History
Early HominidsIn history we learned about early hominids. There were five main types of hominids they were Australopithecus Afarensis, Homo Habilis, Homo Erectus, Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis, and Homo Sapiens Sapiens. Until 1992 Australopithecus Afarensis was the first hominid until the first ardipithecus ramidus bone was fond. ardipithecus ramidus : Is now the earliest hominid. The fist bone was fond in 1992 by Tim White. They lived around 4.4 million years ago. They were bipedal, but they also climb trees. They were omnivores. Australopithecus Afarensis : An anthropologist called the earliest know group of hominids Australopithecus or "southern ape." Donald Joshanson to call the group Lucy, Australopithecus Afarensis, the other half of the name refers to Afar Triangle where Lucy was fond. Lucy was a biped which means that she walked on two legs. they lived around 3 to 4 millilon years ago. Homo Habilis : A second group of hominids were discovered by husband and wife team named Louis and Mary Leakey. They were searching early hominids in Africa when they fond hominid bones and artifacts that looked like tools. they named it Homo Habilis or handy man. They also walked on two feet like Lucy. Homo Erectus : Homo Erectus was fond by a Dutchman in 1891 this is even before Lucy and Handy Man. they named it Homo Erectus or Upright man. Scientic believe that they were the fist hominid to leave Africa that is why there are many Homo Erectus bones. Homo Erectus used fire and other tool. They had lager brains which let them make complex tools. Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis : In 1856 some miner fond a skeleton in Germany's Neander Valley. The appearance of the skeleton made people to think that neanderthals walk hunched over, but it turned out to be a bone disease for a older man. They had large brains which lead them to make better tools. Homo Sapiens Sapiens : In 1879 an eight year old girl named Maria was exploring a cave when she fond painting on the walls. The painting were from the earliest group of people from our own group. The name Homo Sapiens Sapiens means Doubly Wise Man. They were more skillful tool makers than the Neanderthals. |
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Was Sumer a Civilization
Stable Food Supply
A civilization need food for there people. The Sumerians invented two things to help them create a stable food supply. One was their complex irrigation system. They built networks of canals, dams, and reservoirs to feed their crops water. The second invention was a plow it was used for tilling the soil to get ready for planting. Before they would use animal horns or a pointed stick to poke holes in the earth. the first plow was made out of wood.
Social Structure
Civilizations have social structure that includes different jobs and social levels. People at higher level are more important than the people at the bottom. Archaeologists have fond evidence that several classes lived in Sumer. At the top was an upper class people like priests, land owners, and government officials. they had a luxurious homes. The next class was the middle class. This include merchants, craftspeople, fisherman, and farmers. Finally, at the bottom is the slaves they lived in their owners home.
Government
The Sumerian city states were ruled by a king. Sumerian king supported the and collected taxes. they built temples and made sure irrigation systems are working. The king also had power to rule the army. It was one of the important job to the king. The king had officials to help them with their work.
Technology
All the civilizations create technology to help them with life. the Sumerian greatest achievement was the wheel. The earliest example of the wheel went back to the date 3500 B.C.E. Sumerians potters used wheels as a surface for sharping clay into pots. Potters' discovered that if the wheel was turned on it's side it will go straight. They used the discovery to make wheeled carts. They made the wheels by clamping wood together.
The final characteristic of civilizations is writing. The Sumerians invented a writing language called cuneiform. The word is Latin for wedge. The Sumerians used a wedge shaped stylus to etch tier writing i clay tables. Sumerians developed cuneiform around 2400 B.C.E. At first there was 2000 sounds and ideas, but over time it was reduced to 700. Cuneiform was based on a simpler form of writing called pictographs.
The Four Empires of Mesopotamia |
The Mesopotamia empire had four empires.
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The Akkadian Empire
For 1,500 years Sumer was a independent city-state. The Akkadians conquered Sumer around 2300 B.C.E. They came form the north of Mesopotamia. They were led by a great king named Sargon. He was the first ruler of the Akkadian empire. He was a skilled king and general. To create his empire he use military strategies. He also taught his army fight in a tight formation. he used his military skill to get territory.
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The Babylonian Empire
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The next ruler to from Mesopotamia was Hammurabi. He was the king of Babylon a small city in central Mesopotamia. He made Babylon his capital and that why Babylonia was called Babylonia. Hammurabi made the fist code of law that applied to everyone. The code was very detailed. It covered many situations like trade, payment, marriage, and divorce. It also had punishments like for crime and causing injure.
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The Assyrian Empire
The Assyrian were in the north of Babylon. they got power again in B.C.E when a group of rulers began to train them for war. With their army they expanded their territory. they were feared because of their military might and their cruelty. They perfected use of horse and iron weapons in war. they were fear by lots of people.
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The Neo-Babylonia Empire
Geography and the Settlement of Greece
Back then it was difficult to travel. People would walk or go by a cart pulled by a oxen. they roads were unpaved.
