Just wanted to provide a link to another one of the British Museum sites on ancient civilizations - this time on Ancient Greece! Take a look at the so-called birthplace of Western Civilization, if you dare:
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The First Weeks - The River Civilizations
Moving forward from the River Civilizations exam on March 2, I just wanted to make sure everyone had a chance to remember what we learned when looking back months from now. What did we know?:
Ancient Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia means “land between two rivers”-the Tigris River and Euphrates River.
Sumer had the first complex society by 3300 B.C.E. (before common era)
They were polytheistic (worshipped many gods) and that they worshipped in ziggurats, which were pyramid-like structures except with steps on the outside.
They were mainly a farming society, although they did trade with countries as far away as India and Egypt.
Hammurabi's Code was the first written set of laws which stated, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”.
They had a system of writing know as cuneiform, which they wrote on clay tablets.
Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent are in the area that is now known as Iraq.
Mesopotamia may have been the first area to widely use wheels.
They were good blacksmiths and that they were the first to widely use iron instead of copper and bronze for weapons and tools, thus beginning the Iron Age.
They wrote heroic tales, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, a hero who searches for the fountain of youth.
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt centered on the Nile River which flows in a northern direction.
Government controlled the economy.
They had a positive outlook regarding an afterlife, and that only important people were mummified – all the organs except the heart were pulled out.
They were polytheistic, and mainly a farming society.
They used geometry to build monuments such as the pyramids.
They were led by a pharaoh – who was also viewed as a god.
Egyptians sometimes married their siblings or other close relatives.
They used a system of writing called Hieroglyphics– which was often written on papyrus (made from long river grasses).
They established a complex bureaucracy (departmentalizing authority for different tasks) and that pharaohs relied on their viziers, or chief ministers.
Women had some opportunities to exercise freedom/power.
Ancient India
Civilization on the Indian subcontinent began near the Indus River.
They were one of the first to have plumbing and to attempt surgery.
They were polytheistic and that they believed in reincarnation and karma.
They had a language called Sanskrit which they used to write the Vedas - hymns to the Gods.
They had a caste system which consisted of Priests, Warriors, Farmers/Merchants, and Laborers (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Sudras). Untouchables were people considered to be outside of society.
Indian life was defined by the monsoons, a seasonal wind which brings long periods of rain.
The greatest empire of ancient India was the Mauryan Empire, whose most famous emperor was Ashoka.
During the Mauryan Empire, Buddhism became a major religion to rival Hinduism.
Buddhism was started by Siddhartha, who spread the idea of the Four Noble Truth, which stated amongst other things that all life is suffering and that suffering is caused by desire.
Buddhists built dome shaped shrines called stupas.
Ancient China
Ancient Chinese civilization was centered around the Yellow River.
The Shang and especially the Zhou dynasties were marked with 1500 years of wars and rivalries. They called it the period of the Warring States.
We know that the ancient Chinese believed in ancestor worship and the idea of heaven called t'ian, but only had vague ideas regarding gods.
Shi Huangdi was the first emperor, from the Qin dynasty, to unify China in 220 B.C.
One of the major philosophers of ancient China was Confucius, who stressed a return to order after the Age of the Warring States, and also the importance of following rituals. He also stressed filial piety, or respect for parents.
Five Confucian Relationships of: Ruler to Subject, Husband to Wife, Father to Son, Elder Brother to Younger Brother, and Friend to Friend. Confucius said that if everyone played their proper position and showed proper respect, society would run smoothly.
There were other philosophies, such as Daoism which stressed a return to harmony with nature and to be like water. Dao means “the way”. There was also Legalism, which stressed that mankind, by nature, was evil and that strictness was required by rulers.
The Chinese were experts in silk production and bronze metallurgy.
The Chinese were excellent shipbuilders, and also created explosives.
Eventually, Buddhism spread to China and became a main religion.
Ancient Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia means “land between two rivers”-the Tigris River and Euphrates River.
Sumer had the first complex society by 3300 B.C.E. (before common era)
They were polytheistic (worshipped many gods) and that they worshipped in ziggurats, which were pyramid-like structures except with steps on the outside.
They were mainly a farming society, although they did trade with countries as far away as India and Egypt.
Hammurabi's Code was the first written set of laws which stated, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”.
They had a system of writing know as cuneiform, which they wrote on clay tablets.
Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent are in the area that is now known as Iraq.
Mesopotamia may have been the first area to widely use wheels.
They were good blacksmiths and that they were the first to widely use iron instead of copper and bronze for weapons and tools, thus beginning the Iron Age.
They wrote heroic tales, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, a hero who searches for the fountain of youth.
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt centered on the Nile River which flows in a northern direction.
Government controlled the economy.
They had a positive outlook regarding an afterlife, and that only important people were mummified – all the organs except the heart were pulled out.
They were polytheistic, and mainly a farming society.
They used geometry to build monuments such as the pyramids.
They were led by a pharaoh – who was also viewed as a god.
Egyptians sometimes married their siblings or other close relatives.
They used a system of writing called Hieroglyphics– which was often written on papyrus (made from long river grasses).
They established a complex bureaucracy (departmentalizing authority for different tasks) and that pharaohs relied on their viziers, or chief ministers.
Women had some opportunities to exercise freedom/power.
Ancient India
Civilization on the Indian subcontinent began near the Indus River.
They were one of the first to have plumbing and to attempt surgery.
They were polytheistic and that they believed in reincarnation and karma.
They had a language called Sanskrit which they used to write the Vedas - hymns to the Gods.
They had a caste system which consisted of Priests, Warriors, Farmers/Merchants, and Laborers (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Sudras). Untouchables were people considered to be outside of society.
