TET - Technological and Environmental Transformations Module Overview

Technological and Environmental Transformations

Introduction

What is World History? Is it the individual stories of all the people in the world or is it a story that all of the people share? There's a difference, you know. If it's the former, how do you choose whose stories to include? If its the latter, how do you know what order to tell it as people experienced the story at different times? Chronicling history is never easy - especially when it's the history of everyone. And there is just not enough time in the world to hear all of the world's tales. So where to start?

There are some experiences that are universal and there are some experiences that are isolated. A baby is born—both universal and isolated in that most families have babies at some point, but the experience still can be unique to the new parents. So which baby's story do you tell? (And remember that everyone we talk about in this course started out as one.) If that baby grows up to discover penicillin—the answer becomes obvious. But what if that baby grows up to be a simple sailor without any crazy adventures to relate? But let's say that this baby-turned-sailor happens to sneeze upon arrival at some distant port? You might reason that people sneeze all of the time and go back to the story of the baby and penicillin. But what if, a few days following that sneeze, a new disease sweeps through the port city? Ah—you say—your investigative instincts have kicked in and you recognize that this baby-turned-sailor is definitely a part of history.

History is the story of people. Those with great ideas and actions and those with runny noses and head colds.That's the trick. History is the story of people—those with great ideas and actions and those with runny noses and head colds. You never know where history is going to be made. Have you ever heard of the "Butterfly Effect?" It is a concept that small changes can have large effects. Conversely, there is the theory of Determinism which argues that the past, present and future are identifiable through an unbreakable chain of circumstances and nothing surprising will emerge. World History is somewhere between these two philosophies. There are the obvious stories that you could see from miles away- the ones with the traditional heroes and villains. But there are also the more obscure stories that take a little longer to make their points. (Sort of like this introduction!) So...get comfortable and prepare to learn about the past 6,000 years that lead up to your story.

To begin, we will start by learning what happened when mankind stopped stumbling around in the search of food and took some time to start building stuff. 

 

Essential Questions

  • What characteristics define a civilization?
  • What role did resource distribution and geography play in the formation of the River Valley civilizations?
  • How did religion influence the cultures of the River Valley Civilizations?
  • What was the impact of trade on the River Valley Civilizations?
  • Why is the development of writing noteworthy in world history?
  • When were the "golden ages" of each of the River Valley Civilizations and what distinguished those periods from other periods?

 

Study Guide

Click here to download a study guide for this module. Links to an external site.

 

