Periods 1 and 2

8000 BCE-600 CE

Some Foundations Generalizations

• Starts with Neolithic Revolution• Ends with Fall of Classical Empires• Establishes patriarchy as a social continuity and

urbanization as the grand continuity• Several major belief systems emerge in this

period.• Humans organize in increasing large numbers

leading to increasingly complex forms of social organization: villages, river valley civilizations, classical empires.

River Valley Civilizations--Generally

• Larger Organizations: governmental, religious, military• More specialization, stratification,

patriarchy, technology• More long distance trade—

connections between Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Indus Valleys

Neolithic RevolutionSOCIAL STRATIFICATION

Centralized Government

• Leaders • Literate Bureaucrats• Legal Systems—Code of

Hammurabi

Technology

EconomicSpecialization

•Metals•Wheels•Storage

Writing Systems

Professional Rulers and Religious Leaders—The Priest King

Code of Hammurabi

IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY

Urbanization/Monumentalizing

War Chariot—Military Organization

Nomadic Threat!!!!!!!!!!!!!I have no permanent home.I want their cool stuff!

Classical Empires

• First Wave—Persia, Greece, Macedonian, Shang, Zhou• Second Wave (we need to recall)

–Mauryan/Gupta–Han–Rome

Two World Foundations

• The Mauryan leader Ashoka (South Asia) makes Buddhism the official religion of the empire; he publicizes legal and religious edicts on pillars erected throughout the empire.

• The Macedonian conqueror Alexander creates an empire stretching from Eastern Europe and North Africa across the Middle East and into South Asia.– Though short lived, the empire allows for the diffusion of

Greek culture throughout these areas, even into South Asia. – In South Asia, Greek artistic styles blend with Indian traditions

forming a style of art know as Bactrian or Gandharan (syncretism example).

Pillars of Ashoka

Classical Empire Generalizations

• Large and multiethnic • Expand with conquest• Professional Military• Defined Social Class System• Development of Religious Traditions• Technological Advances• Long Distance Trade (Rome, Han, and

Mauryan/Gupta don’t directly interact, but they share trade relationships via merchants)

Professional Military Geared for Conquest

• Intensified Social Stratification:–Confucian Social Structure–Mauryan/Gupta Caste system (More

regimented during Gupta Empire)–Patrician/Plebian notion of Ancient

Rome (Roman Empire labor done by enslaved peoples)

•Political Systems move toward single strong ruler with professionalized, literate bureaucracy.

Religious Traditions Develop

• Mauryan/Gupta—further development of Buddhism (adopted as state religion by Ashoka) and Hinduism (definitive version of major Hindu texts—Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana—solidified during Gupta Empire) evolves.

Han Dynasty

• Solidification of Confucian tradition • Earlier traditions like legalism and

Daoism continue to have an influence–Daoism influenced the Han because it

was the major ideological inspiration of the Yellow Turban Revolution from 184-204 CE—this occurs as the Han are losing control in China.

Han Technology

•Paper•Canals•Great Wall (mostly earthen

mounds in Foundations Era)

Roman Empire

• Religiously tolerant as long as people recognized the cult of emperor worship–Romans persecuted Jewish people over

the issue of emperor worship.–Christianity, early in its history, was also

persecuted.–Constantine made Christianity the state

religion early in 300s.

St. Catherine’s Monastery; Mt. Sinai, Egypt

Roman Technology

• Road system• Aqueducts• Keystone for arches

Great Stupa, oldest stone structure in India

Gupta Technology

• Medical Advances/Astronomy• Mathematics (numbers)• Chess

Decline of Classical Empires

• Loss of internal control—decentralization• Nomadic Invasions• Diseases