianCity-States (Politics)
Priests and Rulers Share Control
City-state: A political unit much like an independent country.
Dynasty: A series of rulers from a single family. Priests and rulers shared control.
The Spread of Cities
Cultural Diffusion: The spread of people and ideas
Mesopotamian/Sumerian Culture
A Religion of Many Gods Polytheism: Belief in more
than one god.Ziggurats: Mountain of God
– Built to keep gods happy
Life in Sumerian Society Social Class: Kings – Priests
– Merchants – Farmers – Slaves
Developed the wheel, the sail, and the plow, First to use bronze
Mesopotamia/SumerSumerian Science and Technology
Arithematic and Geometry Developed a number system in base
60, from which stem the modern units for measuring time (60 seconds = 1 minute)
Architectural Innovations Arches, columns, ramps, and the
pyramid-shaped design of the ziggurat
Cuneiform Developed the first system of
writing
Mesopotamia/SumerThe First Empire Builders
Babylonian EmpireEmpire means people,
nations, or independent states under control of one ruler.
Hammurabi’s Code A single code of laws
invented by Hammurabi to provide one set of rules for all people in the empire.
Egyptian Geography
The Gift of the Nile Egyptians worshipped it
as a god.
Environmental Challenges Drought and flooding. Annual flooding of the
Nile brought much needed water for the crops of wheat and barley.
Egyptian Geography
Upper and Lower Egypt
Upper Egypt: Cataracts with a system of rapids that made it difficult for boat travel.
Lower Egypt: Delta with marshy area at the mouth of the Nile river. Most farming took place here.
Interesting Fact: The Nile River flows north.
Egyptian PoliticsEgypt Unites into a Kingdom The king of Lower Egypt wore a
red crown, and the king of Upper Egypt wore a tall white crown.
King Menes united the two kingdoms and wore a red and white crown.
Pharaohs Rule As Gods To the Egyptians, kings were
gods. Pharaoh: The name of the
Egyptian god-kings Theocracy: The type of
government in which the ruler is a divine figure.
Egyptian Politics
Builders of the PyramidsBurial place for their
Pharaohs.
Symbol of strength for the Egyptian civilization
Egyptian Culture
Religion and Life Polytheistic – Worship
of many gods.
Positive view of afterlife.
Mummification: Embalming and drying the corpse to prevent it from decaying.
Egyptian Society
Life in Egyptian Society Social Class:
1. Pharaoh
2. Upper Class (Government Officials -Wealthy landowners – Priests – Army Commanders)
3. Middle Class (Merchants and artisans)
4. Lower Class (Peasant farmers and unskilled laborers.)
5. Slaves
Egyptian Society
Egyptian Writing
Hieroglyphics (HY•ur•uh•GLIHF•ihks): This term comes from the Greek words hieros and gluphe, meaning “sacred carving.
Papyrus (puh•PY•ruhs): Egyptians created paper from the reeds that grew in the marshy delta (Lower Egypt)
Egyptian Society
Egyptian Science and TechnologyGeometryCalendarsStone ColumnsMedicine – Surgery
Invaders Control Egypt The Hyksos invaded
Egypt using bronze weapons and horse drawn chariots
Early River Valley Civilizations
Mesopotamia/Sumer (Rivers: Tigris/Euphrates) – See pp. 27-32
Egypt (River: Nile) – See pp. 33-41
Indus River Valley (River: Indus) – See pp. 42-45
China (Rivers: Huang He/Yangtze) – See pp. 46-51
Indus River Valley GeographyThe Geography of the Indian Subcontinent Indian Subcontinent: India,
Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh
Rivers, Mountains, and Plains Indus and the Ganges (GAN•jeez).
Monsoons Seasonal winds and rain dominate
the climate of India
Environmental Challenges Flooding and monsoons Earth’s tallest mountains
(Himalaya – Mt. Everest)
Indus River ValleyCivilization Emerges (Society)
Earliest Arrivals Migrating farmers and herders
settled.
