Unit 1

Early Development

270,000 BCE

Hominid-Humans creates were found by the Leakeys in Olduvai Gorge. This is the basis for modern theories.

Out of Africa Theory

270,000 BCE

The Out of Africa Theory is were the Homo sapiens appeared in Africa and migrated out of Africa into Europe and Asia sometime afterwards

Paleolithic Era

250,000 BCE

During the Paleolithic Era, people hunted and gathered for their food. They liked to travel in small groups with limited travel. They did not have permanent structures. Tools and fire were two important technological innovations in this era.

Neolithic Era

10,000 BCE

In the Neolithic Era, there was an agricultural revolution. They created the first cities ever to be made. They did specialized labor. The men had roles that kept them more away from home, and the women's role was primarily around the house. They developed culture by proving to endure elements of human history such as a division of labor and men holding the power.

Sumerians

4500 BCE

The Sumerians invented cuneiform writing and developed the first city-states. They were an empire in Mesopotamia. They lasted until around 1900 BCE.

Mesopotamia

3496 BCE

Mesopotamia is Greek for "land between rivers". It's known as the "Cradle of Civilization". It had many major innovations such as, cuneiform script, ziggurats, the Code of Hammurabi, and the wheel used for pottery and a regular wheel.

The Old Kingdom

2700 BCE

Pharaohs was the leader of the old kingdom. The Pharaohs claimed the divine power of the kingdom. Pyramids were built as tombs for pharaohs. The people in the old kingdom believed that human beings had two bodies, the physical and the spiritual (called "ka").

Ancient India

2600 BCE

India is a subcontinent. Monsoon winds affected their farming. All of their marriages were arranged. They had a caste system. In their caste systems, they had religious leaders, warriors, merchants, servants, and sewage cleaners. The Indus Valley civilization knew nothing about military use. They were seen as a peaceful civilization they they didn't need a military. Some of their weapons are bronze leaf-shaped spears and other bronze tools for farming.

Pyramids of Giza

2540 BCE

The pyramids were created by King Khufu. The Great Sphinx guards these pyramids. The pyramids are a very powerful symbol of the Old Kingdom.

Akkadians

2334 BCE

The Akkadians created the first known empire in history by uniting various city-states in Mesopotamia. They were the largest empire in Mesopotamia. Their empire fell around 2154 BCE.

The Middle Kingdom

2055 BCE

This period was a time of expansion. The Middle Kingdom sent traders to Kush, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Crete. The Pharaohs were expected to build public works and provide for the public welfare. They made a canal to connect the Nile River and the Red Sea. Mentuhotep was the first pharaoh of the Middle Kingdom.

Assyrians

2025 BCE

The Assyrians were known for their military prowess. They were also one of the Mesopotamian empires. Their empire lasted until 612 BCE.

Babylonians

1894 BCE

The Babylonians were an empire in Mesopotamia. They were famous for the Code of Hammurabi. Their empire fell in 539 BCE.

Judaism

1800 BCE

Judaism is one of the first monotheistic religions. Their followers are called the Jews. There are around 14 million followers. They believe that their God communicates to believers through prophets and rewards good deeds while also punishing evil. They also believe that their Messiah hasn't come yet. The Jews have had a long history of conflict with other groups in the region.

Code of Hammurabi

1754 BCE

The King of Babylon-Hammurabi wrote the code. He ruled the kingdom for around 40 years. It helped unify an expanding empire. It set up crimes and punishments. It was written to try to get rid of revenge.

Shang Dynasty

1748 BCE

The Shang Dynasty was the first major rulers of China. The aristocracy ruled the farming society. They used bronze tools and weapons. The dynasty came to an end around 1046 BCE.

New Kingdom

1549 BCE

The Hyksos defeated the Middle Kingdom in 1650 BCE. Egyptians learned how to use bronze for tools, weapons, and learned about chariots. They took this from the Hyksos. Egypt became the most dominant power in Southwest Asia at this time. This was a period of economic prosperity. Political instability started under the leadership of Amenhotep IV. That ends when Ramses II comes to power in 1279 BCE. The "Sea Peoples" attacked the Egyptians in 1200 BCE. The kingdom collapsed shortly after that.

Hinduism

1500 BCE

Hinduism's point of origin is India, and it spread by trade. There are over 1 billion followers of the Hindu religion, which is polytheistic and has basic beliefs in the four Vedas, Karma, and Reincarnation. Their religious leaders are known as gurus and sages. It's the oldest world religion.

Zhou Dynasty

1043 BCE

The Zhou dynasty declared the Mandate of Heaven. The Emperor's rule with divine power. If the king rules poorly, he can be overthrown and a new dynasty can rule. Some of their major accomplishment were controlling flooding and irrigated fields, iron plow increased crop yield, silk farms, and the Chinese written language. The king was overthrown the dynasty ended in 256 BCE.

Qin Dynasty

221 BCE

The Qin Dynasty rose and fell quickly. Qin Shihuangdi rose to power in 221 BCE. This dynasty unified China. They had a system of roads, and a single monetary system, extended control to the Red River, built the Grand Canal, and adopted legalism. The dynasty was overthrown in 207 BCE.