Unit 1 Review

Neolithic Era

Stone tools

Domestication of plants and animals

Early societies

Technology

metallurgy

Agricultural Transition

Groups of people organized into political units

Populations began growing due to food surpluses

Trade developed between societies

More and more mass migration of people

Social Distinction

Caste system

Gender roles/status

Role of agriculture

Crucial part of civilization

Epic of Gilgamesh

Mesopotamian epic poem

Deals with search for immortality

Mesopotamia

Traded with other civilizations as far away as the Indus River Valley

Between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Polytheistic religion – reinforced by the environment

Loose collection of city states

Ziggurat

Mesopotamia

Built by kings to show political power

Served as a religious temple

Hammurabi’s Code

First set of codified laws

Mesopotamia

Strict, punishment fits the crime

Assyrians

Mesopotamia

Established the idea of empire

Bronze Metallurgy

Created by combining copper and tin

Replaced stone tools

Used to create tools and weapons

Cuneiform

First system of writing

Mesopotamia

Record keeping

Led to the development of formal, bureaucratic governments

Israel

Hittites

Conquered Egypt

Skilled warriors

Introduced chariots

Egypt

Well organized society – lasting empires

Believed in afterlife – pyramids

Pharoah

For the most part polytheistic Akhenaton favored monotheism

Pyramids

Egypt

Constructed for the pharaohs as their final resting spot

Showed the power of the paharaohs

Hyksos

Semitic people

Conquered Egypt during the Middle Kingdom

Introduced bronze and chariots to Egypt

Hieroglyphics

Egypt

Writing system

Use of pictures to depict words and ideas

Harappan Society

Earliest know civilization in the Indus River Valley

Evidence of trade between Harappans and Mesopotamia

Aryans

Conquerors of India

Brought religious ideas to India Ie - Hinduism

Indus River Civilizations

Along the Indus River

Harappans and Mohenjo-Daro

Very little is known, because written records have not been deciphered

Caste System

Social system in India

Enforced rules about social behavior

Jati

Subcaste in the Indian Caste System

Karma

Hindu belief

Your actions determine your fate in life and life after reincarnation

Xia Dynasty

Early Chinese dynasty

Little known history due to the destruction of written records and literature by the Qin emperor

Shang Dynasty

Mandate of heaven

Powerful priestly class

Bronze casting was a huge accomplishment

Mandate of Heaven

Chinese idea introduced by the Shang

King/emperor is viewed as an intermediary between heaven and earth

Olmec

Mesoamerica – located in modern day Mexico

Polytheistic

Known for human head sculptures

Maya

Mesoamerica – modern day Mexico

Traded with Olmec

Polytheistic

Popul Vuh – the Mayan story of creation

Chavin Cult

South American society

Percursor to the Inca

Domesticated the llama as a work animal

Austronesians

Aboriginal people of Australia

Maintained hunting-gathering practices

Polynesians

Island people of the south Pacific

Turned to agricultural life style and began settling

Paleolithic Age

Time simple tools were developed

Bantu

Groups of African people that migrated to the southern portions of the African continent.

Introduced metallurgy and agriculture to many parts of southern Africa

Many aspects of their culture are still seen in Africa today