1 - Ancient History Overview

Neolithic Era

aka “New Stone Age”
marked by the Agricultural Revolution during climate changes (warming) and known as the dawn of civilization, land claims/disputes, and org. religion (10,000 BCE - 3,000 BCE, from Fertile Crescent to N/S Americas)

Paleolithic era

humans lived as nomads, hunting/gathering to survive
Ended after development of farming (near rivers) and husbandry, making permanent settlements (and civilization) possible

Agricultural Revolution

marks the Neolithic Era with transitions from nomadic/hunter-gatherer societies to permanent settlements and development of civilization (as we know it)

Fertile Crescent

Middle East region (including Mesopotamia) between the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf that established staple crops (wheat/grains) to support population growth/civilization establishment

Mesopotamians

Civilizations of the Fertile Crescent between the Tigris and Euphrates that spurred the Agricultural Revolution/flourished bc of it
Dev. increasingly complex and specialized civilizations out of permanent settlements and early technological/architectural innovations

Mesopotamian Civilizations

permanent settlements: Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Hebrews

Sumerians

invented cuneiform (first writing and literature), the wheel, math, and other things like complex irrigation in ancient Babylonia/Mesopotamia

Babylonian

leader created first code of laws under Hammurabi’s Code

Assyrian

first empire, emerged from Bronze Age Mesopotamia

Ancient Egypt

Bronze Age’s most successful civilization established in Africa/built around Nile River
polytheistic, conquering, hieroglyphic, and agricultural (more predictable/favorable climate compared to Mesopotamia and advanced irrigation)

stone

long-lasting architectural innovation with this material, used in Great Pyramids
resulting in Egypt as best understood/documented civ. of its time from use of durable building materials and preservation

vengeful

Mesopotamian deities, out of unpredictable/damaging weather conditions, were significantly more __________ with dark afterlife themes
WHILE Egyptians were more benevolent with positive afterlifes

Ancient Greece

out of the Iron Age and into the Classical Era, empires developed with politics, science, art, and philosophy through Classical antiquity, Hellenism (culture spread), and conquering leaders

Athens, Sparta

Major city states that developed ~700s BCE Ancient Greece

Mediterranean Sea

provided fishing and prolific sea trade industries for Ancient Greece while mountains served as natural border protections from invasions

Greek alphabet

developed from earlier Phoenician (Sumerian, late Bronze Age) scripts, enabling idea/culture spread (local and global)
furthered innovations in math/science, art/culture, literature/theatre, philosophy/government, etc.

Islamic

Ancient Greece would go on to influence the ________ world, leading to their classical culture exporting in Europe during Crusades

Democracy

developed out of Greece, political philosophy heavily influencing modern iterations/governments still

Kingdom, Republic, Empire

three phases of Ancient Rome (heavily influenced by Greece) that created/spread “Western culture” through conquered territories

Roman Kingdom

Kings with mythological beginnings ruled the city-state with centralized monarchy until 509 BCE overthrowing

Roman Republic

out of the Kingdom era, characterized by voting/elected officials and representative bodies (consuls, Senate) AND massive expansionism out of Punic Wars (vs Carthage)

Julius Caesar

assassination leading to civil war and the establishment of Empire (under Octavian)

Roman Empire

forms in 27 CE as power shifted from Senate to (first) emperor (Caesar Augustus/Octavian) and eventually Christianity
territory reaches its peak in militaristic expansion campaigns (before its decline leads to a complete fall)

Pax Romana

200 year period of relative internal stability after the establishment of the Roman Empire

Latin

became the sacred language of the Roman Catholic Church (which spread Christianity through known world) and is basis of many European languages

Dark Ages

common name of Early Middle Ages, marked by the fall of the Western Roman Empire (previously known for modern innovation of engineering, law, technology, and Western culture)

Eastern Roman Empire

Byzantine Empire based in Constantinople, continued beyond its Western counterpart into 1453 CE

Ancient China

out of Neolithic early civilizations, the first dynasties were established Bronze Age and grew significant in technological innovations (gunpowder, compass) and cultural exports (into Southeastern), eventually establishing major (Western) trade via Silk Road.

gunpowder

Chinese invention that influenced many subsequent conflicts including the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans

rice

Ancient Chinese civilizations supported large populations with climates conductive to growing this key crop and unique natural resources for trade (spices, silk, etc.)

