World History Unit 1: The Beginnings of History

What similarities are shared between Christians, Muslims and Jews?

- All 3 believe in Abraham and Moses - All 3 are monotheistic

How were empires developing differently in the Americas and Australia?

- Civilizations survived on swamps and ocean - Less animals available for domestication - Different crops (corn and fish vs. grain)

Why did the first civilizations develop on rivers?

- Flooding created fertile soil for growing crops - Water for irrigation - Ability to transport crops - Drinking water for animals

What were Jewish pull factors?

- Freedom to practice religion - Other new Jewish communities

What were the negatives of the Neolithic Age?

- Greater disease from being near animals - First incidences of battle deaths due to competition - Unpredictable conditions of rivers - Risk of famine in case of drought or flooding - Less healthy diet (more starch and sugar)

What were characteristics of Hunter/Gatherer Societies?

- Hunted game and fished, gathered food - Spoke a language - Developed Animistic religion: Believed everything in nature had a spirit, including animals - Used stone for hunting tools and digging

What were Jewish push factors?

- Invasions - Bad treatment by invaders - Bad political leaders

Why is it not an accident that more complex religions developed in early civilizations? Why were they needed?

- Kings needed a good reason for why THEY get the right to rule. Who can argue with the gods? - Gods needed to stay happy to make sure that rivers flooded on time, food would grow, sun would shine - To help keep people in line (the gods said so)

How was the Epic of Gilgamesh an example of the arts?

- Long narrative poem (tells a story) - Shows gods as scary and mean - Praises a heroic king

Why was it not an accident that empires started to develop after civilizations?

- More people to work - More resources to feed more people - More land to grow more food

Why is it not an accident that writing developed in early civilizations? What was it needed for?

- Needed to keep track of taxes paid by citizens and wages they earned - Record keeping - Writing down laws

What is diaspora?

spreading out or scattering of a group of people

What were the positives of the Neolithic Age?

steady food supply and settled populations

What was Monumental Architecture?

structures big in size and big in importance

Why is Mesopotamia called the Cradle of Civilization?

the birthplace of civilization (for the western world)

What was the Neolithic Revolution?

the change in human societies from hunting and gathering to a settled way of life based on deliberate planting of crops and domesticating animals

What is agriculture?

the deliberate planting of crops

What is the rule of law?

the law applies to everyone equally, even rulers

What is prehistory?

the period of time before written records

What is cultural diffusion?

the spread of ideas from one civilization to another

Why did humans start farming?

there were not as many animals available and it was a reliable food source that didn't move

What interesting things can we learn or prove about paleolithic people from their cave drawings?

they only cared about hunting and gathering

Why did the Jews leave the promise land?

they were conquered by many different groups, including the Romans, and moved throughout the world

How did farming and the development of civilizations lead to job specialization?

with new technology, less people were needed to farm, but people were needed to build, irrigate, protect.

What was not a common characteristic shared by early civilizations?

worship of animals

How did writing help to create social classes in Mesopotamia?

writing was something only the elite could do, giving them a special status

What are the Ten Commandments heavily influenced on?

Hammurabi's law code

Who developed Judaism?

Hebrews in Mesopotamia

What is the Torah and what does it contain?

Holy book for the Jewish Faith and contains the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, also the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.

What is the Out of Africa Theory?

Humans first lived in Africa, then migrated into other areas of the world during Paleolithic Period

What was the promise god made with Abraham?

If Abraham taught that there was one god, Abraham and his descendants would be blessed and have a "promised land" in Canaan

What two major religions were influenced by the beliefs of Judaism?

Islam and Christianity

Where is the Sumerian civilization located?

Mesopotamia - land Between two rivers

Where was Judaism founded?

Mesopotamia and the Middle East

How were ziggurats an example of monumental architecture?

Mesopotamian Ziggurats made of mud brick

Why is it not an accident that cities developed after people started to farm?

More food = more people = higher population = cities

How was the Ten Commandments given to the Jewish people?

Moses

What are the two periods of prehistory of early people divided into?

Paleolithic (old stone age) and Neolithic (new stone age)

What is the first civilization began in a city-state?

Sumeria

Which two modern day countries is Mesopotamia located in?

Syria and Iraq

Which two rivers was Mesopotamia in between?

Tigris and Euphrates

True or False: Most early religions were Polytheistic.

