Review Ancient World

Vocabulary

• 1. Cultural Diffusion: Exchange of goods, customs and ideas among cultures.

• 2. Neolithic Revolution: Changing in the way man got food. From hunting and gathering to domesticating of animals.

• 3. Polytheistic: Belief in many gods.

Early People: Paleolithic Era

How did they gather food?

• Moved from place to place, hunting and gathering (nomads)

How did they adapt to their environment?

• Made simple tools and weapons. Used fire for warmth and cooking.

• Developed language.

What were their spiritual beliefs?

• Began burying their dead with care.• Showed they believed in the afterlife.

Describe the patterns of migration.• Belief that earliest people lived in East

Africa.• Old Stone Age, people migrated North and

South into Europe and Asia.• Eventually some migrated over the land

bridge into North America.

Causes of the Neolithic Revolution:

• 1. Warm weather allowed plants to grow where ice was.

• 2. Learning how to domesticate plants and animals.

How did the Neolithic Revolution change lives?

• Lived in permanent settlements as they no longer had to move from place to place.

Characteristics of Early Civilizations

Cities and Government

• Cities developed in river valleys where crops can be grown.

• Governments set up to avoid chaos, making sure food was produced for everyone.

Traditional Economy

• Based on farming.• Skilled craftspeople.

System of writing

• Early writing was done with pictures (simple drawings).

Job Specialization and Social Classes

• People specialized in 1 job because you couldn’t master all of them.

• People became ranked by their job.

Art and Architecture

• Temples and Palaces.

Early River Valley Civilizations

Egypt:

• Geographic Setting:– Along the Nile River.

• Religion:– Polytheistic (many Gods).

• Government:– Pharaoh was ruler. Usually passed on to a

family member.– Ruling families were called dynasties.

• Social Structure:– Pharaoh and family highest.– Bottom was peasant farmers and slaves.– Women had higher status than most in

ancient times.

• Contributions:– Learned about human body.– Diagnose illnesses and performed surgery.– Calendar.– System of writing.– Temples and Pyramids.

Mesopotamia

• Geographic Setting:– Fertile Crescent by Tigris and Euphrates.

• Religion:– Many powerful Gods and Goddesses closely

tied to nature.

• Government:– Hereditary ruler who was seen as the chief

servant of Gods.

• Social Structure:– Distinct social classes.– Highest was the ruling classes.

Economy

• Grew rich from trade.• Traders traveled along the river and over

the desert.

Contributions

• 1st wheeled vehicle.• Irrigation systems.• Cuneiform.• Developed algebra and geometry.

Significance of Code of Hammurabi:

• 1st major collection of laws in history.• Favored higher classes.• Eye for an eye

Indus River Valley

• Geography:– Indian Subcontinent.– Surrounded in north by mountains, limiting

contact.– Relied on monsoons to bring rain.

Important Cities

• Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro• Built with a grid like system with each city

dominated by a structure on a hill.

China

• Geographic Setting:– River Valleys of the Huang He (Yellow) and

Yangzi)

Government

• Clans controlled land.• Set up dynasties.

Religion

• Believed in the balance between Ying and Yang

Social Structure

• Noble warriors owned the land• Merchants and craftspeople earned a

living in cities• Most were peasants and lived in farming

villages

Contributions

• Written systems (pictographs)

Classical Civilizations

Mandate of Heaven

• Right to rule by God. China and their dynasties.

Asoka

• Peaceful ruler of the Maurya dynasty. (India)

Asoka

• Peaceful ruler of the Maurya dynasty. (India)

Direct Democracy

• People actually vote directly for laws.

Hellenistic

• Blending of cultures of Persia, Greece, India and Egypt.

Republic

• Officials chosen by the people to represent them and make decisions.

Senate

• Most powerful governing body of the Roman Republic.

Patrician

• Members of landholding upper class in Rome.

Plebian

• Most of the population in Rome (farmers, merchants, artisans, traders).

