...Chapter 1 Who were the first known humans and which time periods/territories did they cover? The earliest human-like creatures were known as hominids and lived in Africa about three or four million years ago. They were known as “southern ape-men”, having flourished in eastern and southern Africa. The Australopithecines were the first hominids that made simple stone tools to hunt or defend themselves, existing about two to four million years ago. These early human-like creatures were bipedal, meaning they walked upright on two legs, enabling them to make journeys on foot. In 1959, a new form of hominid was discovered in Africa labeled the Homo habilis or “handy human”. These hominids were believed to have a brain fifty percent larger than that of the Australopithecines. This allowed them to become more sophisticated in finding food and hunting in Africa. The emergence of the Homo Erectus began about 1.5 million years ago. The Homo Erectus were the first hominid to migrate to Europe and Asia from Africa. Describe the...
Words: 4887 - Pages: 20
...ANCIENT INDIAN CIVILIZATION INTRODUCTION In the 1920s, a huge discovery in South Asia proved that Egypt and Mesopotamia were not the only "early civilizations." In the vast Indus River plains (located in what is today Pakistan and western India), under layers of land and mounds of dirt, archaeologists discovered the remains of a 4,600 year-old city. A thriving, urban civilization had existed at the same time as Egyptian and Mesopotamian states — in an area twice each of their sizes. The Indian civilization is one of the most ancient civilizations of the world. It is known as the Sindhu civilization or the Indus Valley civilization or the Aryan civilization. Sometimes it is also referred to as the Vedic civilization. The Aryans kindled the light of this civilization on the banks of the river Sindhu (Indus) in the Northern India, thousands of years ago. Later, they helped spread it across some other parts of the country. The historians can not ascertain the precise period when this great civilization flourished. The scholars differ on the period of its development. Even the origin of the Aryan race has been debatable. Some historians believe that the Aryans migrated from the North Central Asia and settled in India. Some other historians contend that the Aryans have been the natives of India. In the opinion of “Lokmanya Tilak” and other Indian scholars, the Aryan civilization is 4000 to 8000 years old. The Indus Valley Civilization which flourished from about 2600 BCE to...
Words: 6134 - Pages: 25
...Title: Chapter 2e How did the geography of the Indian subcontinent influence the development of civilization there? The Geography of the Indian subcontinent, for sure, influenced the development of civilization. Agriculture was the main occupation for the most of the Indian population. Geography of the Indian subcontinent includes the climate and weather a country has. If there are a lot of floods and droughts it destroyed the harvest and it could cause a bad crop which decrease the supply and increases the prices of the grain all over the world. There are Himalayan Mountains on the Indian subcontinent territory, they divide India from Asia which prevent from enemies and any kind of immigration. When the snow melts on the Himalayan Mountains it provides a lot of water, which is needed for fertile soil. The northern mountains shield India from cold Artic winds, and make India a sub-tropical climate country. This makes the land mass much warmer than the ocean that surrounds it, prompting the development of the monsoons. Other words Himalayan Mountains protected people from the monsoons and created warm climate. Sailors in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean very fast figured how to use the monsoon wind to their advantage. Also there are 2 rivers on the Indian subcontinent (Ganges and Indus).The Ganges provides water for the crops and harvest, and not only that, the citizens could use it for transportation purposes as well, and the Indus river nourish the dry plain...
Words: 503 - Pages: 3
...0521817404 - Ancient Cahokia and the Mississippians - Timothy R. Pauketat Excerpt More information 1 Civilization in North America This wasn’t a chiefdom; it was a kingdom! Robert Carneiro1 “Civilization” is not a word typically associated with ancient North America. The cities, stone pyramids, and writing systems of the Old World, Mexico, or Peru are not generally thought to have existed in the pre-Columbian Mississippi valley. However, if we define a civilization as a kind of political culture or as a great tradition associated with popu- lated administrative centers and spread across some portion of a conti- nent, then it is clear that there was a pre-Columbian civilization in the Mississippi valley, or at least the early stages of one. Archaeologists often call it “Mississippian culture” and refer to the many peoples of the time simply as “Mississippians.” There were political and religious centers associated with the Mississip- pian civilization, the largest of which was Cahokia, along the middle por- tion of the Mississippi (Fig. 1.1).2And there were historical...