Indian life was defined by the monsoons, a seasonal wind which brings long periods of rain.
The greatest empire of ancient India was the Mauryan Empire, whose most famous emperor was Ashoka.
During the Mauryan Empire, Buddhism became a major religion to rival Hinduism.
Buddhism was started by Siddhartha, who spread the idea of the Four Noble Truth, which stated amongst other things that all life is suffering and that suffering is caused by desire.
Buddhists built dome shaped shrines called stupas.
Ancient China
Ancient Chinese civilization was centered around the Yellow River.
The Shang and especially the Zhou dynasties were marked with 1500 years of wars and rivalries. They called it the period of the Warring States.
We know that the ancient Chinese believed in ancestor worship and the idea of heaven called t'ian, but only had vague ideas regarding gods.
Shi Huangdi was the first emperor, from the Qin dynasty, to unify China in 220 B.C.
One of the major philosophers of ancient China was Confucius, who stressed a return to order after the Age of the Warring States, and also the importance of following rituals. He also stressed filial piety, or respect for parents.
Five Confucian Relationships of: Ruler to Subject, Husband to Wife, Father to Son, Elder Brother to Younger Brother, and Friend to Friend. Confucius said that if everyone played their proper position and showed proper respect, society would run smoothly.
There were other philosophies, such as Daoism which stressed a return to harmony with nature and to be like water. Dao means “the way”. There was also Legalism, which stressed that mankind, by nature, was evil and that strictness was required by rulers.
The Chinese were experts in silk production and bronze metallurgy.
The Chinese were excellent shipbuilders, and also created explosives.
Eventually, Buddhism spread to China and became a main religion.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Some Great Sites to Learn More About Ancient Civilizations!
One site which has a comparison of the ancient civilizations based on political, economic, religious, social, intellectual, artistic, and geographical (phew!) context. We will be using this one in class.
and four of my favorite sites on the four river civilizations courtesy of the British Museum:
http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/menu.html - Tigris and Euphrates River Valley
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/menu.html - Nile River Valley
http://www.ancientchina.co.uk/menu.html - Yellow River Valley
http://www.ancientindia.co.uk/menu.html - Indus River Valley
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/menu.html - Nile River Valley
http://www.ancientchina.co.uk/menu.html - Yellow River Valley
http://www.ancientindia.co.uk/menu.html - Indus River Valley
I hope you find them to be of interest.
After the Snopocalypse! Where were we?
So we missed more than a week from school, and you don't remember anything we covered up to this point! It's alright, I understand. Here are some of the basic themes we discussed (and if we discussed it, you're responsible for it.):
1.) Civilization began when farming began. Here is the sequence of how it began.
a.) Caveman looks for food as a hunter-gatherer
b.) Caveman wishes food was closer for time and safety reasons
c.) Caveman notices that some seeds grow into edible plants when dropped on ground
d.) Caveman begins to farm plants and domesticates animals
e.) Caveman is now a farmer, no longer a hunter-gatherer.
f.) Farmer becomes good at farming, is able to farm more food that ne needs. This is called a surplus.
g.) Surplus means that not everybody needs to farm. People can do other things to benefit the group -this is called job specialization.
h.) Different jobs leads to religion, art, government, writing, public works, government, and cities. This is civilization.
2.) The 4 River Civilizations
a.) Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in present-day Iraq.
b.) the Nile River Valley in Egypt
c.) The Indus River Valley in present day Pakistan/ India
d.) The Yellow River Valley in China
River were important in farming as well as trade, so this led to river valley civilizations!
1.) Civilization began when farming began. Here is the sequence of how it began.
a.) Caveman looks for food as a hunter-gatherer
b.) Caveman wishes food was closer for time and safety reasons
c.) Caveman notices that some seeds grow into edible plants when dropped on ground
d.) Caveman begins to farm plants and domesticates animals
e.) Caveman is now a farmer, no longer a hunter-gatherer.
f.) Farmer becomes good at farming, is able to farm more food that ne needs. This is called a surplus.
g.) Surplus means that not everybody needs to farm. People can do other things to benefit the group -this is called job specialization.
h.) Different jobs leads to religion, art, government, writing, public works, government, and cities. This is civilization.
2.) The 4 River Civilizations
a.) Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in present-day Iraq.
b.) the Nile River Valley in Egypt
c.) The Indus River Valley in present day Pakistan/ India
d.) The Yellow River Valley in China
River were important in farming as well as trade, so this led to river valley civilizations!
Current Events - How Do You Do It?
Current Events are to be turned in at the beginning of each week and need to have at least the following four parts:
First paragraph:
1st Sentence: Your source (include the date) and your article's title.
2nd and 3rd Sentence: Summary of the article
Second paragraph:
4th and 5th Sentence: How it connects with the study of change across space (Geography) or change across time (History)
6th and 7th Sentence: Importance (Why you chose it; Relevance)
First paragraph:
1st Sentence: Your source (include the date) and your article's title.
2nd and 3rd Sentence: Summary of the article
Second paragraph:
4th and 5th Sentence: How it connects with the study of change across space (Geography) or change across time (History)
6th and 7th Sentence: Importance (Why you chose it; Relevance)
Monday, February 1, 2010
Introduction to World History
Welcome to World History and Geography 1! I really want to teach themes that students will see in history, such as : (political systems) bands, tribes, chiefdoms, states; (economic activity) extraction, manufacturing, service, research; (class systems) peasants, landowners, religious leaders, monarchs; (civilization) hunter-gatherer, nomadic herder, farmer, and city-dweller; Rules, duty, justice. Unifying themes will be stressed. We are starting at the age of empires just to cover our bases. More to come soon!
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