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
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