Words: 3867 - Pages: 16
...association of First Peoples to the earth has stay behind a fundamental subject. Despite the fact that Native Americans of the area nowadays recognized like New England share identical languages and civilizations, recognized like Eastern Algonquian, we can say that they are not one political or societal cluster. To a certain extent, history comprises and still comprises numerous sub-groups. For instance, the Wampanoag reside in southeastern Massachusetts, the Pequot’s and Mohegan’s live in Connecticut at the same time as the Pocumtucks dwelt in the middle Connecticut River Valley close to today's Deerfield, Massachusetts (Bourne, 1990). Similar to the elders of other Native society, Algonquian elders have conventionally conveyed significant civilizing information to the younger age group in words. Such information, passed on in the structure of tales, take in the group's record, information on beginning, viewpoint as well asethical lessons. Verbal ritual communicates formal procedure, supporting code of belief, as well as managerial details. This is a very important part in keeping the group's harmony and wisdom of individuality. Pocumtuck Range Some people said that creating the tales, for instance also assist to describe for the listener wisdom of how human beings communicate to the originator and to the globe. So we can say that all stories explains the origins of...
Words: 2602 - Pages: 11
...Harappan Civilization (also known as Indus Valley Civilization) Submitted By: Sharad Thakran 1919 Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Discovery and history of excavation 3. Chronology 4. Geography 5. Early Harappan 6. Mature Harappan a. Cities b. Authority and governance c. Technology d. Arts and crafts e. Trade and transportation f. Subsistence g. Writing system h. Religion 7. Collapse and Late Harappan 8. Legacy 9. Historical context and linguistic affiliation Introduction The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) was a Bronze Age civilization (3300–1300 BCE; mature period 2600–1900 BCE) extending from what today is northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India (see map). Along with Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia it was one of three early civilizations of the Old World, and of the three the most widespread. It flourished in the basins of the Indus River, one of the major rivers of Asia, and the Ghaggar-Hakra River, which once coursed through northwest India and eastern Pakistan. At its peak, the Indus Civilization may have had a population of over five million. Inhabitants of the ancient Indus river valley developed new techniques in handicraft (carnelian products, seal carving) and metallurgy (copper, bronze, lead, and tin). The Indus cities are noted for their urban planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, and clusters of large...
Words: 4336 - Pages: 18
...Ancient India The civilizations of the Indus River Valley were a very unique group for a number of reasons. As with most ancient civilizations, the social, political and economic systems were guided by religious beliefs. For ancient Indians; however, religious practice literally dictated most levels of social organization and political direction. Also, the same basic religious beliefs are still practiced today, giving researchers a deep understanding of this religious tradition. Another unique aspect of ancient India is the nature of its ruins. There are a number of urban centers that appear to be abandoned, yet not destroyed. The intact nature of these sites creates an intriguing picture of an advanced society set in the ancient world; with nuance and details usually lost to time still available for study. One of the earliest cities of ancient India is Mohenjo-Daro. Located on the Western edge of the subcontinent, Mohenjo-Daro was a walled city built along the Indus River, which was typical of the time. It was a particularly large city, with approximately 50,000 residents. For purposes of illustrating the social structure and lifestyle of early Indians, it serves as the perfect example. Constructed of mud and bricks, the city had two distinct areas; the citadel and the city proper. The citadel served as a meeting area for military operations and as a hide out for citizens during attacks. Its location on a hill, high above the town proper suggests both its importance...