Key Terms

  • "MANDATE OF HEAVEN" —Chinese principle that the gods gave certain people the right to rule over others
  • "THE GREAT BATH" —the earliest public water tank of the ancient world; found in Mohenjo-Daro of the Indus Valley Civilization; built in the 2000s BCE
  • AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION— the period of transition from a Hunting-Gathering society to one based on stationary farming; beginning in 9000 BCE in Southwest Asia with other locations following later; sometimes referred to as the 1st Agricultural Revolution and the beginning of the Neolithic Period
  • AKHENATEN —pharaoh of Egypt (c. 1353- 1336 BCE); previously known as Amenhotep III but changed his name to Akhenaten which translates to "he who is of service to the Aten;" primarily known as the pharaoh who introduced monotheism to the Egyptians (his efforts were reversed by his son later) by abandoning polytheism and worshipping Aten only; husband of Nefertiti and father of Tutankhamun (popularly known as King Tut)
  • AKKAD —one of only three Mesopotamian city-states to unite most of Mesopotamia as one empire from 2320 to 2220 BCE; also refers to a region just north of Sumer; people living in the city-state were referred to as Akkadians (as were, at times, the people who lived in the region of Akkad)
  • ANATOLIAN PENINSULA —a peninsula located between the Black and Mediterranean Seas
  • ANCESTOR WORSHIP —belief that dead spirits have the ability to affect the lives of the living; form of religion developed during the Shang Dynasty
  • ANCIENT RIVER CIVILIZATIONS —the first great civilizations in world history; include Mesopotamia, Egypt (Nile River Civilization,) Indus River Valley Civilization, and the Yellow (Huang He) River Valley Civilization
  • ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE —the material remains of ancient cultures; includes artifacts, inscriptions, monuments, bones, natural materials, etc.
  • ARCHAEOLOGISTS —those who practice the scientific study of historic or prehistoric peoples and their cultures by analysis of their artifacts, inscriptions, and monuments
  • ARYANS —ancient Indo-European people who migrated into and joined the Indus River Valley Civilization from the Caucasus (c. 1500 BCE); also known as the Vedic Peoples
  • ASSYRIA —a Mesopotamian empire that grew out of the city-state of Assur upon conquering neighboring city-states in northern Mesopotamia around 1350 BCE; the empire collapsed in 612 BCE under attacks from Babylonians
  • ASSYRIANS —the people of the ancient Assyrian Empire located in Mesopotamia which flourished 2400- 612 (BCE) approximately; known as fierce warriors they brought the entire Middle East region (expanding west into Egypt and East into the Caucasus Mountains) into their empire during the Neo-Assyrian Empire expansion period (911-627 BCE)
  • BABYLONIA —a Mesopotamian empire that grew out of the city-state of Babylon under the reign of Hammurabi (1792-1750 BCE) but diminished back to a city-state following his death; Babylonia returned to empire status under the invading Kassites who ended the age of city-states in Mesopotamia and created the unified empire of Babylonia; the Babylonian empire fell in the 600s BCE to the invading Assyrians- the Babylonian empire returned to significance upon conquering Assyrians in 612 BCE
  • BABYLON —one of only three Mesopotamian city-states to unite most of Mesopotamia as one empire from 1760 to 1740 BCE (during Hammurabi's reign)
  • BAMBOO ANNALS —a chronicle of ancient China beginning with the earliest legends and spanning to 299 BCE; historical basis of ancient China's history written on strips of bamboo
  • BCE —abbreviation of "before common era;" used to describe the years prior to the year 0; interchangeable with BC which means "before Christ"
  • BRONZE AGE —a period in history that followed the Stone Age and preceded the Iron Age; characterized by the use of bronze in making weapons and other implements
  • CHAVIN CIVILIZATION —(c.900-250) first major culture located in the Peruvian Andes region; forerunner for later Peruvian civilizations
  • CIRCA —about; used especially for approximate dates (abbreviated as "c." or "ca.")
  • CITY-STATES —an ancient organization of a civilization based on the city and the surrounding area it controls
  • CIVILIZATION —an advanced state of human society in which a high level of culture, science, industry and government has been reached (includes a surplus production of food, growth of cities, specialization of labor and social stratification)
  • CRETE —the fifth-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea; home to the Minoan civilization
  • CULTURAL DIFFUSION —sociological term meaning the spreading out of culture, cultural traits, or a cultural pattern from a central point
  • CULTURE —a particular form or stage of civilization; precursor to civilization
  • CUNEIFORM —the wedge-shaped characters used in the writing of ancient Sumer
  • CYLINDER SEALS —impression stamps used by the ancient Mesopotamians to authenticate identity in correspondence; served as a personal signature for all business transactions
  • DYNASTY —a sequence of rulers from the same family
  • EGYPTOLOGISTS —scientists who study ancient Egypt
  • EMPIRE —group of countries or states under the rule of one ruler or government; sometimes referred to as a territorial state