Pax Romana

• 200 year period of peace in Rome.

Laws of 12 tables

• Written laws demanded by Plebeians in Rome.

Silk Road

• Trade route connecting China and Mesopotamia.

Ancient Chinese Civilizations

How does a dynasty lose its Mandate of Heaven?

• When things start happening or the government starts doing things that make people angry.

• Examples include when they treat people unfairly, and they stop protecting people, so things like floods, earthquakes, peasant revolts happen.

Contributions of China

• Zhou dynasty:– how to make books, silk, accurate calendar.

• Han Dynasty:– Paper out of wood pulp.– Wheelbarrow.– Rudder.– Anesthesia.– Texts in zoology, botany and chemistry.

Shi Huangdi and the Qin Dynasty

• How did the Shi Huangdi centralize his power?– Abolished the old feudal states and

divided the country into military districts– Standardized measurements– Created national coins– Promoted uniformity in Chinese writing– Prepared canals and roads

Han Dynasty

• Government: How did the Wudi strengthen the government?– Established a civil service system– Exams based on Confucianism

determined government jobs– Established roads and canals

Han Dynasty

• Describe the effect of Confucianism on Han Society– Established values in government and

daily life, spelling out proper behavior in all parts of society.

Han Dynasty

• Contributions– Paper out of wood pulp.– Wheelbarrow.– Rudder.– Anesthesia.– Texts in zoology, botany and chemistry.

Geographic Settings of India

• The northern plains, fertile and well watered by the Indus and the Ganges Rivers

• The Deccan Plateau, dry and sparsely populated

• The coastal plains, flat land along the east and west coasts where farming, fishing, and trading occured

How did the Mauryans organize their government?

• Set-up a bureaucracy with a capital at Pataliputra

• Officials collected taxes and oversaw the building of roads and harbors, helping trade

Who was Asoka? Why is he important?

• He followed Buddhism, turning India to Buddhism when he was leader.

• He united the diverse people of the empire.

Contributions of the Mauryan Empire

• United the Empire.• Learning was highly advanced.• Spreading of the Buddhist religion by

means of missionary activity.

Describe the geography role in economics and politics in Greece.

• Politically: Separated them into city-states rather than a large empire because of the mountains, valleys and islands.

• Economically: Used seas to trade/communicate with the rest of the world.

Compare and Contrast Sparta and Athens:

• Athens: Limited Democracy, Laws made by the assembly, only male citizens in the assembly, Trade with other city-states, education for boys, Women inferior.

• Sparta: Monarchy with two kings, military society, trade and travel not allowed, military training for all boys, girls trained to be mothers of soldiers, women obey men, women own property.

• Both: Common language, shared heroes, Olympic games, same gods and religious beliefs.

What effect did Alexander the Greats conquests have on the world?

• Created the Hellenistic culture. (4 cultures)

Greek and Hellenistic Contributions

• Philosophy: Tried to use observation and reason.

• Literature: Comedies and playwrights.• Art and Architecture: Columns.• Science: Levers and pulleys, earth rotates

around the sun.• Math: Pythagoras Theorem, Geometry.

How does Greek Civilization affect us today?

• Math• Democracy.• Columns.

How did the geography of Rome contribute to its development as a power?

• It had low mountains which allowed people to unite because they had few natural barriers.

• Fertile plains allowed for the growing population to be fed.

• The location of the growing peninsula allowed people to move easily through the lands of the Mediterranean.

The Han Empire

• Military Power:– Emperor Wudi conducted many military

campaigns to secure Chinese borders– Battles were fought to drive nomadic people

beyond the Great Wall

The Han Empire

• Government:– Emperor Wudi strengthened the Chinese

government by removing harsh laws, implementing a civil service system, and university to train scholars in Confucian teachings

The Han Empire

• Economy and Trade:– Emperor Wudi:

• added canals and roads• added storage areas for grain• sold iron and salt (government monopoly)• developed the Silk Road

The Roman Empire

• Military Power:– Strong and well disciplined army.