Words: 1626 - Pages: 7
... 1. India India never invaded any country in her last 10,000 years of history. It is the only society in the world which has never known slavery. India was the richest country on Earth until the time of the British in the early 17th Century Robert Clive’s personal wealth amassed from the blunder of Bengal during 1750’s was estimated at around £401,102 It has been estimated that the total amount of treasure that the British looted from India had already reached £1,000,000,000 (£1Billion) by 1901. Taking into consideration interest rates and inflation this would be worth close to $1,000,000,000,000 ($1Trillion) in real-terms today. 2. Vedic Civilization Indus & Saraswati Civilizations Rise of Jainism and Buddhism Mauryan Period Golden Age of Indian Arts & Sciences Muslim Invasions The Mughal Empire Portuguese Invasion The British East-India Company The British Empire India's Freedom Struggle Independence Modern India 2020 Vision A Brief History of Time 3. India India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta . The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC. Aryabhatta was the first to explain spherical shape, size ,diameter, rotation and correct speed of Earth in 499 AD. The World's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. Students from all over the World studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field...
Words: 5560 - Pages: 23
...Jalissa H. Professor Green History 101 INCAS The Incas became a definite group near present-day Cuzco around 1200CE. They were American Indian people. They were a small tribe in the Southern highlands of Peru. It was not until about 1400 tht they expanded and became one of the largest and morst tighly guarded empires the worl has ever known, under Pachacuti Inca. About 1532, the Spanish had arrived, at the time their empire was known as TYawantinsuyu. This is also known as the four Quarters, which spreed across the Northern Ecuador to the Central Chile, spanning some 3,500 kilometers in distance. Their skilld in governmebt matched their feat in engineering. They constructed roads, walls, irrigation system which is still being utilized in our society today. In 1532 the Spanish conquerors captured the Inca empires and it began to crumble. The Incas came out of conflicts between a number of competing communities in Southern Peru and Bolivia. It was the help of the military that caused success against the Chanca. This caused the Inca to believe they were under the protection of the sun God, Inti. Inti was known for being the emperor who was an earthly manifestation. The Incas thought they were on an all-powerful assignment to bring the civilization to those they had defeated. They inhabited some of the world’s arid dessert. Close by were the flat coastal lands and the jagged peaks of the Andes Mountain. The natives lived under the rule of one man, the emperor they called...
Words: 1686 - Pages: 7
...The Development of Civilization Prepared for Mr. Bsharah By Chris Treadwell History B1 Spring 2013 Civilization is defined as; an advanced state of cultural and material development in human society, marked by political and social complexity and progress in the arts and sciences. This wasn’t achieved easily, nor was it an ever-progressing movement. More so it was the product of several trial and error advancements in various fields of human endeavor. The starting point for all this advancement is known as the Neolithic Revolution, also referred to as the agricultural revolution. This was the shift from a nomadic hunter-gatherer culture to a more settled agricultural lifestyle. The domestication of plants and animals was a major turning point in mankind’s evolution, but it took more than a millennia to transform from nomads to agrarians. Archeological data indicates that several different forms of plant and animal domestication evolved in separate locations worldwide. “The earliest Neolithic societies appeared in the Middle East about 8000 B.C.E., in China about 4000 B.C.E., and in India about 3600 B.C.E.” The first farming was largely grain based in fertile river-valleys with adequate climate and natural resources to sustain farming. Over time man began developing the where-with-all to change his surrounding environment to suit his needs even further. Certain crops were grown in areas according to availability geographically and ease of production rather than chosen...
Words: 1446 - Pages: 6
...The Neolithic revolution started the practice of agriculture. Before the Neolithic revolution tribes could not stay in one place. To survive they had to move around for food and often follow their food. That lifestyle made it hard to settle and build civilizations. After the Neolithic revolution when agriculture was introduced, tribes could begin to settle on certain land. People started to grow their own food, which meant they had to adapt their lifestyle around the land on which the food was grown. Houses were built around farms and schools to educate children. After The Neolithic revolution the first forms of government were established. The Neolithic revolution set the stage for the beginning of civilizations. 2. The Egyptian history was...
Words: 1472 - Pages: 6
...Shawnee-Minisink is located on the confluence of the Delaware River and Brodhead creek on the Pennsylvania and New Jersey border. In was inhabited the Paleo-Indians as long ago as 10,937 +/-15 14C B.P. This site is one of about two dozen in the United States of America. They traveled into the Americas by crossing the Bering Strait which then was a land and ice bridge called Beringia. The Paleo-Indians then made their way south and east and some of them ended up at Shawnee-Minisink. This site consists of two hearths, and tens of thousands of artifacts from that time period. Most of the artifacts recovered are floral and faunal remains that were at one point in or around the fire. This gave researchers a good look in to what was growing in the...
