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| 5831671290 | Mesopotamia | Founded in the Fertile Crescent, it fell in-between the Tigris and the Euphrates. By 3000 BCE, Sumer rose with city states Ur, Erech, and Kish. | 0 | |
| 5831681649 | Sumer | They developed cuneiform, and the wheel was developed, enhancing trade. They developed a twelve month calendar and a mathematical system based on units of sixty. They were polytheistic. Each city-state worshipped their on gods, and then their were gods the city-states worshipped collectively. They built ziggurats, terraced pyramids, to please their gods. By 1700 BCE, the civilization was overthrown. | 1 | |
| 5831696253 | Babylon | North of Sumer, were the Akkadians. Bakylon overran Akkad in 1700 BCE. King Hammurabi of Babylon establish the Code of Hammurabi. In 1500 BCE, the Hitties took over and dominated the the region because of their bronze weapons. The Assyrians learned the bronze technology and establish a capital in Nineveh. The Assyrians took over the Fertile Crescent with a displaced and cruel empire. The Assyrians were defeated by the Medes and the Chaldeans. The Chaldean Kin, Nebuchadnezzar, re-establish Babylon. | 2 | |
| 5831806114 | Egyptian civilization | Found along the Nile River, the civilization was brought together by King Menes in the Old Kingdom. They had hieroglyphics, a series of pictures that represent letters and words. Through astronomy, they developed a reliable calendar. They also relied on other civilizations for timber, stone, and luxuries like spices and gold. They were polytheistic. They focused on bringing possession to the afterlife and the use of their bodies in the afterlife which lead to mummification although that was an option only for wealthier member of society. In the New Kingdom, Queen Hatshepsut ruled. She expanded Egyptian trade expeditions, and gave women a high status. Generally, women had opportunities to express individuality, buy, sell, or inherit property, and dissolve their marriage under certain conditions. Although women were not equal with men. Socially, it was the pharaoh, priests, nobles, merchants and artisans, peasants, and then slaves. Slaves were prisoners of war. Peasants were expected to give over half of produce to kingdom. Although slaves were at the bottom of the social pyramid, they shared very similar responsibilities of the peasants. By 1100 BCE, the Assyrian and Persian Empire were conquering parts of Egypt, then the Greeks occupied Egypt, then the Roman Empire conquered it all. | 3 | |
| 5832124285 | Indus Valley River civilization | Between 2500 to 1500 BCE, Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro begin to rise, which will grow to become some of the largest first civilizations. The civilizations had uniform and sophisticated waste water systems, indicating a strong centralized government with a single ruler. They were polytheistic. The farmers produced cotton, and the artisans made cloth, which were valuable trading goods. The Indus Vally was abandoned in 1900 BCE. | 4 | |
| 5832193626 | The Aryans | They were nomadic tribes from North of the Caucasus Mountains. They used horses and advanced weaponry to conquer the Indus Valley and settled there. They were polytheistic, and recorded their beliefs and traditions in the Vedas and the Upanishads. Their religion would grow to become Hinduism. They had the caste system as their social structure. As society grew and became complex, subcastes were added to the four castes, and social mobility was prohibited. | 5 | |
| 5832296171 | Hwang Ho River Valley/Yellow River Valley | It was a stable agricultural surplus to build a trade centered civilization. Chinese workers built walls around cities and towns, and warriors defeated enemies on their chariots. They were mostly isolated, but did trade with Mesopotamia. They believed to be the center of the world, encouraging the ethnocentric attitude (superiority over everyone else). In their existence from 1600 to 1100 BCE, they were successful as bronze workers, possessed horse drawn chariots and developed the spoked wheel. They were experts in producing pottery and silk. They devised a decimal system and a calendar. They had a patriarchal structure, which the eldest male led. In their religion, their gods controlled all aspects of peoples' lives. | 6 | |
| 5832429389 | Zhou Dynasty | In 1100 BCE, the dynasty replaced the Yellow River Valley civilization. They maintained many of the traditions and customs that the Shang had established. The Zhou believed in the Mandate of Heaven. They developed a feudal system in which the king ruled over the entire empire, then nobles were given power over smaller parts of the empire. But soon the nobles gained the power to split into independent kingdoms. Within the kingdoms, they developed bureaucracies. The dynasty fell in 256 BCE. | 7 | |
| 5832679321 | Bantu migrations | Beginning in 1500 BCE, farmers in the Niger and Benue River valleys in West Africa, began to migrate south and east. They brought their language and knowledge of agriculture and metallurgy to the nomadic people on their journey. | 8 | |
