World History

1. World History Ancient Civilizations

3. Unit 1 Early Humans and Societies

5. Chapter 1 Uncovering the Past Studying the Ancient World

6. Studying the Ancient World • Lear the specialized vocabulary • Every field has its own vocabulary. • BC: Before Christ. • Larger date means earlier in time • AD: In the year of our Lord. • Larger dates mean laterin time. • BCE: Before common era = BC. • CE: Common era=AD. • Circa: means about or around that time

8. Understanding Centuries • Ancient means quite old, from a long time ago. • A Century is a 100 years. • A Decade is 10 years. • An Age is a period of time with a single feature. • An Era is a period of time with multiple features. • The 1st century runs from year 1 to 99. • The 2nd century…. 100 to 199. • The 21st century… 2000 to 2099. • 1492 AD occurred in the 15th century. • 1000 BC is much older in time than 2000 AD. • 156 BC is older in time than 4 BC.

10. Terminology • History is the study of the past. • Historians study history. • They focus on past human events and activity. • Historians investigate the cause and effect of events. • Why did people adopt Christianity as its state religion? • How did Christianity alter the Roman empire? • A primary source is a record of an event by a witness or participant. A photo of a wedding ceremony. • A secondary source is a record of an event by a non participant or non-witness. A textbook or encyclopedia.

12. Why Study History? • To understand the world today. • To know oneself, one’s own past. • To know one’s nation, one’s national history. • To know others, their culture, beliefs and values. • To know the world, how it is shaped by the past. • Those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat it.

14. Archaeology • Archaeology is the study of the past based on fossils and artifact remains. • A fossil is a part or impression of something once alive. For example: foot print or bone. • An artifact is a created object used by humans. • For example: a tool, coin, weapon or jewelry. • Where fossils and artifacts are found reveals the past. Why? • What fossils and artifacts are found together reveals the past. Why?

16. Value of Legends • Legends may be based on facts. • Legends may contain clues to the past.

18. Anthropology • Anthropology is the study of mankind, society and culture. • A society is a community (group) of people with a shared culture. • Social structure is how a society is organized. For example: family/clan, feudal manor, or royal nation. • Culture is the beliefs, customs and attitudes of a group of people. It is transmitted from one generation to another. • Values are ideas society cherishes and desires in its members and communities.

21. Politics & Economics • A political system is the method or framework through which a society is governed. Example? • An economic system is the method of production and exchange of goods and services, as well as allocation of resources, in a society. Example? • What are artifacts of a political system? • What are artifacts of an economic system?

24. Rosetta Stone • The Rosetta Stone is a granodioritestele inscribed with a decree issued at Memphis, Egypt, in 196 BC on behalf of King Ptolemy V. The decree appears in three scripts: the upper text is Ancient Egyptianhieroglyphs, the middle portion Demotic script, and the lowest Ancient Greek. Because it presents essentially the same text in all three scripts (with some minor differences among them), it provided the key to the modern understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Why three languages?

26. ART & ARCHITECTURE • Both reveal a society’s technological level, belief systems and aspirations. How? • Both are often used to express religious beliefs. • Both are used to reinforce political and economic systems. • What could be learned from architecture? Walls? Height? • What could be learned from private art? Public Art?

29. Clues to Beliefs & Systems • Written sources: lectures, teachings, scrolls • Legal sources: laws, codes, court records • Art: statues, mosaics, reliefs, frescoes, vases • Architecture: temples, villas, palaces, roads

30. Updating • New discoveries, artifacts and fossils, may require a revision of our interpretation of the past. • Examples: new ancient human bone found in US Southwest; new Mesopotamian accounting system unearthed; Trojan shipwrecks discovered on African coast.

31. Other factors • Societal Perspective • Political Correctness • Tendency for wealthy to leave historic record. • Personal/Political Opinion

32. Geography • Geography is the study of the earth’s physical and cultural features. • Physical geography is the study of the earth’s land and features. • Physical geographers study landforms, natural features of the earth’s surface. Examples? • Climate is the pattern of weather conditions in an area over a long period of time. What is weather?

34. Climate, Landforms & Environment • Climate affects plant & animal life. • (desert or tropics) • Climate affects landforms. (erosion) • Landforms affect climate. Often divide climates. • (coastal mountain ranges wet side & dry side) • An environment is all the living & non living things that affect life in an area. • (Tree, glacier, man, car, iPod.)

36. Human Geography • Human geography is the study of people and inhabited places. • Human geographers are interested in culture. • Human geographers study how man interacts with his environment. • How the environment affects man. • I.e.: work, food, houses, religion, floods, droughts, family size, disease.

38. Location • Location is the exact position of something on earth. • Location affects human development. • Geographers study the effect of location on human populations. • Why do some succeed and others fail?

40. Maps • A map is a flat representation of an area. (2 dimensions versus 3). • Maps have features depicting: • Boundaries • Topography • Climate • Population • Roads • Physical (landforms and water) • Elevation

42. Region • A region is an area with multiple features that makes it distinct from surrounding areas. • I.e.: desert, island, swamp, glacier. • Physical features often create the boundaries of regions. • I.e.: mountain ranges, oceans, rivers. • Human features can define a region as well. City, rural farms, language.

44. Geography & History • One can learn about ancient people by studying the geography they experienced. • Geography affects resources. • Geography shapes culture. • Geography influences history.

45. Resources • Resources are materials found in the earth that people need or value. • Resources are critical to human survival. • I.e.: food, water, shelter, fertile land. • Why would water, animals, land and stones be critical resources for early man? • Why would iron, copper or gold become valued?

47. Culture • Geography influenced Early man’s culture. • The cultures of Egypt and Mesopotamia differ. Why? • River Fishing, boats, hooks. • Forest Wooden structures, dear, boar. • Desert Mud houses, insects, nomadic. • Civilization begins along rivers. Why?

49. History • Geography influences the development of societies. • Resource rich societies could afford; • Armies • High Walls • Lavish Cities • Religious Temples • Trading networks