True

Who was Abraham?

a Hebrew nomad who preached that there was only one god

What is revolution?

a major change

What is a patriarchy?

a social system in which men hold primary power

What did farming lead to?

a surplus of food

Where did all early civilizations first develop?

alongside rivers

What were civilizations?

an advanced stage in the growth of society characterized by developments in cities, government, social structures, arts and sciences

What is "the exception" in history?

an event, person, place or culture that does not follow the rule

What is a city-state?

an independent city with its own government, includes the city and surrounding territories

What happened to the status of female gods as civilization became more advanced?

as men became more powerful in society after farming started, most gods became male too

Why was Mesopotamia called the "Fertile Crescent"?

because of fertile soil

Polytheistic

believing in many different gods

What are two characteristics of both time periods?

both periods were before people could write and used stone tools

What are the major characteristics shared by early civilizations?

cities and organized governments (political development)

What did early civilizations share in culture?

complex religions, arts, architecture and literature

What is job specialization?

different people doing different things for a living (division of labor)

What did early civilizations share economically?

division of labor (job specialization) and public works

What does cuneiform mean and how is it an example?

done on clay tablets in "wedge shapes" and was the earliest form of writing

What major change in human life occurred during the Neolithic Revolution?

humans began to farm

Why are migrations so important in history?

leads to cultural diffusion

What was one major result of the creation of empires?

mix of different ethnic and racial groups (cultural diffusion)

What does the Ten Commandments influence?

modern day government

What did the surplus of food lead to?

more food for animals allowed for domestication and patriarchy

What is it about Judaism that made them an exception to the rule in ancient history?

most early religions of humans were Polytheistic, the Israelites broke the rule and were Monotheistic

What is migration?

movement from one place to another

What were Paleolithic peoples?

nomads

Who were pastoralists?

nomads who decided to herd animals and trade for survival

What is "the rule" in history?

on track with what everyone else is doing

How did farming and the development of civilizations lead to slavery?

outsiders or people in debt were used to do the harder jobs or "lower jobs"

What are nomads?

people who moved or wandered in search of food and water

Why do people move or migrate?

push and pull factors

What are pull factors?

reasons why people go to an area

What are push factors?

reasons why people leave an area

What is an empire?

ruling over multiple city-states

What did early civilizations share socially?

social class

How did farming and the development of civilizations lead to social classes?

some jobs became seen as more important than others (like scribes, priests and warriors, and artists)

What forms of technology did not develop by accident in early civilizations? Why did they develop?

- New building techniques (pyramids, ziggurats, palaces) - Metallurgy: the production of metals - Irrigation techniques for farming and controlling flooding - Astronomy: Accurate calendar for farming seasons - Wheeled carts and chariots - Bowls, baskets and pottery for storing crops (never needed before farming)

Why is it not an accident that governments developed in early civilizations? Why were they needed?

- Organize projects like irrigation systems and walls - Lead the military to protect the food and cities - Oversee taxes and manage trade - Keep peace so food can keep being produced by creating laws (writing was invented to write the laws)

What are Jewish major holidays?

- Passover (usually around the same time as Easter) - Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) - Yom Kippur: part of Rosh Hashanah - Hanukkah: Celebrates recapturing of temple of Jerusalem

What were monuments used for?

- Permanent: Showed that civilizations were here to stay. - Palaces: showed power of rulers - Religious structures: showed power of gods

How did the Ice Age lead to the first major human migration?

- Sea levels lowered, allowing people to travel by water easier. - Killed or moved many animals needed for food. - Warmer climates caused grains to grow that could be food.

What happened when they left?

- Settled in communities with other Jews, keeping religion alive. - Kept a major religion going - Influenced birth of Christianity and Islam

What was developed in the arts?

- Stone carvings showed great deeds of kings and gods - Literature: Told stories of great rulers, gods and goddesses

What are the major beliefs of Judaism?

- They are special people chosen by god to do things in the world. - Not a heavy effort to convert people. - Only one God. - Strong moral behavior - Social responsibility - Individual people are important and responsible for their own behavior - Patriarchal: men have the greatest legal and moral authority.

What were some of the pros or perks of living in a Paleolithic Society?

- Very equal societies for men and women - Better diet of protein and vegetables - Relatively peaceful, little death by war - No slavery (smaller population is better) - Less disease from living near animals

What is Kosher?

- diet guidelines listed in the Torah - means "pure" - most fruits and vegetables and grains are okay - no eating of animals with cloven hooves (pigs and donkeys) - goose, duck, chicken or turkey are okay - fish must have scales - dairy products must come from kosher animals

What are examples of ideas culturally diffused from Judaism to the western world?

- each individual is responsible for their actions. - the Jewish faith - laws that apply to everyone (from the 10 commandments) - legal traditions like trial by jury, innocent until proven guilty. - social responsibility - ethics: Moral codes of behavior

Where did the first four major civilizations develop?

1. Sumeria (Mesopotamia) on the Tigris and Euphrates River 2. Egypt along the Nile 3. Indus Valley-Indus River in Pakistan 4. Yellow River in China

When was Judaism founded?

2000 BCE

Who founded Judaism?

Abraham

Why did Judaism develop?

Abraham believed god made a covenant or promise with him

What was the Neolithic Revolution also known as?

Agricultural Revolution

What was Mesopotamia's nickname?

Fertile Crescent