Words: 1719 - Pages: 7
...place of civilization. “Historians believe that large civilizations began in Mesopotamia between 4,000 and 3,000 B.C.E.” (Wandrei, 2015). The most significant geographical factor that I feel contributed to the development of this society was the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. These rivers are part of a larger area referred to as the “fertile crescent” due to its rich soil. The soil is extremely rich due to the large amount of silt (a mixture of rich soil and tiny rocks) deposits left from the rivers during flooding, making ideal farming areas. Although the area was ideal for farming it was still extremely difficult to do due to this regions climate that usually only produced ten inches or less of rain. So with the drought and still occasional flooding, the Mesopotamian society had to learn how to control these factors to be able to succeed in this region. They had to build an irrigation system to help protect their homes from the floods and move water to their fields during the droughts. With this irrigation system it allowed for them to have a surplus in crop. Also, having access to the rivers allowed for them to trade some of their surplus crops to obtain other needed supplies to help continue building their society. “With irrigation and the necessary drainage, southern Mesopotamia became a land of plenty that could support a considerable population” (Edzard, D., 2015). After becoming more advanced, a process of urbanization evolved and the Sumerian civilization – from...
Words: 1421 - Pages: 6
...UNDERSTANDING THE ARYANS A roadmap for students and beginners Burjor Avari (Manchester Metropolitan University) It is a known fact of history that the British curiosity and interest in Indian cultures increased phenomenally after the East India Company came to acquire a territorial hold on Bengal from the late 1750s onwards. Their paramountcy over India’s millions depended upon their thorough understanding of the cultures of the sub-continent which required a mastery in its languages.[i] The small circle of dedicated and assiduous students of India’s languages included Sir William Jones, the eminent jurist and polymath who resided in India between 1783 and 1794.[ii] After studying Sanskrit for just under three years he observed, in 1786, that Sanskrit, Greek and Latin and Old Persian had all descended from an original speech. His observation has proved correct; and, since his time, most learned philological opinion has accepted that, in terms of language classifications, the common source of these tongues was what is now called proto-Indo-European. Its geographical focus was presumed to be the area around the Caspian Sea. It is also generally accepted that the eastern branch of the Indo-European family of languages is known as the Indo-Iranian whose first speakers called themselves Aryans. Whether the Aryans, speaking some variety of Indo-European languages, invaded or migrated into Iran and India from their original trans-Caspian homeland or...
Words: 11691 - Pages: 47
...HUM 1000: WORLD CIVILIZATIONS NOTES BY DR. KAKAI P.W THE NATURE AND ORIGIN OF CIVILIZATION IN AFRICA Definition of key terms As we begin this course, it is crucial to first discuss our understanding of the concept ‘civilization’. This is a comparative term which is usually applied in comparison to such words as ‘barbarian’ ‘savage’ and ‘primitive’. In classical antiquity the Europeans used the word ‘barbarian’ to refer to a foreigner who was regarded as inferior (Ogutu and Kenyanchui, An Introduction To African History, 1991 p33). Do you think this is still the way we use the word barbarian? The Latin speakers referred to hunters, food-gatherers as savage. In the 17th century this term ‘savage’ referred to a person without art, literacy, or society who lived in fear of existence and death. ‘Primitive’ on the other hand, in Latin meant ‘the first or original’. Europeans used these words interchangeably when referring to non-Europeans while the word civilization was preserved to describe historical developments of European people (ibid). Now the term civilization is no longer confined to the above development but also extends reference to non-European communities. Attributes of civilization includes observance to law, belonging to an organized society, having a society of literate people with advanced developments in urbanization, agriculture, commerce, arts and technology. The French thinkers of the 18th century referred to a person of the arts and literature...
Words: 29345 - Pages: 118