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Farming in Ancient Greece
In Greece it was hard to farm because 80 percent of land was mountains, so farmers built land steps. Growing crops that only needed little space to grow like grapes and olives. Olives oil was used for cooking, soap, and fuel for lamps. Some farmers planted hill side orchards of fruit and nut trees. Some framers kept bees for honey. Some farmers kept animals, but they didn't kept cattle because they needed lots of land. So instead they kept sheep and goats. The sheep provided people wool and the goats provided milk and cheese. Farmers kept a few oxen, mules, and donkeys to plow and transportation. sometimes they had chickens and pigs. Because the shortage of land people were forced beyond main land.
Starting Colonies
Because the population of Greece kept growing so communities grew too. So they sent people to other lands to grow more food and send it back home, but before they went they would ask the gods by an oracle which is believed to talk to the gods. It was hard to find a place because you have to find a place with a natural harbor, good farm land, and people that might not be strong engough that they might not let them settle.
Trading for Needed Goods
The people on the mainland needed to trade.Some people had enough land to take care of themselves, but some people that had little land and depended on trade. The Greeks traded with colonies and city-states. Olive oil, pottery, and wine were traded for things like timber, metal, and grain. Most goods traveled by ships owned by merchants.
Rise of Democracy
Monarchy
From about 2000 to 800 B.C.E most of Greece was a monarchy or king. At first Kings were chosen by the people of the city-state. When he died another king was chosen, but then the king asks that their children get the power usually the oldest son. the king had many powers they made laws and acted like judges. They led the army into war. The king had councils of aristocrats to advise them. At fist they did not have any power. But the king depended on them to help during war. Eventually they over threw the king in 800 B.C.E.
Oligarchy
By 800 B.C.E most Greek city-states were ruled by a small group of wealthy men. Most Greek oligarchs were aristocrats that is men who inherited land from their families. Some of them were rich merchants. Unlike the poor they had comfortable lives. They did hunting and chariot races. When the poor were working in the fields all day. To make things worse they did not listen to the people. then the por turned to the leaders that said that they'll make their lives better.
Tyranny
During the mid 600 B.C.E people in many Greek city-states turn to a man who promised to change the government. A tyrannt was diffrent from a monarchy in two way. The tyrants son did not inherit the power and most Greek tyrants were military generals. Many Greek tyrants ruled well when they had control. they made changes to help the poor. Other tyrants did not help people.
Democracy
Around the time 500 B.C.E the people decide to governing themselves. They made democracy which is ruled by the people. Ancient Greece democracy is different from today's democracy. Athens is direct democracy it is were every citizen can vote on every thing. The city had an Assembly or law making group. Any free man could speak in the assembly and vote for new laws or proposal for war. Some Greeks believed that democracy was not the best.
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The Influence of Greek Architecture
The Romans also borrowed and adapted ideas from the Greeks. Greek architecture was a great influence for the Romans. The Romans learned how to use concrete, so then they started to built bigger thing like the Colosseum. The Influence of Greek Writing
The the Etruscan adopted then changed the Greek alphabet. The Romans borrowed then altered the Etruscan alphabet. The Greeks had a bigger influence on the Roman life. Like the Greeks the Romans wrote in capital letters. The Greeks carved their important documents on plaques then posted in the public square. The Romans also caved inscriptions on walls or columns for all to see.
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In 700 b.c.e a Latin tribe built the village on the Palatine a hill in Italy, then became Rome. The Palatine look over the Tiber river 12 miles from sea. As Rome grow it's culture was influenced by their neighbor's the Etruscans and the Greeks. They got many ideas and skills.
![]() The Influence of Etruscan Engineering
The Roman became great builders. Two important Etruscan structures the Romans borrowed where the arch and the cuniculus. The Etruscan arch was on two pillars. The pillars supported a half circle of wedged stones and a key stone in the middle holing it together. The cuniculus was a long underground trench. it was used for irrigate land, drain swamps, or carry water into cities. The Influence of Etruscan Sporting Event
The Romans also adopted two Etruscan events slave fights and chariot racing. Slave fight they fought with swords and small shields to the death. After they were congratulated they were killed. Chariot races were deadly because if the chariot tips over the driver could dragged under the chariots wheel or trampled by the horse. These sports were resulted in death or injury. Rise of the RepulicBetween 616 and 509 b.c.e Rome was dived into two classes Patricians and Plebeians.
The Patricians were the rich and the Plebeians were the poor. 95% of Rome were plebeians. 509 b.c.e a group of patricians drove the last Etruscan king and became a republic. In 494 Rome had 25,000 to 40,000 people mostly plebeians then they demanded equality. 451 the patricians agreed, then wrote them on table and called them the twelve tables. |
India
How Buddhism came to Be
Buddhism is when prince Siddhartha turn 29 he decided to become a Ascetic to become enlightened. He think to be enlightened is to suffer but he came to a point where he nearly die from not eating. He knew after that, that suffering is not the way to enlightenment, so he decided to go thought the middle path. So he balanced him self between extremes of pleasure and pain. He came to a Bodhi tree and he promised his self to meditated at the tree until he reached enlightement. By morning he the prince became the Buddha. |
CHINA
The Silk Road
The silk road was a very dangers place to travel on. They would be high mountains to climb, thieves, narrow roads, and low oxygen in the mountains, but the trades will still go to even if they knew so that they can trade with the other countries. It was called the silk road because the chinese used to trade silk with the other countries because the other countries didn't know how to make silk. What they trade it for was carpets, gold, glass products, food, and spices. |