| 5832691536 | Jenne-Jeno | Located in the upper Niger River Valley, the civilization was one of the first in Sub-Sahran Africa, beginning 250 BCE. The architecture suggests there was not a hierarchically organized society rather a collection of individual communities. | 9 | |
| 5832794734 | Olmec and Chavin | The Olmec was found in present day Mexico between 1500 from 400 BCE. The Chavin was found in the Andes from 900 to 200 BCE. The Olmec was supported by corn, beans, and squash. They mastered irrigation techniques and constructed large scale buildings. They also developed a system of writing and a calendar. The Chavin had access to the coast so they had a diet of seafood. The used metals in tools and weapons. They used llamas as the animal for labor. They both were polytheistic. These civilizations proved civilization can occur independently because they were on the other side of the globe. It also proved civilization did not require a major river system. | 10 | |
| 5834482548 | Mauryan Empire | In 321 BCE, the empire came to rise by Chandragupta Maurya. His grandson was Ashoka the ruler, and the empire reached its peak under Ashoka. The empire was wealthy and powerful through their trade of cotton, silk, and elephants, as well as the brutal military. Ashoka put an end to the violence after he converted to Buddhism. He preached nonviolence and moderation through his Rock and Pillar Edicts. Under his rule, Buddhism spread through India and parts of Southeast Asia. The empire came to an end in 180 BCE due to economic problems and pressure from attacks in the northeast. | 11 | |
| 5834685232 | Gupta Empire | The empire experienced a golden age under Chandra Gupta the Great, who ruled from 375 to 415 BCE. The empire was peaceful and significant advances were made in the arts and science.For example, the concepts of pi and of zero were developed, and they devised a decimal system. Hinduism had returned as the dominant religion, re-establishing the caste system. Women increasingly lost their rights. The inheritance of property and child marriage were a norm in the era. The Gupta empire fell with the invasion of the White Huns. | 12 | |
| 5837321498 | Qin Dynasty | Like most other Chinese dynasties, the dynasty had a strong economy based on agriculture, had a powerful army with iron weapons, conquered surrounding area, and was unified under an emperor. Qin Shihuangdi founded the empire in 221 BCE. He centralized various feudal kingdoms, standardized all laws, currencies, systems of writing, and measures. He refused to tolerant dissent. China during this time was patriarchal and based on Legalism. The Great Wall of China also began construction at this time. The empire fell after Qin Shihuangdi's death, in 209 BCE. | 13 | |
| 5837371629 | Han Dynasty | The Xiongnu, a nomadic group from northern Asia, invade territories of the empire at this time. Although as Wu Ti as emperor the Xiongnu were not as successful. Wu Ti, or also known as Warrior emperor, enlarged the empire to central Asia. Trading was thriving due to the silk road, as Buddhism, luxury items, and cultures were being traded. They established the civil service system based on Confucius. In consequence, the government bureaucracy was skilled and brought stability. They invited paper, accurate sundials, and calendars. They made navigation advances through the invention of the rudder and compass. They also broaden use of metals. The empire began tumbling down the hill once Wang Mang (9-23CE) attempted to establish the Xin dynasty, using the Mandate of Heaven. With Mang's bad reforms in land ownership and currency, taxation rose, forcing landowners to pay farmers less for more. The persistent famines, floods, and increasing commodity prices led to the Xin's end in 23CE. The Han dynasty was restored, but it was never the same. In 220CE, the government collapsed and China divided into regional kingdoms. | 14 | |
| 5871373455 | Persian Empire | The empire reached its peak around 500 BCE. The large empire was able to stay united through Satrapies, delegated local administration of provinces with governors, known as satraps. They built series of long roads, such as the Great Royal Road. Small societies, such as Lydians, Phoenicians, and Hebrews, remained an identity separate from the empire. The Lydians developed the concept off coined money rather than the barter system, which you goods are traded for goods. This allowed people to save their money, and it was a consistent system of prices. The Phoenicians developed an alphabet simpler than the cuneiform. They as well established powerful naval city states along the Mediterranean. The Greeks later adopt the Phoenician alphabet. The Hebrews kept their identity through their religious belief they were God's chosen people. | 15 | |
