How did humans become civilized?

What were we like?

How did we change?

Food, What would we do without it?

• Food is the most important need for humans.

• How we get food now is different than how humans got food for hundreds of thousands of years.

Before farmingForaging AKA Hunter-Gatherers

• Food sources: plants and animals

• Plants are gathered in season and stored when possible

• Meat is hunted and dried for food and other uses, clothing, rope, etc.

• Move around to take advantage of seasonal offerings i.e. nomadic

Hunter-Gatherers’ societiesAdvantages

• Fit into nature (little environmental impact)

• Relatively little labor expended to get food

• Variety in diet• Deep knowledge of uses

for plants and animals in the region they live.

Disadvantages

• Dependent upon wild animals and plants

• Nature can only support small groups and cultures

• Must travel around to find food, so no permanent building structures

• No animals to help with labor

What changed?

• Hunter Gatherer type societies had survived for thousands of years.

• After the last ice age ended in 10,000 B.C.E., humans began selecting dependable plants for food

What tastes makes a good food plant?

• Tastes good (not bitter)• Large (larger fruit or

seeds)• Easy to pick• Grow fast or with lots

of fruit/seeds. (High Yields)

• Grow Annually

• The first crops that met with humans’ approval were cereals and pulses.

Domestication!

• The process of humans selecting plants for more useful characteristics is calledDomestication

• It was also used with animals.

First domesticated plants

Geographical Area

• Middle Eastaka Fertile Crescent

• China

• India

• Mesoamerica

• Andes/Amazonia

Crops domesticated• Wheat, barley, peas, lentils,

chickpea, flax, muskmelon• Millet, rice?, soybean, adzuki

bean, mung bean, hemp• Rice, hyacinth bean, cotton,

cucumber• Corn, common bean, yucca,

jicama, squashes• Potato, quinoa, lima bean,

peanut,

What makes a useful animal?Good characteristics

• Big• Easy to control• Herbivore or

omnivore• Multiple uses• Short

childhoods

Bad characteristics

• But not too big• Bad temper• Carnivore

Humans have used animals for…•Meat•Milk•Fertilizer•Transportation•Military Assault•Plowing fields•Wool•and unknowingly Germs

Approximate dates and locations for Domestication of Large Mammal Species

Species

Dog

SheepGoatPigCowHorseDonkeyWater buffaloLlama/alpacaBactrian camelArabian camel

Dates (B.C.E.)

10,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 4,000 4,000 3,500 2,500 2,500

Place

Middle East, China, North AmericaMiddle EastMiddle EastChina, Middle EastIndia, Middle EastUkraineEgyptChina?Andes (South America)Central Asia (the stans)Arabia

From Guns, Germs, and Steel pg. 167

System of Writing

Complex Institutions

Skilled Workers

Advanced Technology

Advanced Cities

Civilization Has…

Civilizations have:1. An urban focus – major cities2. Political and military systems3. Social structure based on

economic systems-upper and lower classes

4. Development of labor specialization

5. Distinct religious structure6. Development of Writing7. New and significant artistic

and intellectual activity

Definition of Civilizations