Xia Dynasty

first Ancient Chinese dynasty, more legendary than historical, estimated to begin between Neolithic/Bronze

Shang, Zhou

respectively, this Bronze Age dynasty advanced bronze casting and early Chinese writing, followed by this overtaking dynasty in the Iron Age which established feudal systems in city-states

Qin Dynasty

briefly unified China (out of Warring States Period) under the first Han emperor (221 BCE), establishing highly centralized monarchy + complex bureaucracy
After, Han Dynasty continued imperial system.

Mongols

after Shang & Zhou gave way to Qin and intermediate native dynasties, they came to control/dominate the region with invasion (marked by overtaking the last [Song]/establishing their own [Yuan] dynasty)
1279 - 1368 CE

Ming Dynasty

overthrew/ended Mongol reign and constructed Great Wall of China

Ancient India

Civilization developed from Indus River Valley (~6000 BCE/Stone) into powerful dynasties and complex societies (~2600 BCE/Bronze) with ancient religious traditions (Hinduism) and language (Sanskrit).

Harappan

Stone Age Indian civilization developed in the Indus River Valley (from conductive farming/society-sustaining conditions) with natural border protection in Himalayas

Mauryan Empire

(Post-Iron Age, ~300 BCE)
first Indian empire with centralized administration, a powerful military, and patronage of arts/culture.

Gupta Empire

(from Mauryan fall to ~550 CE)
known for scientific advances in math and astronomy/known as the Golden Age of India

Hinduism

remains most practiced religion in India with core beliefs in karma, reincarnation, and a combination of poly/monotheism (thousands of gods of supreme force Brahman)

caste system

beginning around Bronze Age, a system of social orders (varnas, originally occupation-based, later hereditary) established hierarchies that continue to affect modern Indian societies

Buddhism

Founded by Siddhartha Guatama, religion out of (late Iron Age) India expanding beliefs in Buddha (Enlightened One), reincarnation until Nirvana (enlightenment), and desire-caused suffering to Tibet, China, and Japan.

Ancient Japan

Humans arrived here via land bridges but could not easily relocate post-Ice Age, with cultural isolation for most of its ancient history.
Sedentary communities developed with farming/fishing supportive climates/geography
Later rice farming (one of many Chinese cultural imports [metalworking, social customs, etc.) supported more complex civilizations.

Yayoi period

~300 BCE transformation marked by major increase in population, civilization complexity/organization, and social stratification (aspects continuing into modern Japan)

Bantu, Kush, Sudanic

Key civilizations/groups of Ancient Africa

Bantu Migration

after human evolution in Africa, farming/husbandry and eventually smelting grew and led to this (Bronze to Post-Iron Age) group migration
Dispersion southward and eastward from southern West Africa/Niger River spread language (Swahili, Zulu) and advanced cultivation/ironworking skills

Kingdom of Kush

(Iron to 350 CE) reign beginning in Nubian desert (south of Egypt) heavily influenced by and spreading Egyptian/Mesopotamian culture/traditions/techniques

Sudanic Kingdoms

Ghana Empire, Mali Empire, Songhai Empire
Controlled key trade routes along the fringes of the Sahara Desert, facilitating economic/cultural interactions between African societies

Indus

key South Asian/Indian river

Yellow

key East Asian/Chinese river

Nile

key Egyptian river (part of Fertile Crescent)

Tigris, Euphrates

key Middle Eastern/Mesopotamian rivers (part of Fertile Crescent)

Western

unlike the Eastern Hemisphere, this hemisphere of civilizations (Maya, Inca, Aztec, etc.) had no native grains and relied on squash/corn/beans and had yet to domesticate animals

Eastern

hemisphere marked by symbiotic livestock-farming (grain) cultivation and oxen/cattle helping plow, transport, decrease human labor, and increase efficiency

specialization, knowledge, exchange

key themes/aspects of early civilization advancements (respectively)
1- with increased socialization, this allowed societal division of labor to simultaneously advance a range of careers/fields
2- also a basis for technology/infrastructure and language, this value of information was increasingly used practically/for innovation (supporting trade/legal systems) and reflected increased societal complexity/organization
3- encouraged growth and trade of goods/ideas/people via land, river, and sea, globally spreading advancements in technologies and thought through cultural diffusion