  • EPIC OF GILGAMESH —oldest work of western epic literature still remaining; written between 2150 and 1400- but most likely c.2100; chronicles the history of Gilgamesh, King of Uruk (c. 2800-2500 BCE), the first epic hero in world literature
  • FERTILE CRESCENT —an area with fertile soil in the Middle East where the earliest known civilizations are believed to have developed
  • HAMMURABI CODE —Babylonian legal code instituted by Hammurabi that dealt with criminal and civil matters; is considered to be the first known written laws in human history
  • HAMMURABI —(1810-1750 BCE); Babylonian king (1792-1750 BCE) known for the Hammurabi Code
  • HARAPPA —(c. 2500-1800 BCE) one of the largest cities in the Indus Valley Civilization; the city was sophisticated in its civil engineering and urban planning with an elaborate sewer system
  • HARAPPAN CIVILIZATION —(c. 2600-1900 BCE) a Bronze Age civilization located along the Indus River and named for its largest city of Harappa; main cities were Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
  • HATSHEPSUT —(c.1507-1458 BCE) female pharaoh of Egypt (1478-1458 BCE); known for her expansion of Egypt through trade networks in comparison to previous pharaohs who relied on invasion; considered to be one of the most successful pharaohs in Egyptian history
  • HEBREWS/ISRAELITES —Hebrews were the Semitic people living in the Middle East who claimed descent from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and formed the world's first monotheistic religion (Judaism); became known as the Israelites upon the founding of the ancient kingdom of Israel
  • HIEROGLYPHIC WRITING —the pictographic script used by the ancient Egyptians for sacred texts; translated in modern times through the discovery of the Rosetta Stone
  • HINDUISM —a religion based on the laws of daily moral living; known as the "oldest living religion" it is still the predominant religion in India (one of three major world religions with origins in prehistoric times); persons who practice Hinduism are known as Hindus
  • HITTITES —the people of the ancient Hittite Empire located in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) which flourished 1600-1178 BCE (approximately); considered to be the first people to work with iron thus bringing in the Iron Age
  • HYKSOS —people living east of ancient Egypt who invaded and conquered Egypt around 1675 BCE (thereby ending the Middle Kingdom period); introduced Egyptians to horses and chariots
  • IDEOGRAPHS —characters used in Chinese writing (developed during the Shang Dynasty); the character represents the meaning of a word rather than its pronunciation; first appeared on Oracle Bones
  • INDUS RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATION —(c.3300-1300 BCE) ancient civilization located along the Indus River in what is now known as Pakistan and India; also known as the Harappan Civilization
  • IRANIAN PLATEAU —a plateau located in western and central Asia; located in modern-day Iran
  • IRRIGATION —the artificial supplying of land with water in order to produce crops
  • JAGUAR WORSHIP —religion based on the deification and worship of the jaguar (the largest feline in the Americas); practiced in Mesoamerica by many cultures including the Olmec Civilization
  • JUDAISM —religion based on the teachings of Moses as found in the Torah and in the laws of the Talmud; the first monotheistic religion (one of three major world religions with origins in prehistoric times)
  • KUSH —(c. 1070 BCE- 350 AD) ancient Nubian kingdom located along the Nile River
  • LEVANT —the region on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea from Greece to Egypt, especially Syria, Lebanon and Israel; literally means "the rising"
  • LONGSHAN CULTURE —precursors to the Yellow River (Huang He) Civilization whose foundations influenced the principles established during the Yellow River Civilization
  • MANDATE OF HEAVEN —an ancient Chinese belief and philosophical idea that tiān (Heaven) granted emperors the right to rule based on their ability to govern well and fairly and that a dynasty change occurred when the previous dynastic leader had lost the mandate of heaven
  • MENES —(c. 3200 BCE) Egyptian pharaoh credited with uniting the upper and lower Nile River Valley civilizations under one government
  • MENTUHOTEP —(reign: c. 2061-2010 BCE) pharaoh who reunited Egypt following the 1st Intermediary Period thereby beginning the Middle Kingdom period in Egyptian history
  • MESOAMERICA —a region in North America that extended from modern central Mexico to modern Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua; central America; one of six locations where independent civilizations appeared independently and one of five where independent forms of writing developed
  • MESOAMERICAN FORMATIVE PERIOD —(c. 1500-400 BCE) also known as pre-classic this period is one of several periods that divide Mesoamerican history; known for the development of writing and architecture as cities and states emerged along with a complex calendar and jaguar worship
  • MESOPOTAMIA —the location of ancient River Valley Civilizations between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in what is now known as Iraq; "Mesopotamia" literally means "between the rivers;" (the northern region of Mesopotamia was called Assyria and the southern region was called Babylonia)
