History Fall Final

• Networks (language, trade)

• Periodization

• Agrarian

• Barbarian

• Hammurabi

• 
  

• Dynasty
  

• Dynasty (hereditary dynasty)

• Cuneiform tablets

• Temple Worshippers

• Maps 

• Enheduanna

  • Beginnings of agriculture

  • Mesopotamia

  • Networks (language, trade)

  • periodization

Skills

• Intuition; Logic; Authority; Evidence

• Causation

  • Long, intermediate, and short-term causes and effects

  • Types: Political, innovation, economic, cultural, environmental, social

  • Broad vs. narrow context 

Broad Themes

• Agricultural Revolution—What are some of the theories for why it occurred? How did it change how humans lived? What were the positive and negative consequences of humanity’s gradual shift to farming from foraging?

• Surplus Production and Civilization: What are the key features of civilization? How did surplus production contribute to the rise and development of civilizations? Your answer should discuss the social, political, and economic effects that surplus production had on ancient civilization.

• The Effects of Population Growth: A couple weeks ago, we investigated the causes and effects of population growth from 10,000 BCE–500 CE. What were the major causes of population growth and how did rapidly rising populations affect the development of settled farming societies? For instance, how did it affect urbanization? Gender roles? The development of government? Societal structures? 

• Civilized vs. Uncivilized: Make a claim about whether it’s more advantageous to live outside a state, like pastoralists and “hill people”, or within a state, like people in the city-states of Mesopotamia. For whom might it be advantageous, and for whom might it pose problems? What are the advantages and disadvantages of pastoralist communities and settled agrarian states? Provide specific reasons and use evidence to support your reasoning. Make sure to provide context about what we know about states and pastoralists (i.e. the evidence available) and how they fall into the categories of civilized and uncivilized communities.

• Theories of the state: Scholars put forth two theories for why the state originally developed: the coercion theory and the voluntary theory. What are these respective theories? Are they mutually exclusive? What arguments can be made for the validity of each theory?

• Geography and Civilization: What role did geography play in the development of agriculture and agrarian societies? How did geography affect the development of civilization in Mesopotamia? How did Mesopotamia’s respective geography contribute to the development of distinct political, religious, economic, and social structures?

Characteristics of Agrarian Societies / Civilization

• Storage of surplus food

• Development of a priestly class; a state religion based on gods/goddesses

• Central rule (such as a king, pharaoh, or emperor)

• Specialized jobs

• Social rank based on wealth, ancestry, and occupation

• Increased trade

• Systems of writing or recording information; increased collective learning

• Armies and increased warfare

• Monumental public architecture (temples, pyramids)

• More inequality between men and women; male-dominated traditions