Unit 1

Paleolithic Era (2.5 mil-10,000 BC)

150,000 BCE

People got food by hunting small game and gathering fruits & nuts. They mainly traveled in small groups, since it is harder to feed many people with little food. The people of this era were greatly impacted by the weather because they didn't have any stable structures. People moved often as well because they had to go where their food was. This means, when the animals traveled somewhere new the people followed them.

Neolithic Era (10,000-4,000 BC)

7000 BCE

This era started after the end of the last ice age. People started to understand agriculture better, so they were able to grow their own plants instead of gathering it. They also started to domesticate animals; this allowed people to obtain their "game"/ meat without hunting it. WIth the growing knowledge of agriculture, people didn't have to move around and could create settlements. Because of the settlements, people were able to create art and other forms of culture, since they had more time.

1st Chinese civilization founded

5000 BCE

The first civilization was founded in the Yellow River Valley. There were two main rivers used to support these civilizations: the Huang He (Yellow) and the Chang Jiang (Yangtze). The mountains and deserts limited their contact with western lands. The villages were organized by clans. Clan based origins explain one of the reasons why joint family traditions are still important in China today. This civilization didn't have a main leader, and they relied heavily on farming in their society.

Egyptian Old Kingdom 2700 BCE -2200 BCE

2500 BCE

This kingdom was right along the Nile River in Africa. The ruler of the Old Kingdom was the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh claimed divine power by saying they were "chosen by the gods". The Pharaohs ruled with help through their viziers and bureaucracy. The Pyramids of GIza were also created during this era for the Pharaohs after they died. In the pyramids, Pharaohs would be buried with things needed for them in the afterlife and with objects to call protection from the gods as they moved on.

Indus Valley (3000-1500 BCE)

2500 BCE

The Indus Valley had two cities: Harappa and Mohenjo Daro. The Indus Valley had 35,000 people who lived there. It was composed of well thought out cities and streets. The buildings were made of mud bricks with each house having an indoor bathroom/ indoor plumbing. The rulers of this civilization had religious power. They were a very peaceful nation with little weapons found by archeologists in this region. The disappearance of this nation is a mystery, some think it was war or natural disaster.

Great Pyramid of Giza

2500 BCE

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest of the three Pyramids of Giza. It is located on the west bank of the Nile River in the northern part of Egypt . It was built during the 4th Dynasty by Egypt's 2nd King Khufu. It was built from 2543 to 2436 BCE. The Great Pyramid was originally 482 feet tall, but it is now 449 feet tall. The three pyramids were built for the Pharaohs to be buried in after they passed. The pyramids also had a giant sculpture of a sphinx built to protect them after sun down.

Middle Kingdom of Egypt (2055-1650 BCE)

1900 BCE

This was a period of expansion for the Egyptian Kingdom. The land in this kingdom was right along the Nile River, like the Old Kingdom, but the Egyptian people spread out a little bit more than before. Egyptians started to send traders to Kush, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Crete. The Pharaoh's main job, along with ruling the area, was to build public works and give to public welfare. They also built a canal to connect the Nile River and the Red Sea.

Xia Dynasty (2070-1600 BCE)

1900 BCE

The actual existence of this dynasty is still up for debate, but there has recently been evidence found by archeologists to support it. The Xia Dynasty started to build the foundation for the later Chinese dynasties. It was founded by someone named Yu, legend has it that he showed people how to irrigate and drain the floodwaters, but not much else is known about this possible dynasty.

Judaism Founded

1800 BCE

Judaism is believed to be founded by Abraham and is a religion that is still around today. Judaism has 14 mil followers worldwide, mainly in Israel or the US. Their sacred text is known as the Tanakh. The first five books are called the Torah, which contains the laws of their faith. They believe in one God who communicates through prophets and rewards them for good deeds they do. He also punishes evil deeds. Most followers believe their Messiah hasn’t come yet but will one day.

Code of Hammurabi (1894-539 BCE)

1700 BCE

The laws made by the Babylonians, a civilization in Mesopotamia. It was a way to deal with criminal offences against others. These laws helped reduce vergence between others in this civilization. It also dealt with civil laws like private rights, property, inheritance, marriage, and divorce. It was first created by Hammurabi, one of the first kings of Babylon.