  • MICROSOCIETIES —small-scaled, fragmented, and dispersed communities that had limited interaction with others following the Agricultural Revolution
  • MIDDLE KINGDOM —second of the three traditional divisions of ancient Egyptian history; (2040-1640 BCE) a period of ancient Egyptian history that began with the arrival of Nubian pharaohs and their new gods including Amun (this god eventually merged with the previously powerful Ra creating Amon Ra) and ended with the Hyksos invasion; a time period when pharaohs focused on public works projects such as improvements of public transportation and canal construction [not to be confused with the Middle Kingdom location in modern-day China]
  • MILLENNIUM —a period of one thousand years
  • MINOAN CIVILIZATION —(c. 3650-1400 BCE) an Aegean Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and other Aegean islands; belongs to a period of Greek history preceding both the Mycenaean civilization and Ancient Greece; considered to be the first recorded civilization of Europe
  • MOHENJO-DARO —(c. 2500-1800 BCE) one of the largest cities in the Indus Valley Civilization; location of "The Great Bath," the city was sophisticated in its civil engineering and urban planning with an elaborate sewer system
  • MONOTHEISM —religious belief that there is only one God
  • MYCENAEAN CIVILIZATION —(c. 1600-1100 BCE) the first advanced civilization in mainland Greece; the end of the Mycenaean Civilization marked the beginning of the "Dark Ages" for Greece
  • NEFERTITI —(c.1370-1330 BCE); Egyptian queen and wife of Akhenaten; as a couple, they were responsible for the conversion of Egypt from practicing polytheism to practicing monotheism (although this conversion was later overturned by their son Tutankhamun)
  • NEOLITHIC PERIOD —period following the Agricultural Revolution; final stage of cultural and technological development among prehistoric people; also known as the New Stone Age
  • NEW KINGDOM —third of the three traditional divisions of ancient Egyptian history; (1550-1070 BCE) a period of ancient Egyptian history that began with the ousting of the Hyksos from Egypt; known for Egyptian expansion and growth as an empire through war and trade
  • NOK —(c. 1000-300 BCE) early African culture located in present-day northern Nigeria; noted as the earliest producers of life-sized terra cotta in Sub-Saharan Africa
  • NORTE CHICO —(c. 3500-1800 BCE) the oldest known civilization in the Americas (contemporary time period as the Nile River Civilization and Sumer); located in present-day north-central coastal Peru in the valleys of the Fortaleza, Pativilca and Supe Rivers
  • NUBIA —a   region along the Nile River located in modern northern Sudan and southern Egypt; a corridor between Egypt and central and southern Africa; people living in this region were known as Nubians and included the Kingdom of Kush (known for superior horse riding skills)
  • OLD KINGDOM —first of the three traditional divisions of ancient Egyptian history; (2649-2152 BCE) a period of ancient Egyptian history that began with the unification of the upper and lower Nile River Valley civilizations and ended with the overthrow of the pharaoh as a result of popular discontent resulting from droughts and fighting; known as the "glory age" of ancient Egypt or as the "Age of the Pyramids;" time period when pharaohs were considered divine and the majority of the Egyptian pyramids were built; development of writing; time of the Egyptian god Ra
  • OLMECS —(c. 1200-400 BCE) the first major civilization to emerge in Mesoamerica (located around the Gulf of Mexico) during the Mesoamerican Formative Period; many of their traditions are found in those civilizations that followed
  • ORACLE BONES —pieces of turtle shell or bones used in Ancient China (mainly during the late Shang Dynasty) for pyromancy; priests would write questions on both sides of the bones to determine answers relating to weather and family; evidence of a writing system in Ancient China (Yellow River Civilization)
  • PALEOLITHIC PERIOD —period of prehistory that preceded the Agricultural Revolution and Neolithic Period
  • PAPYRUS —an ancient paper-like material made by pressing together thin strips of the pith from the papyrus plant used by ancient Egyptians
  • PASTORAL NOMADS —nomads who wandered the land in search of food for their herds
  • PATRILINEAL —inheriting or determining descent through the male line
  • PERSIANS —microsociety that emerged on the Iranian Plateau around 1000 BCE; eventually grew into an empire
  • PHARAOH —the title for an ancient Egyptian king
  • PHOENICIAN CIVILIZATION —(c. 3200-322 BCE) independent city-states located in present-day Syria, Lebanon and Israel (the Levant); also known as Canaan; successful maritime trading civilization; members of the civilization were also known as Canaanites and were known for sailing, trade, the making of purple dye and especially the development of the first alphabet in history
  • POLYTHEISM —belief in many gods
  • QUIPU —a series of colored, knotted strings used for accounting purposes by the Norte Chico
  • ROSETTA STONE —a stone slab discovered in the late 18th century with parallel inscriptions of Greek and ancient Egyptian writing which allowed for the modern translation of Egyptian hieroglyphic and demotic characters