| 5937700891 | Ancient Greece | They conducted commercial activity though their natural harbors and mild weather. They adopted the Lydians coinage system. It was divided into individual city-states, or "polis" that shared a common language and traditions, but were often in conflict. Athens was the political, commercial, and cultural center. Sparta was an agricultural and highly militaristic region. Sparta did stress equality, but not individuality like Athens. Each city-state had adult male citizens who were most likely involved in business. There were free people with no political rights, and non-citizens (slaves who were one-third the population). Athens was regarded as having the first democracy although only free adult males could vote. Draco and Solon were aristocrats who worked to create democracy in Athens. The Greeks were polytheistic. Their polytheistic religion was unique because their gods possessed human failings, such as getting angry, getting drunk, etc. The Persian Wars, from 499-449BCE, all Greek city-states fought Persia. By winning the grand battles at Marathon and Salamis, Greeks held control and was able to enter into the Golden Age of Pericles (480-404BCE). The leader, Pericles, established democracy for all adult males. He also established the Delian League which united Athens and other city-states against aggression of common enemies. During this golden age, we see philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, who believe rational thought and observation could discern the truth, and virtue and goodness leads to internal peace and happiness. Those men are referred to as the "father of rational thinking." Greek drama was often comedy or tragedy by Aeschylus and Euripides. There was sculptures by Phidias, and Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns were important in Greek architecture. Math and science thrived from Archimedes, Hippocrates, Euclid, and Pythagoras (Pythagorean theorem). While there was the Delian League, Sparta and other city-states formed the Peloponnesian League. These two leagues fought one another in the Peloponnesian War (431-404BCE). During the war, a plague it Athens and they lost the battle of Syracuse on the Island of Sicily. The Delian League lost the war, but it also left Sparta weak. This vulnerability allowed for the Macedonians to rule Greece. | 16 | |
| 5937785384 | Alexander the Great's Empire | His father, Phillip III of Macedon (359-336BCE), conquered Greece after their Peloponnesian War. Phillip III flourished the classical Greek culture. Alexander the Great was tought by Aristotle. Alexander went on to conquer the Persian Empire and the Indus River civilization. Under his vast empire, the classic Greek culture spread, creating Hellenism. Hellenism is the culture, ideals, and pattern of life of Classical Greece. After Alexander's death at the age of 33, his empire was divided amongst his generals. | 17 | |
| 5956162442 | Roman Empire | To the North were the Alps, which provided protection from land invasion. The sea surrounding the peninsula limited naval attacks. The city also had easy access to northern Africa, Palestine, Greece, and the Iberian Peninsula. The social structure was made up of patricians, plebeians, and slaves. The government was a republic. It was divided into the two groups of the Senate, which was patrician families, and the Assembly, which later on was open to plebeians. Two consuls were annually elected by the Assembly. The city had civil laws to protect individual rights and were codified in the Twelve Tables of Rome. The concept "innocent until proven guilty" originated from Roman civil law. The family structured centered on "pater familias", or eldest male in the family. Women did have a strong influence inside the home, but were still seen inferior to men. There was a high population of slaves (slaves that cam fro conquered lands), but did have a possibility of freedom. The Punic Wars were between Rome and a city-state in Northern Africa, Carthage. The first Punic War, in 264-241BCE, was over the control of the island of Sicily. The second Punic Wars, in 218-201BCE, Hannibal, a great Carthaginian general, and his army rode elephants across northern Italy and over the Alps to ambush the Romans. Before able to destroy Rome, the Carthaginians had to return home to defend it from the Romans who had arrived in Carthage. The third Punic War, in 149-146BCE, Rome invaded Carthage and burned it to the ground. Without Carthage, Rome began expansion to Greece by defeating the Macedonians, the Gauls, and the Spaniards. As Rome grew, large landowners used more slaves. The Plebeians in the city began to overpopulate and were left without a job. A high rate of inflation occurred. Political leaders began to fight. From this chaos came the First Triumvirate, with Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus. Caesar was given the power of Gaul, and other European parts, except he never conquered Germany. With the growing power of Caesar, a civil war began, ending with the assassination of Caesar in 44BCE. Then came the Second Triumvirate, with Octavius, Marc Antony, and Lepidus. Again, power