AP World- Chapter 7 Americas and Africa: Classical Era Variations

Semi-sedentary

small scale agriculture that supports small populations with no large cities

Where was Christianity adopted in Africa?

Ethiopia

Niger River

-stateless= no powerful, central authority -no evidence of powerful rulers, war, or deep social inequalities -griots carried on oral traditions and preserved history

Bantu Africa

-originally from Nigeria and Cameroon -the Bantu movement probably had the greatest impact on the African continent -interaction with other societies spread ideas such as agriculture, religion, and language -spread of culture occurred slowly (probably a few families at a time)

North America in the Classical Era

-semi-sedentary= small scale agriculture that supports small populations with no large cities -known for "mound building" -adopted crops such as maize (corn) from northern Mesoamerican tribes

How did Axum generate most of its wealth?

-trading in Red Sea and Indian Ocean (ex. animal hides, rhinoceros horn, ivory, obsidian, tortoiseshells, and slaves) -taxes on this trade provided a major source of revenue

What climates/ physical geographic features can one find on the continent of Africa?

-small regions of Mediterranean climate in the northern and southern extremes -large deserts (the Sahara and the Kalahari) -larger regions of savanna grasslands -tropical rain forest in the continent's center -highlands and mountains in Eastern Africa

Generalizations about Africa

- had an extremely diverse climate depending on region -Northeast Africa had a history of contact with Eurasia (ex. incorporated into the Roman Empire) -Has the least productive agriculture of all Classical Civilization locations due to less fertile soil

Generalizations about the Americas

-Mesoamerican (central Mexico) and Andean (South America) culture tended to be dominated by cities and regional states rather than large empires -pastoral societies existed on every continent except Central/ South America -most well known Andean civilization was the Incas that will peak in the post-classical period

What impacts did Eurasia have on the African continent?

-North Africa was incorporated into the Roman Empire and used to produce wheat and olives on large estates with slave labor -Christianity spread widely -Rise to some of the early Church's most famous martyrs and to one of its most important theologians, Saint Augustine -The Christian faith found an even more permanent foothold in the lands now known as Ethiopia

With what areas of the world did Axum trade?

-Red Sea and Indian Ocean commerce

How did the Bantu movement affect Africa? How did it happen?

-caused interaction with other societies spreading ideas such as agriculture, religion, and language -occurred very slowly as only a few families moved at a time

Teotihuacan

-located in central Mexico -population was large (between 100,000-200,000 people) -very little is known about the city -artwork does not depict self-glorifying leaders -mysterious collapse around 650 C.E. -believed to be the largest city on earth

Meroe

-located in modern-day Egypt -specialized in merchant activity, weaving, metal-working, and masonry -Although Christianity became prominent during the Classical Era, it will be eclipsed by Islam in the Post-Classical -Society declines as a result of deforestation

Maya

-located in modern-day Guatemala and Yucatan Mexico -society developed a system of writing -heavy use of technology and innovation (large-scale engineering projects) -long-term drought believed to be what wiped out civilization

Axum

-located in present-day Eritrea/Ethiopia -adopted Christianity around the 4th century -generated wealth by trading (Red Sea and Indian Ocean commerce)

What were some specialized occupations of the people of Meroe?

-merchant activity -weaving -metal-working -masonry

Bantu religious beliefs

-notion of "continuous revelation"—the possibility of constantly receiving new messages from the world beyond -believed in nature and ancestor spirits

Andean civilizations

-two prominent cities were Chavin and Moche -irrigation and terracing projects probably helped to create centralized states in the region -women in Moche probably had high status -ecological disruption probably accounted for decline of early Andean civilizations

Which continent had the least fertile soil?

Africa has the least productive agriculture of all Classical Civilization locations due to less fertile soil

Andean

Andes mountains in South America along west coast

Which continent did not have any pastoral societies?

Central/ South America

Mesoamerica

Central/South Mexico and Central America

What food product was adopted by the Chaco Canyon and the Mississippi River valley tribes from groups to the south?

Corn (maize)

What led to the collapse of these Classical Era civilizations?

Ecological disruption like deforestation, erosion, and droughts usually caused by intensive agriculture

Population distribution by continent

Eurasia- 80% of the world's people Africa-11% Americas- 5-7%

How do we know that women in Moche society had high status?

In 2005, archeologists found the burial place of a very high-status woman, who was heavily tattooed and laid to rest with hundreds of sacrifices from gold to a female body.

What religion would eventually replace Christianity as a popular African religion during the post-classical period?

Islam

Physical location of cities/ settlements of Africa and the Americas

Meroe- modern-day Egypt Axum- present-day Eritrea/ Ethiopia Niger River- west Africa Bantu Africa- originally from Nigeria and Cameroon but moved south Maya- modern-day Guatemala and Yucatan Mexico Teotihuacan- central Mexico Andean- Andes mountains in South America

What was not featured in the artwork of Teotihuacan?

Self-glorifying leaders

Large-scale terracing and irrigation projects were needed in what area of the world?

South America, Andes Mountains, Andean civilization

Where was metallurgy least developed in the world?

The Americas

What was the most well-known society of the Andes Mountains?

The Incas

Which society in the Americas had a written language?

The Maya

Griots

carried on oral traditions and preserved history

What was the political organization of the societies of the Americas?

fragmented, independent, city-states like ones found in ancient Mesopotamia or classical Greece

What does stateless mean when referring to government structure?

no powerful, central authority