Chapter 1 — the First Civilizations

Topics: Mesopotamia, Akkadian language, Neolithic Pages: 14 (2398 words) Published: February 24, 2013
Chapter 1 — The First Civilizations
The Earliest Humans
Essential Question
How did humans become food producers rather than food gatherers? * Domestication of animals
* There was fertile soil to grow crops
* Hunting animals was harder
* Agriculture was a failure for a long time

I can statements
Explain why the development of agriculture was so crucial for the establishment of civilization. * Hunting wasn’t reliable
* You may not get enough food for the day by hunting/gathering * People didn’t have to chase their food
* With agriculture people had more free time
* People could begin to trade goods
Describe the advantages & disadvantages of food producers over food gatherers. Negatives
* Worse diets-less variety lacking protein
* Bigger populations-more demand
* Social and sexual inequality
* Disease
* Famine
* People began to shrink
* Wars over land
* Agriculture was easier than hunting/gathering
* Settlements
* Domestication of animals
* Variety of grown foods

Analyze the gender roles during the Paleolithic & Neolithic Ages * Men were hunters
* Women were gatherers
* Women tended to children
* Men were dominant

Paleolithic vs. Neolithic Age
* No permanent settlement-always on the move for food (nomads) * Hunter-gatherers
* Beginning of human beings-11,000 B.C.
* Sophisticated kind of cave painting
* Religious?-shown through cave paintings
* “New Stone Age”
* 11,000 B.C.
* Discovered agriculture
* Produced food
* Larger populations
* More food supply
* First settlements
Gender Roles
* Men were hunters
* Women were gatherers
* Women tended to children
* Men were dominant
Eight Features of Civilization
* Eight Features include:
a. Cities
b. Well-organized central government
c. Complex religions
d. Job specialization
e. Social classes
f. Arts and architecture
g. Public works
h. Writing
* Specialization developed in civilizations
* Sumer was the first civilization
Paleolithic Age
* The Old Stone Age
* Nomadic people
* Religious cave paintings
* Hunters/gatherers
* Beginning of human beings-11,000 B.C.
* Nomad: “A member of a people who have no permanent abode and travel from place to place to find fresh pasture for their livestock.”- * Moved around
* Not settled
* In the Paleolithic Age mostly
Neolithic Age
* The “New Stone Age”
* First settlements-due to agriculture
* 11,000 B.C.
* Larger population
Homo Sapiens
* 250,000 years ago
2 types:
1. Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis
* 100,000-30,000 B.C.
* Relied on varied stone tools and were first to bury their dead * Afterlife?
* Made clothes from animal skin
2. Homo Sapiens Sapiens
* 200,000 B.C.
* Spread outside of Africa 100,000 years ago
* Replaced Neanderthal 30,000 years ago
The First Civilizations in Mesopotamia
Essential Question
Why was agriculture an essential step in the creation of river valley civilizations of Sumer and Babylon? * It supplied food for a large population
* The land there has rich soil for growing crops
* It allowed people to settle down and not have to migrate to their food * It gave people more free time- essentially why architecture could be built I can statements
Describe the characteristics of the Sumerian civilization as a significant development in Western history. * Developed cuneiform
* Was the first civilization
* Created the city of Uruk which had an estimated population of 50,000 people * Developed the sexagesmial system- based off the number 60 (still used today) * Created the “Epic of Gilgamesh”

Analyze how cuneiform inscriptions and codes revealed much about Babylonian politics,...
Continue Reading

Please join StudyMode to read the full document

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Essay on The first civilization
  • Notes Chapter 3 First Civilizations Essay
  • Chapter 1 Notes Prehistory to Early Civilization Essay
  • Chapter 1 Essay
  • Essay on Outline of Chapter 1 Accounting
  • research paper chapter 1 sample

Become a StudyMode Member

Sign Up - It's Free