Unit 1 Review
Neolithic Era
Stone tools
Domestication of plants and animals
Early societies
Technology
metallurgy
Agricultural Transition
Groups of people organized into political units
Populations began growing due to food surpluses
Trade developed between societies
More and more mass migration of people
Social Distinction
Caste system
Gender roles/status
Role of agriculture
Crucial part of civilization
Epic of Gilgamesh
Mesopotamian epic poem
Deals with search for immortality
Mesopotamia
Traded with other civilizations as far away as the Indus River Valley
Between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Polytheistic religion – reinforced by the environment
Loose collection of city states
Ziggurat
Mesopotamia
Built by kings to show political power
Served as a religious temple
Hammurabi’s Code
First set of codified laws
Mesopotamia
Strict, punishment fits the crime
Assyrians
Mesopotamia
Established the idea of empire
Bronze Metallurgy
Created by combining copper and tin
Replaced stone tools
Used to create tools and weapons
Cuneiform
First system of writing
Mesopotamia
Record keeping
Led to the development of formal, bureaucratic governments
Israel
Hittites
Conquered Egypt
Skilled warriors
Introduced chariots
Egypt
Well organized society – lasting empires
Believed in afterlife – pyramids
Pharoah
For the most part polytheistic Akhenaton favored monotheism
Pyramids
Egypt
Constructed for the pharaohs as their final resting spot
Showed the power of the paharaohs
Hyksos
Semitic people
Conquered Egypt during the Middle Kingdom
Introduced bronze and chariots to Egypt
Hieroglyphics
Egypt
Writing system
Use of pictures to depict words and ideas
Harappan Society
Earliest know civilization in the Indus River Valley
Evidence of trade between Harappans and Mesopotamia
Aryans
Conquerors of India
Brought religious ideas to India Ie - Hinduism
Indus River Civilizations
Along the Indus River
Harappans and Mohenjo-Daro
Very little is known, because written records have not been deciphered
Caste System
Social system in India
Enforced rules about social behavior
Jati
Subcaste in the Indian Caste System
Karma
Hindu belief
Your actions determine your fate in life and life after reincarnation
Xia Dynasty
Early Chinese dynasty
Little known history due to the destruction of written records and literature by the Qin emperor
Shang Dynasty
Mandate of heaven
Powerful priestly class
Bronze casting was a huge accomplishment
Mandate of Heaven
Chinese idea introduced by the Shang
King/emperor is viewed as an intermediary between heaven and earth
Olmec
Mesoamerica – located in modern day Mexico
Polytheistic
Known for human head sculptures
Maya
Mesoamerica – modern day Mexico
Traded with Olmec
Polytheistic
Popul Vuh – the Mayan story of creation
Chavin Cult
South American society
Percursor to the Inca
Domesticated the llama as a work animal
Austronesians
Aboriginal people of Australia
Maintained hunting-gathering practices
Polynesians
Island people of the south Pacific
Turned to agricultural life style and began settling
Paleolithic Age
Time simple tools were developed
Bantu
Groups of African people that migrated to the southern portions of the African continent.
Introduced metallurgy and agriculture to many parts of southern Africa
Many aspects of their culture are still seen in Africa today
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