CHAPTER 1

 QUESTIONS
1. What was the Neolithic Revolution? What was impact of the Neolithic Revolution on humans?
The Neolithic Revolution is the period in which agricultural societies began to develop. It originated from the middle east around 10,000 B.C.E. and spread throughout Europe, India, and North Africa. During this period humans were able to become permanently settled due to the increase of economic production and agricultural reforms.
This allowed humans to increase in population and expand society. The early humans of the Neolithic age also came in contact of metalworking by 3000 B.C.E. Metalworking became common throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe, and it aided agricultural and herding societies by allowing advancements in technology.
2. What are the characteristics of civilization?
There are many ways to characterize a civilization. One could do so by examining the way that they may trade or run their government. The first known civilization dates back to 3500 B.C.E., the river valley civilizations. They were called as such because they all developed along major rivers to ensure an income of water.
The earliest river valley civilization was found in the middle east and continued for many centuries. They were characterized by their tools, writings, mathematics, and politics (which would spread throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa).
3. Discuss some of the intellectual achievements of the Sumerians.
The Tigris-Euphrates river strived due to the aiding of the Sumerian’s.  The Sumerians were most influential due to their creation of cuneiform, the first known human handwriting. Sumerians were also known for their development of the astronomical sciences, religious beliefs, and organized city-state civilizations.
They also increased soil fertility  and agricultural prosperity by learning of fertilizer and trading silver. Their religious beliefs of that there are many gods in views of nature were shared among many early agricultural people and spread polytheism.
4. What are some of the problems with using the term civilization when discussing societies?

5. What are some of the characteristics that all river valley civilization shared? Every single river valley civilization have something in common.

 TERMS
1. Paleolithic: The age marked by the steady development of stone tools and later antler and bone artifacts, engravings on bone and stone, sculpted figures, and paintings and engravings on the walls of caves and rock-shelters. It was the home to homo erectus and many others.
2. Neolithic: The age in which agriculture was developed, animals were domesticated and raised, advanced tools were invented, pottery was made, weaving skills were developed, and labor jobs are specialized. It was the home to the homo sapien sapien.
3. Hunting-Gathering: A type of technique used by nomadic people who hunted wild animals and gathered plants for food, these people lived in family groups or tribes. This society was mainly in the paleolithic age.
4. Catal Huyuk: One of the first true cities, characterized by a fully developed agriculture and extensive trading.
5. Mesopotamia: A civilization that created city-states, had a polytheistic religion, and was ruled by Hammurabi after being taken over by the Babylonians. Home to the first civilizations in the world
6. Fertile Crescent: A small region of land that resided in Mesopotamia. It is the location of the world’s first civilization.
7. Cuneiform: A written language created by the Sumerians to keep track of goods in the ziggurat. It was the first known written language.
8. Hammurabi’s Code: A code created by the Babylonian king Hammurabi. First written law code in history.
9. Homo sapiens: The group of early humans who developed language, rituals, and more sophisticated tools. All races descended from them.
10. Shang: the imperial dynasty ruling China from about the 18th to the 12th centuries BC. They established a kingdom and was the first dynasty to rule China.
11. Hwang He River Valley: Also known as the Yellow River, it is China’s second longest river. It was the habitat for the Yellow River valley society who are known for their bronze work.
12. Indus River Valley: A river in South Asia that flows from the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea., the location of the first river valley civilization of India.
13. Phoenicians: A seafaring people of southwest Asia, who around 1100 B.C. bean to trade and found colonies throughout the Mediterranean. They created the first alphabet.
14. Monotheism:  The belief of one god. The basis for many religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.
15. Polytheism: The belief of many gods. The basis for many religions such as Hinduism.