• Government – Civil service system ensured a supply of well-

trained and educated officials– Roman legions maintained road systems and

guarded the borders

• Economy:– Controlled trade routed through

Mediterranean.

Geographic Settings

• Extent of the Han Dynasty:– First located where the Qin ruled in eastern

China– Wudi extended and secured China’s borders

• North into Manchuria and Korea• South into the northern Vietnam• West into Tibet and Central Asia

Geographic Settings

• Extent of the Roman Empire:– Centralized in central Italy

• First took over Italian peninsula• By 44 B.C., Roman power extended

throughout the Mediterranean, from Spain to parts of Asia Minor

• To the north, spread to France as well as parts of Great Britain

Fall of Han Empire

• Political:– Rulers that followed Wudi were unable to

control powerful warlords in outlying areas

Fall of Han Empire

• Economic:– Rulers did not maintain system of canals and

roads & economy suffered– High taxes led to peasant revolts

Fall of Han Empire

• Military:– 220 A.D., warlords overthrew the last Han

emperor, empire split into several kingdoms– Invaders overran the Great Wall and set up

their own kingdoms

Fall of Roman Empire

• Political:– Too big.– Government too strict.– Corruption of officials.

• Economic Causes:– High Taxes.– Farmers leave land.– Middle class disappears.– Too much slave labor.

• Military Causes:– Foreign Invasion.– Lack of training and discipline in army.– Hired foreign soldiers who didn’t have

incentive.

• Social Causes:– Population declines.– People become lazy and selfish.

Belief Systems

Animism

• Belief everything has a spirit.

Brahman

• Belief of Hindus looking for 1 unifying spirit.

Reincarnation

• Rebirth of the soul in a new body.

Karma

• All the deeds of a persons life that affect his/her existence in new life.

Dharma

• Moral and religious duties expected of a person.

Nirvana

• Union with universe and release of the cycle of birth and death.

Monotheism

• Belief in 1 God.

Torah

• Jewish holy book.

Bible

• Christian Holy book.

Hijra

• Mohammad’s journey to Mecca.

Quran (Koran)

• Islamic holy book.

Sharia

• Following the Koran very strictly by Muslims.

Diaspora

• Scattering of Jews.

Describe the process by which a Hindu reaches “salvation”.

People are born into higher levels because they do good.

Explain how the caste system is an important part of the Hindu religious experience.

• You are born into and out of but don’t move during your life.

• If you do good, you will move up in the next life

Buddhism

• Founder: Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)• All life is suffering.• Four Noble truths:

– All life is suffering.– Suffering is caused by desire.– Ways to eliminate suffering is eliminated

desire.– Follow 8 fold path to eliminate desire.

How does one achieve salvation?

• Reach nirvana.

How did the religion spread?

• Through trade and missionaries

Confucianism• People need to accept their place in society.• These places were expressed in 5 key

relationships.• None of the relationships are equal.• Every person had duties and responsibilities that

depended on his position.• People are naturally good• Hardwork is the road success in society• To ensure social order, the individual must find

and accept his proper place in society.

Taoism• Goal: Live in harmony with nature.• Salvation: By yielding and acceptance.• Yin and Yang: Brings peace and well-

being of the universe.– Yin stands for earth, darkness and female

forces.– Yang stands for heaven, light and male

forces.– Sacred Text: Tao-te-Ching

Judaism• Important aspect of Judaism:

– 1 God.– Torah.– 10 Commandments (moral code)– Strong code of Ethics.

• Spread as a result of the diaspora– wherever Jews settled they established well

knit families and preserved their traditions

Islam

• Founder: Mohammad.• Sacred Text: Quran• 5 Pillars:

– 1 God, Allah.– Pray 5 x’s a day.– Give money to poor.– Fast from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan.– Visit Mecca 1 time in life.