Planned Cities People of the Indus laid out their
cities on a precise grid system. Toilets, plumbing and sewage
systems.
Harappan Planning Most famous for an area called a
citadel that was easy to defend and all the important buildings were here.
Indus River Valley CultureHarappan Culture and Language Prosperous with few social
divisions or warfare. System of writing for religion
and trade
Role of Religion Polytheistic – Worship of many
gods
Trade Indus peoples conducted long-
distance trade. Marked their products with
seals
Indus River Valley Culture Ends
Around 1750 B.C., the cities began to show signs of decline. The Indus Valley civilization collapsed
around 1500 B.C. Satellite images suggest a shift in the earth’s crust that caused earthquakes. Because
of the quakes the Indus River may have changed its course. This would stop the good effects of the
yearly floods. The people may have overworked the
land. This would have left the soil too poor to produce crops.
China’s Geography
The Geography of China Distance from other regions
and natural barriers caused China to develop apart from other cultures.
River Systems Huang He (hwahng•HUH)
and the Yangtze (yang•SEE)
Environmental Challenges
China’s Heartland
China’s GeographyEnvironmental Challenges Flooding brought life and death Loess is the name of the rich
soil (silt) that allowed for good farming in China.
China’s Heartland All of the good farmland lies
between the two rivers. People believed China was the
center of civilization. Belief that anyone who lived
outside of Chinese civilization was a barbarians.
China’s Society and PoliticsCivilization Emerges in Shang Times
Dynasty: A series of rulers from a single family. Priests and rulers shared control
The First Dynasties Xia (shyah) Dynasty ruled in 2000
B.C. Helped develop better farming.
Shang Dynasty began to rule in 1500 BC. This dynasty left the first written records, built palaces and tombs for the royal family.
China’s Society and Politics
Early Cities Anyang (ahn•YAHNG)
one of the capitals of the Shang Dynasty.
Unlike other cities built of earthen brick this city was built mainly of wood.
The Shang surrounded their cities with massive earthen walls for protection.
Chinese Society and PoliticsThe Development of Chinese Culture The group seems to have been more
important than the individual. Above all, people’s lives were governed
by their duties to two important authorities—their family and their king or emperor.
Family The family was central to Chinese
society. The most important virtue was respect
for one’s parents.
Social Classes Shang society was sharply divided
between nobles and peasants. The Shang were governed by a ruling
class of warrior nobles headed by a king. The nobles ruled the peasants who farmed the land.
Chinese Society and PoliticsReligious Beliefs Family was closely linked to religion.
The Chinese believed that the spirits of family ancestors had the power to bring good fortune or disaster to living members of the family.
Shang kings consulted the gods through the use of oracle bones animal bones and tortoise shells on which priests had scratched questions for the gods to answer
Development of Writing The Chinese system of writing differed
from those of other groups. Symbols stood for ideas, not sounds. This allowed for people across China to learn one system.
Chinese Society and PoliticsZhou and the Dynastic Cycle Dynastic Cycle is the pattern of rise,
decline, and replacement of dynasties (ruling families).
Mandate of Heaven The Zhou Dynasty took control of China
from the Shang Dynasty. They justified their control by telling the people that good rulers, got authority to rule from heaven. This was known as the Mandate of Heaven.
Control through Feudalism The Zhou started a system of feudalism. Feudalism is a political system in which
the nobles owe loyalty to the king. The nobles promise to fight for the rulers and to protect the peasants who live on the land.
Chinese Society and PoliticsImprovements in Technology and Trade Coined money Iron for weapons
A Period of Warring States Due to warfare Chinese society
was beginning to suffer. At this time of bloodshed,
traditional values collapsed. At the very heart of Chinese civilization was a love of order, harmony, and respect for authority.
Now there was chaos, arrogance, and defiance.
How could China be saved?
Early River Valley CivilizationsSummary
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