Study of early human societies and cultures through material evidence such as artifacts, fossils, and cave paintings.

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Period of human history from the invention of writing systems to the present.

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Examination of written records, documents, and other sources to understand past events, societies, and developments.

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Can be traced from the origin of human life 2 MYA

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Was the primary material for making essential tools and weapons crucial for survival.

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Prehistory is divided into three

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People are nomads, do not have permanent homes

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They are hunters and gatherers

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Made temporary homes in caves or tents built from branches and animal skins.

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When the animals left the area or the food supply ran short, people moved on.

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Learned to control fire. (light & warmth, protection against wild animals, cooking & preserving food, and clothing.)

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• Learned to use spoken language. (knowledge, skills, and information could be passed from parents to children.)

• Beginning of sedentary lifestyle (semi-permanent).

• Transition period from old to new stone age.

• Learned to store food in containers.

Mortar and pestle were invented to grind and crush plant, nuts, and seeds into consumable form.

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Learned to build and settle in hunts near resource-rich areas (semi-permanent).

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• Small, finely crafted stone tools used as components in composite tools and weapons.

• Introduction of this efficient hunting technology, enhancing hunting capabilities.

• Evidence of more complex social structures and ritual practices, including organized burial sites.

Continuation of symbolic behaviors with carvings and early art forms.

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• Two societies are formed: Horticulture and Pastoralism.

• small-scale farming where people cultivate crops.

• herding and raising of livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats, and camels.

• Established villages, pottery, weave cloth, work with metals.

• Develop skills in making tools and weapons.

Weaving reeds into baskets.

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• Pottery for cooking and storing food and water.

• Started using copper, becoming the first metal used (Copper Age).

Formalized and widespread.

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• Form of trade when one good is exchanged for another.

• Connected different communities, allowing exchange.

People began to be concerned about protecting what they owned from other villagers.

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• The first civilization flourished between Tigris & Euphrates rivers.

• Fertile soil and access to river water allowed agriculture to thrive, which helped settlements grow and led to the rise of complex societies.

The Cradle of Civilization

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The Birth of Writing

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Marks the beginning of recorded history.

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• Introduced a permanent, consistent method for recording information, and enhancing accuracy and reliability.

Evolved to document abstract concepts; laws, literature, science, advancing governance, justice, and scientific inquiry.

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• Base-60 System, used in time (60 seconds/minute) and geometry (360 degrees in a circle). Still prevalent in our timekeeping and geometric measurements today.

Developed a lunar calendar based on moon cycles.

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Observed celestial bodies, influencing calendars/timekeeping in subsequent civilizations.

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• Converted open villages into walled cities using clay bricks, which are dried or baked.

• Ziggurats are religious temples; spiritual connection w/ gods, a gateway from heaven to earth.

Irrigation system for farming: ditches, canals, channels, dikes, weirs, and reservoirs to transport water to crops.

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• Sumerians initially grew wheat as one of their primary crops.

• The Sumerians were among the first to use bronze, marking the beginning of the Bronze Age.

• Alloy of copper and tin; used for tools, weapons, and items improving durability and effectiveness compared to stone.

• Sumerians practiced early medicine with herbal remedies and surgery. Documented their medical knowledge on clay tablets.

Used herbs and surgical techniques.

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• Recorded treatments and diagnoses on clay tablets, showing understanding of health disease.

Sumerians created the Code of Ur-Nammu and advanced record-keeping, showcasing early governance and administration.

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• Earliest known legal code. Contains laws and corresponding punishment.

Used cuneiform tablets for detailed record-keeping, tracking trade, agriculture, government affairs, crucial for managing cities and economy.

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• Sumerians are credited with inventing the wheel. Used for pottery and later adapted for transportation, revolutionizing travel and trade.

• Began using wheeled chariots in warfare.

• Invented the plow. Improved agricultural productivity by making it easier to cultivate large fields, leading to more stable food supplies and population growth.

• Civilization flourished along the Nile River from c. 3100 BCE to 30 BCE.

Known for monumental architecture, complex religious beliefs, and advanced knowledge.

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• Significant contributions to various fields of science and technology, innovations shaped their society and influenced future civilizations.

Pictographic writing system of the ancient Egypt

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They invented paper made of papyrus plant, and ink

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Developed a sophisticated number system and basic algebra

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Invented the 365-days calendar based on astronomical observations

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Land surveying after Nile floods

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Featured a grid layout, sophisticated drainage systems, and well-constructed buildings. Its "Great Bath" is one of the most famous archaeological finds, suggesting a possible focus on ritualistic or communal bathing.

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Had a well-organized layout, advanced infrastructure, and evidence of large-scale trade. The city's ruins reveal extensive residential areas, granaries, and public buildings.

