Paleolithic Era to Civilizations Lecture Notes

A complete set of practice flashcards covering key concepts, timeline details, social structures, and geographic impacts from the lecture notes.

Between what years did the migration out of Africa occur during the Paleolithic Era?

Between $100,000-600,000$ years ago.

Which continent did NOT rely on stone tools for practicing gathering and hunting during the Paleolithic Era?

Oceania.

What was the typical size of nomadic Paleolithic groups?

Bands of $25-50$ individuals.

What human transition occurred during the Agricultural Revolution?

Humans transitioned from hunting to agriculture, leading to the growing of plants as well as the breeding and taming of animals.

Where did pastoral societies start appearing?

Around Central Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Sahara, and parts of Western and eastern Africa.

Which domesticated animals made pastoral life possible in the Andes mountains?

Domesticated llamas and alpacas.

What major empire was created as a result of relationships between pastoral and agricultural groups?

The Mongol Empire.

Where did the earliest permanently settled village-based agricultural communities appear?

In the Tigris-Euphrates region.

How did village-based agricultural communities organize themselves social-structurally?

Into Kinship groups that were also linked into larger, regional complexes.

What were the main focus areas of Chinese and Islamic innovations mentioned in the notes?

Chinese innovations mostly focused on printing and paper production, while Islamic innovations aimed at mathematics and sciences.

How did the geographic environment of Greece affect its political development?

The mountains of Greece allowed for the development of city-state rivals instead of one giant empire.

In $2000\text{ BCE}$, what environmental impact was caused by intense irrigation in Southern Mesopotamia?

It created soils that turned white as salt was absorbed, resulting in wheat being largely replaced with barley.

What environmental factors contributed to the weakening and demise of the Mayan civilization in $900\text{ CE}$?

Deforestation and soil erosion from supporting a rapidly growing population in $750\text{ CE}$ on a built landscape.

Which regions had early civilizations that did NOT develop written languages to create literature?

Western African and Andean civilizations in America.

How were elite landlord class officials selected in Chinese civilization?

Selected by their performance through examination.

How was social status prioritized in India's social system?

Priority was given to religious status and ceremonial cleanliness to a high rank known as Brahmins, dividing society based on occupation and perceived ritual purity.

Which ancient Mediterranean civilizations centered around slavery, and how many enslaved people lived in the Athens of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle?

Greek and Roman civilizations were centered around slavery; Athens was home to $60,000$ enslaved people.

How did patriarchy in Ancient Sparta differ from that of Athens?

Athens was more restrictive for women than Sparta, where women competed in sports with men, divorced easily, and owned large properties.

Why did Chinese patriarchy ease for elite women?

Northern China was disrupted by the raid of pastoral and nomads, whose women were less controlled.

Which civilization had the most expansive, influential, and widespread appearance in Afro-Eurasia?

Islamic civilization.

Over what time period did Roman civilization dominate the Mediterranean?

Between $500\text{ bcc}-500\text{ cc}$.