shifted to one man, Octavius. He became the emperor and known as Augustus Caesar. Augustus established the rule of law, a common coinage, civil service, and secure travel. Augustus's rule brought Pax Romana, or Roman Peace. The peace flourished arts. Literature such as Ovid's "Metamorphoses" and Virgil's "Aeneid". Architecture such as the Pantheon, Colosseum, and Forum. The rise of Christianity grew out of Judaism. First, Romans practiced religious tolerance until Jewish resistance to Roman control led to the Jewish suppression. The spread of Christianity threaten Romans and they persecuted Christians. The violence did not end until Emperor Constantine when he issued the Edict of Milan in 313CE. In 391CE, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. The empire weakened with the external pressure of Attila's Hun and barbarians, as well as internal decay due to weak leaders such as Diocletian. Constantine rose to power in 306CE, in which he established Constantinople. After Constantine's death, the empire divided into two. As Germans pressed into the western half, the eastern half survived and became known as the Byzantine Empire. | 18 | |
| 5966597986 | The Maya | The civilization existed in southern Mexico and part of Central America in 300BCE t0 800CE. The civilization was a collection of city-states with one ruler for all states. They build pyramids and wrote in hieroglyphics. The civilization experienced a golden age from 500 to 850CE. They developed a calendar system with zeros. The city Tikal was the most important political center. They believed there was a heaven, the humans in the middle, and an underworld. They believed their gods created humans by throwing maize and water over their shoulder. The different color maize explained the different colors in skin. They believed their gods would maintain the agricultural cycles if they performed honors, human sacrifice, and bloodshedding rituals. Before battle, they would perform religious sacrifices. The king and nobility would participate in battle. The goal of warfare was not to collect more territory rather to acquire slaves. Slaves were labor in constructing pyramids or temples, such as the tiered temple at Chichen Itza. The majority of people were peasants or slaves. Merchants did enjoy a higher status. They mainly cultivated maize and cotton, and had elaborate cotton textiles. For undetermined reasons, they deserted their cities in the 800CE. | 19 | |
| 6013224747 | Women's Roles: Period 1-Period 2 | As women settle, they loose power. Women were able to keep some power within the private sphere by managing the household, taking responsibility for the children's education. In the early civilizations, upper class women were restricted in public appearance. We see the public veiling of upper class women even in the Babylonian Empire. Lower class women remained working outside. Christianity and Buddhism considered women equal in their ability to achieve salvation or nirvana. Daoism promoted male and female equality. Hinduism restricted women from reading sacred text, to participate in prayer, or to reach moksha in their lifetime. Confucianism held the man superior, but educated women to teach them their "proper" behavior and virtue. | 20 | |
| 6023824432 | Confucianism | Confucian, the developer of the political and social philosophy, tried to gain a position in politics, but is thinking were at odds with state policy. Confucian became an educator and political advisor which he taught his views on society and politics. He gain followers who taught his views to other, or followers who collected his teaching in the Analects. Confucian focused on the relationships between, ruler and subject, parent and child, husband and wife, older brother and younger brother, and friend and friend. Confucian believed if each person kept to their obligations within a relationship, society would be orderly and predicable. Some of their values were "Ren", a sense of humanity, kindness, and benevolence, "Li", a sense of propriety, courtesy, respect, and deference to elders, and "Xiao", final piety which is respect to your family. Confucian considered women a secondary status, but children were taught to honor fathers and mothers. Since the belief system was ethnical, social, and political, it allowed for religions to still be practiced while following the belief system. This is a reason it flourish in China during 600BCE. | 21 | |
| 6034060495 | Daoism | Practiced by the Chinese around 500BCE, the belief system, founded by Lao-tzu, is defined as a way of life. It is passive and yielding. Eternal principle governs all of the world. The belief system is often compared to water: soft and yielding, yet able to break away stone. Therefore, ambition and activism would bring chaos. Advocates of this religion formed small, self sufficient communities, and served as a counter act to Confucianism communities. They promoted scientific discoveries, developing scientists, chemists, etc. Daoism added to China's complex society. | 22 | |
