Foundations (Before 1200 CE)

Quiz Tuesday after Labor Day

Paleolithic Age

Out of Africa Theory, began 100,000 years ago

Paleolithic Characteristics

Nomadic, hunger-gatherers, simple stone tools, no cities or towns, no specialized occupations or leaders, oral language only, fire

Neolithic Age

Agriculture emerged around 10,000 years ago, domestication of plants and animals, people settled into permanent farming villages

Neolithic 6 Characteristics

Less egalitarian (less equality more hierarchical), epidemic diseases spread, villages became cities became civilization, specialized labor developed, writing developed, population boomed

Civilizations

First began with river valley civilizations, then classical empires

Empire Characteristics Listed

Urban Focus, Social Hierarchy, Patriarchy, Centralization, Emphasis on Trade, and Infrastructure/Monumental Architecture

Urban Focus

Urbanization was the movement into cities; Mesopotamian and Greek city-states, Persia; possible with agriculture

Social Hierarchy

Stratification, divisions and inequalities within society; specializations led to inequalities and law codes reflected them; wealth was hoarded instead of shared, slavery

Patriarchy

Physical strength was needed for farming, so men rose up in importance; women stayed home; few societies (egypt) were not patriarchal; cultural practices reflected these patterns

Centralization

Kings had bureaucracies that managed the government through appointed officials; Persia and China were merit-based; politics grew

Emphasis on Trade

Trade was taxed to give an empire wealth, protecting these routes was crucial to the empire’s thriving

Infrastructure/ Monumental Architecture

keeping the people happy by providing roads and aqueducts, walls and fortifications

Why do Empires Collapse?

Over-extension with border maintenance and protection, political corruption, failing economy, peasant revolts, alienation of elite with high taxes, disease epidemics, and invasion

Zoroastrianism

Beliefs include free will, right v. wrong, and final judgement; focus on cultural contribution of Persia, influenced monotheistic religions in the region

Judaism

Founded by Abraham; first monotheistic, 10 Commandments, the Torah; history of living in diasporic communities (outside homeland)

Hinduism

Unknown founder, believe in many forms of one god, karma, and reincarnation, the Vedas (sacred text), created caste system and cultural unity in India (both monotheistic and polytheistic)

Buddhism

Founded by Siddhartha Guatama (buddha); believe in Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, and Enlightenment; rejected the caste system; monastic communities, welcomed women and lower classes, spread on trade routes

Christianity

Jesus founded, Jesus was the messiah, monotheistic; rejected caste system, monastic communities, welcomed women and lower classes, spread on trade routes

Islam

Founded by Muhammad; monotheistic, 5 pillars, holy cities Mecca and Medina; Qur’an (sacred text); displaced zoroastrianism, islam/arabic provided unity in Middle East

Animism

Part of polytheism, religious belief that focused on the roles of various gods and spirits in the natural world and human life

Shamanism

Part of polytheism, practice of identifying special individuals who interact with spirits for the benefit of the community (Korea, Asia)

Polytheism

the belief in more than one god, shamanism and animism

Silk Road

a trade route that was mostly relays between horse and camel caravans; cities became social and economic hotspots that facilitated trade; often dangerous routes and luxury products; horses, silk, porcelain, paper were all traded; Buddhism and Christianity and disease traveled, banking houses and paper money too

Indian Ocean

Cities were coastal and connected East Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia; depended on Monsoon Winds to thrive; brought Buddhism into Southeast Asia and sailing technologies; pigments, pearls, spices, and fruit

Trans-Saharan

Salt from Sahara, gold from West Africa; Islam and camel saddle and caravan were all differences; connected Europe with West Africa