Mesopotamia (3500 BCE to 539 BCE)

1500 BCE

Mesopotamia is known as "the land between rivers" in Greek and was located between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. It had four main civilizations: the Sumerians (4500-1900 BCE), the Akkadians (2334-2154 BCE), the Babylonians (1894-539 BCE), and the Assyrians (2025-612 BCE). This area was the first to use cuneiform writing, made the first city-state government, used the Code of Hammurabi for their laws, made the lunar calendar, followed Polytheistic beliefs, and created ditch irrigation farming.

Hinduism Founded

1500 BCE

It is unknown who the founder of Hinduism was, but it comes from India. This faith mainly spread through trading and is still prominent in Nepal and India. Right now this faith has over 1 billion followers. Their holy books are the Vedas, Upanishads, Sutras, and Bhagavad Gita. Hinduism is a Polytheistic religion. Their main beliefs are the Four Vedas, Karma, and Reincarnation. The leaders of this religion are spiritual people called gurus and sages. There's also a caste system for the followers.

New Kingdom of Egypt (1550-1070 BCE)

1300 BCE

The New Kingdom of Egypt came about in 1650 BCE when Hyksos defeated the Middle Kingdom. Hyksos brought knowledge to the Egyptians about using bronze to create tools and weapons and taught them about chariots (which helped their military skills). With the new knowledge of these two things, Egypt was able to become the most powerful kingdom in Southwest Asia. This was a period of economic prosperity for Egypt, and they were able to grow the size of their nation exponentially from the Nile River.

Shang Dynasty (1750-1045 BCE)

1300 BCE

It was mainly an agricultural society. Poorer people had to work on farms of the elite. The aristocrats were in charge of wars, and they were warriors in the wars. Aristocrats were mostly land owners. This dynasty also had some merchants, artisans, and slaves.The Shang Dynasty rulers relied on bone oracles for divination and communicating with the gods they believe in as well. The last ruler is thought to have been a tyrant, causing the citizens to revolt and create a new dynasty.

Daoism (6 century BCE)

600 BCE

The founder of this religion was Laozi. They believed that personal growth stems in accepting yourself and part of a whole rather than individualizing yourself. This belief was heavily influenced by art, literature, and spirituality. They thought that life and the decisions in it should be simple, spontaneous, and balanced. They also believed that all living things must live in harmony through energy called Ch'i (or qi), which also helps guide the universe.

Zhou Dynasty (1045-256 BCE)

600 BCE

The Zhou Dynasty took over after the Shang Dynasty. It had officials chosen by the king to watch the different territories. The government officials increased as well with the addition of ministers in charge of rites, education, laws, and public works. The Mandate of Heaven was created too. This meant the king was chosen by divine power, but he could be overthrown at any time if he no longer followed the "rules" set by his divine power. If the king was overthrown, a new dynasty would rule.

Confucianism (551-497 BCE)

525 BCE

The founder is Confucius. It focuses on the importance of personal ethics & morality like loyalty, wisdom, and benevolence. Their goal was to make a just society and gov't. They believed humans have free will, but when they make bad decisions it makes them unhappy or unwise, and honoring ancestors maintains social order and honors their family.They taught the importance of moral integrity, respect hierarchy, and always being educated on the importance of individual and social improvements.

Legalism (280-233 BCE)

260 BCE

This religion was founded by Han Feizi. Efficiency and State control were the main factors in their society. They focused on laws instead of gods. They enforced strict laws and policies for order. They thought that this strict control and harsh punishments for crimes would be a good way to control the chaos in war. They thought humans were driven by self interest & had to follow strict laws to allow society to thrive, and cared less about the individual and more about society as a whole.

Qin Dynasty Rises to Power

221 BCE

This dynasty took over after the Zhou Dynasty, but it was a relatively short rule. This dynasty unified China in a way that hadn't been done before. They created a single monetary system, meaning that throughout this civilization there was only one kind of currency. They also made a system of roads to allow more travel and easier trading routes. The Qin Dynasty made the Grand Canal which acted as a River highway to connect China better and allow easier trade as well.

Great Wall of China

220 BCE

The Great Wall of China started to be connected during the Qin Dynasty. There were sections of the wall that had already been built, but they weren't officially a part of the same wall until 220 BC. The Great Wall didn't finish being built until the Ming Dynasty, which was from 1368 to 1644 AD. It was built to protect China from outside danger and protect its culture from other civilizations.