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It was an important hub for trade, both within the civilization and with neighboring regions.

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Was used in ancient times for trade. They would be made on ceramics or the clay tags used to seal the rope around bundles of goods.

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Various pottery, sculpture, beaded jewelry, textiles, and weaving products from ancient civilizations reflect their advanced craftmanship and artistic skills.

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The _____ ____ remains undeciphered to this day, despite ongoing efforts by scholars and researchers.

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The script, found on various seals, pottery, and other artifacts from the Indus Valley Civilization, consists of a series of symbols and signs that have not yet been fully understood.

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Formed along the Yellow River

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The 4 great inventions

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These inventions had profound impacts on communication, navigation, warfare, and knowledge dissemination.

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_____ _____ used to carve on shells, bones, and bamboo stalks their inscriptions.

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Made from mulberry bark, bamboo, hemp, and rags.

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Impact: Facilitated the spread of knowledge and literacy

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Papermaking was invented by?

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Accidentally invented by Chinese alchemists who tried to find a potion to gain human immortality by mixing elemental sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter

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Used for firecrackers and later applied to warfare (rockets, bombs, and guns)

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Impact: revolutionized warfare and influenced global power dynamics.

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First used for geomancy (feng shui) and fortune telling

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____ _____ is a practice of arranging building, objects, and space to achieve harmony and balance

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Used to find directions on land and sea

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Impact: Improved maritime navigation, trade, and exploration

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Woodblock printing (movable type)

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Printing Technology was invented by?

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Impacts: increased literacy rates, facilitated spread of ideas and knowledge, influenced education and cultural development

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Known as Jiu in Chinese, often used as a spiritual offering to Heaven and the Earth or ancestors in ancient China

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Lu Ban, a Chinese carpenter and inventor, created the first _______. Inspired by children using lotus leaves as rain shelter. He created _____ by making a flexible framework covered by a cloth.

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Chinese people mastered sophisticated silk weaving technology and closely guarded secret.

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In ancient times the silk was a very important item made in China and for many centuries businessmen transported this precious item from China to the West, forming the famous _____ ______

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Widely used as a technique for relieving pain, curing disease and improving general health

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___ _____ is the name for Chinese architectural design

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___ ____ ____ __ ____ was built over centuries by China's emperors to protect their territory

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Formed around the coast of Aegean Sea

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What set the Greeks apart was their emphasis on reason, observation, and logical deduction, which led to the development of early scientific methods.

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The Greeks were among the first to propose that the natural world could be understood through _____ ______ rather than relying solely on myth or superstition.

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Considered one of the first philosophers to propose that natural phenomena could be explained by natural laws, not mythology.

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(a)   contributed to the early study of geography and cosmology by proposing that Earth was a free-floating object in space, not held up by mythical creatures or gods.

Aristotle classified living organisms based on shared characteristics, an early form of (a)   .

He also observed animal anatomy and behavior in detail, which influenced the study of biology for centuries.

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Aristotle collected information through direct observation of animals, plants, and natural phenomena, categorizing living organisms by their physical traits and behaviors, thus laying the groundwork for biology.

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He focused on understanding the causes of natural events, proposing explanations based on observed patterns.

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(a)   is renowned for discovering the principle of buoyancy, known as Archimedes' Principle.

His famous exclamation "Eureka!" occurred when he realized that the volume of water displaced by an object could determine its density.

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Applied mathematics to physical problems, deriving formulas that laid the groundwork for calculus

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Used empirical observation and mathematical reasoning to calculate the circumference of the Earth

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Deeply interested in metaphysical ideas, particularly the concept of "forms" or "ideas". He believed that the physical world is a mere shadow of a higher, more perfect reality.

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His work encouraged the exploration of abstract concepts and the pursuit of truth beyond mere sensory experience.

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Founded by Plato, is often considered the first university in Western civilization. It served as a hub for teaching philosophy, science, mathematics, and rhetoric, influencing generations of thinkers.

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Was a place where students were taught through both lectures and hands-on research.

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The simplest and most sturdy, with a fluted shaft and no base

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Slender and more decorative, featuring scroll-like volutes at the top.

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The most elaborate, with an ornate capital decorated with acanthus leaves.

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Also known as the Middle Ages, often unfairly labeled as the "Dark Ages"

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Considered a forerunner of the modern scientific method. Began to emphasize the importance of empirical observation and experimentation, an early precursor to the scientific method

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This philosophical and theological movement, which emphasized the use of reason and dialectical thinking, dominated medieval education.

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(a)   's Canon of Medicine was a comprehensive medical text that compiled and expanded upon earlier knowledge from Greek and Roman sources, combined with his own observations.