| 6034080269 | Legalism | This belief system was developed around the same time of Confucianism and Daoism. It was most popular in the Qin Dynasty. The belief system did not trust humans therefore relied on a centralized, tightly governed state with tough laws. Farming and the military were the two most worthy professions. With this legal system, the Qin Dynasty was able to unify China and complete massive public projects, such as the Great Wall. Although the toughness of the system created widespread resentment, turning people to Daoism and Confucianism. | 23 | |
| 6062026666 | Hinduism | The religion came began in India with the invasion of the Aryans. They believe in one supreme creator, Brahama, as well as smaller gods that came from Brahma. They also believed in a caste system and one's life and dharma, the rues and obligations of a caste) determined whether he moved up or down in the caste system in reincarnation. They believed one could be reincarnated as an animal. The religion's goal was to merge of reincarnation with Brahma by reaching the highest state of being, one perfect internal peace and release of soul, known as moksha. Because of the classifications of the caste system, the religion was also considered a social system. If you were dissatisfied with your caste it indicated you were not following your dharma. Social mobility though was not an option. In modern times, people have rebelled against the strict structure of the caste system. | 24 | |
| 6085250630 | Buddhism | Beginning with the Hindu prince Siddhartha Gautama in Nepal from 563-483BCE, the religion was born. Gautama abandoned his wealth in search for the meaning of human suffering. He found it under a sacred bodhi tree after meditating. Siddhartha Gautama become Buddha, or the Enlightened One. In the religion, there was no god to worship, but the Four Noble Truths to follow. The Four Noble Truths are: All life is suffering, Suffering is caused by desire, One can be freed of this desire, and One is freed of desire by following the Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path is "how-to" manual for life, containing the right views, right speech, right conduct, etc. The religion believed life's goal was to achieve nirvana, the state of perfect peace and harmony. If not achieved nirvana, you would be reincarnated. The religion did not depend on social structure, such as the caste system, therefore it attracted lower rank members of society. When Buddha died in 483BCE, the religion broke into Theravada, or Hinayana, and Mahayana. Theravada emphasized meditation, simplicity, and saw nirvana as the renunciation of human consciousness and of the self. They did not have gods, nor did they see Buddha as a god. The Mahayana believed Buddha's teachings were not enough spiritual comfort. They saw Buddha as a god, as well as other gods, such as bodhisattvas. They relied more on priests and scriptures. Some saw this similar to Hinduism. Because it was separate from social structure, the religion spread. It increasing grew when Ashoka, third emperor of the Mauryan Empire, converted and upheld the religion in his empire. | 25 | |
| 6156059290 | Zoroastrianism | Created in the 2000BC and practiced in the Sassanid Empire and Central Asia, the religion believed in two gods representing good and evil. The individual actions of a person determine the spiritual salvation of the soul. Ahura Mazda was the main god of good and truth. The most important text is the Avesta. Once the religion became the state religion of the Sassanid Empire, the religion grew, influencing Christianity in the Roman Empire even before it was there. | 26 | |
| 6190584491 | Judaism | The monotheistic religion believed God manifested himself to the Hebrew people, and if the Hebrews followed his laws, worshipped him, and were faithful, God would preserve them for all of time. They believed God created them and a world that humans could enjoy and exercise free will. There sacred texts, like the Torah, influenced the Christian Old Testament. The religion is religious guidelines and a cultural system. | 27 | |
| 6190748160 | Christianity | The religion begins with Jesus of Nazareth, a Jewish teacher who is the Messiah. Jesus taught devotions to God and love for human beings. 30 CE Jesus was crucified by the Romans. He rose from the dead and returned with God. The religion is based on the Old and New Testament of the Bible who gives the accounts of the teachings of the disciples of Jesus and Paul of Tarsus, originally an extreme anti-Christian who converted. Forgiveness of sins and ultimately everlasting life is achievable only through belief on divinity, death, and resurrection of Christ. You must seek a relationship with God, worship him, and practice love and service to him and other humans. The religion appealed widely to the middle class and women. By 300 CE, the religion was the most influential in Mediterranean basin, and although the Roman Empire persecuted Christians, the religion became the official religion. | 28 |
