The Earth as Humanity’s Home

Chapter 3Part 1- The Organization of

Humanity

Spaceship Earth The term spaceship earth is used to signify

the finiteness (limited) of earth’s resources

Late Cenozoic Ice Age- last great ice age that ended 10,000 years ago

Global temperatures fell and rebounded repeatedly, causing polar ice caps to expand and retract

Glaciers changed the landscape & humans and animals migrated to warmer latitudes influencing humanities dispersal across the planet

Holocene epoch- the most recent 12,000 years; the warm phase that followed the latest advance of the ice

This time is know as an interglaciationDuring this time the earth changed as never

before But keep in mind that as humanity & its

activities expands, nature recedes

Plant Domestication Process began in the Holocene Carl Sauer suggested it began in

southeastern Asia He believes it started with the cultivation of

root crops Planned cultivation of seed plants is a more

complex process that is believed to have developed in more than one area at different times

Most believe it first happened in southwestern Asia in the Fertile Crescent (area between the Tigris & Euphrates rivers)….Started the first Agricultural Revolution

Fertile Crescent

Animal Domestication Took place during same time period,

Holocene Ex. Goats in Zagros Mountains, sheep in

Turkey

Early Settlements Plant & animal domestication allowed

humans to live in stable, permanent settlements for the first time in human history

First settlements began to appear in an area near Southwest Asia

With these new settlements a social stratification developed

Society moved to a system of classes based on wealth, power, influence, etc

With this social ladder, competition developed & people rose above others & villages rose above other villages in their power

This started the transition from villages to cities

Remember: Why did these villages & cities develop

here?

Other places where advancements in were being made in agriculture & societies developing…

Early Cities & States Cities in the Fertile Crescent became centers

of political power, economic strength & religious dominance

Babylon was one of the largest & most powerful

Babylon The tallest structure in all of Mesopotamia

was located in the middle of the city….the Ziggurat, or tower of the great temple