  • SANSKRIT —ancient literary and spoken language of Indus River Valley Civilization following the arrival of the Aryans
  • SARGON THE GREAT —first ruler of the Akkadian Empire; known for his conquests of the Sumerian city-states c. 2334 BCE creating the first empire in Mesopotamia
  • SCRIBE —a person who writes books or documents by hand in hieroglyphics, cuneiform or other scripts and may help keep track of records for priests and government; position found in the ancient river valley civilizations
  • SEAL STONES — impression stamps used by the people of the Indus River Valley Civilization to authenticate identity in correspondence; served as a personal signature for all business transactions
  • SHANG DYNASTY —(c. 1750-1027 BCE) earliest Chinese dynasty documented by archaeological evidence; a major kingdom located in the middle and lower regions of the Yellow River
  • STONEHENGE —constructed around 2500 BCE?; prehistoric monument in England consisting of megalithic posts and lintels
  • SUMER —(approximately 3500-2004 BCE) an ancient region located in the southernmost region of Mesopotamia and is known as the "birthplace of civilization;" cities within Sumer included Uruk, Ur, Lagash, and Umma; the people who lived in Sumer were known by their city-states but are also referred to as Sumerians and are known for being the first humans to cultivate crops, construct large buildings and invent a writing system
  • TANG —first emperor of the Shang Dynasty (c. 1675-1646 BCE); known for abolishing tyrannical policies of the previous dynasty and enacting government-funded social programs for the poor
  • TRANSHUMANT HERDERS —community known for nomadic travels based on the search for food for the herds between fixed seasonal sites; different from Pastoral Nomads in that Transhumant Herders built small, temporary settlements along the fringes of cities and followed a pattern of movement between cities
  • TUTANKHAMUN —(c.1341-1323 BCE) pharaoh of Egypt (c. 1332-1323 BCE); son of Akhenaten and restorer of polytheism to Egypt following Akhenaten's rule; the discovery of his tomb- the most intact royal tomb thus found- brought Tutankhamun international fame in 1923; also known as King Tut
  • UR —one of only three Mesopotamian city-states to unite all of Mesopotamia as one empire from 2100-2020 BCE; located in the region of Sumer
  • URUK —city located in southern Sumer; possibly established as early as 4500 BCE, it is considered to be the first city in the world as well as the origin of writing, the first example of architectural work in stone and the building of great stone structures, the origin of the ziggurat, and the first city to develop the   cylinder seal   which the ancient Mesopotamians used to designate personal property or as a signature on documents; between 4100 and 2900 BCE, as cities emerged throughout Mesopotamia, Uruk was considered the most influential
  • VALLEY OF THE KINGS —a valley in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BCE, tombs were constructed for the Pharaohs  nd powerful nobles of the New Kingdom; located along the west bank of the Nile River opposite the city of Thebes
  • VARNA —the four social classes that existed within the Hindu caste system during the Vedic Period including Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas  an  Shudras
  • VEDAS —collection of the four oldest canonical sacred texts of Hinduism written over a period of 1000 years (1500-500 BCE); contents introduced to the Indus River Valley Civilization with the arrival of the Aryans
  • VEDIC PEOPLES —ancient Indo-European people who migrated into and joined the Indus River Valley Civilization from the Caucasus (c. 1500 BCE); also known as Aryans
  • VEDIC PERIOD —(c.1500-500 BCE) the period in Indian history during which the Vedas were written; emerged at the demise of the Indus Valley Civilization
  • WU —first emperor of the Zhou Dynasty that emerged in 1045 in ancient China (the Yellow River Valley Civilization); first emperor to officially receive the Mandate of Heaven
  • XIA DYNASTY —historically taught (based on the Bamboo Annals) as the first Dynasty in ancient China (the Yellow River Valley Civilization) within China; the lack of archaeological evidence for its existence, though, has led to communities outside of China to view it as a mythical dynasty designed to set up the notion of a Mandate of Heaven; its existence is still being debated
  • YELLOW (HUANG HE) RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATION —(began c. 4000 BCE) civilization of ancient China that began with either Xia or Shang Dynasties and established the Dynastic system in China
  • YU —first emperor of the alleged Xia Dynasty in ancient China (the Yellow River Valley Civilization); may be a mythical person
  • ZHONGGUO —eventually came to be translated as "The Middle Kingdom;" refers to the territory united in ancient China during the Zhou Dynasty [not to be confused with the Egyptian Middle Kingdom period]
  • ZHOU DYNASTY —(c. 1046-226 BCE) longest-lasting Chinese dynasty; followed Shang Dynasty and preceded Qin Dynasty; it is divided into two periods- the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BCE) and the Eastern Chou Dynasty (770-256 BCE)
  • ZIGGURAT —ancient Sumerian temple or large building; pyramid shaped towers built of clay bricks

 

 

IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS