Ap World History Chapter 1 Summary

Joseph Boasiako AP World History
Chapter 1 Evolution August 1, 2013 Cues | Notes | Before History (Lucy) | A Woman said to have died 3.2 million years ago, whose skeleton was referred to as AL 288-1, scientists and archeologists. | Evolution of Homo Sapiens | Were said to have evolved about two hundred years ago. Homo sapiens or Human species are to have similar external features, and basic elements of genetic makeup and body chemistry- DNA, chromosomal patterns, life-sustaining proteins, and blood types with large apes. | The HominidsAustralopithecus | * A creature belonging to the family Hominidae, which includes human and humanlike species. * Australopithecus genus evolved in eastern Africa
around 4 million years ago before spreading throughout the continent and eventually becoming extinct 2 million years ago. | Homo Erectus | An extinct species of hominine that lived from the end of the Pliocene epoch to the later Pleistocene. They were more sophisticated than the Australopithecus, because they had larger brains that improved their quality of life. | Homo Sapiens | They evolved from the Homo Erectus, also having large brains but, but less strength, but that was no factor, as their intelligence helped them in the contest of survival. | Paleolithic Society | “The old stone age” Where human beings foraged for their food, they hunted wild animals or gathered products of naturally growing plants. | Paleolithic Culture | Paleolithic society was a hunter gatherer economy, Humans hunted wild animals for meat and gathered food, firewood, and materials for their tools, clothes, or shelters Human population density was very low, around only one person per square mile. | Cave Paintings | Cro- Magnon people, from the Paleolithic culture usually painted their caves to beautify their living space. They used artistic and knowledgeable ways to get their colors together. | The Neolithic Era and the transition to agriculture | Neolithic era “new stone age” A period where peoples relied more on cultivation rather than foraging. This age of cultivation caused problems for foragers, which then resulted in limiting populations of foragers. | Early Agricultural Society | As a result of agriculture, there was a human population explosion, which then took farming to another level, in the sense of keeping animals. Because cultivation allowed for more leisure, humans then evolved their art skills that came to include pottery, metallurgy, and textile production. | Neolithic Culture | Neolithic farmers developed a sense of recognizing seasons, so they knew by positions of the sun, moon and stars what was expected. Also due to nature, they had a sense of religion, and over time began to make idolized gods of worship. | Origins of Urban Life | Cultivators, animal keepers, specialized laborers get classified as a certain society. i.e. The city, and foragers the opposite, leading to more societal changes to agriculture. |
Summary
Australopithecus, were not apes but were in the family of hominids, they were sophisticated animals, that walked on both legs, as time went on the way humans beings, relied more on brain intelligence, rather than strength , as in the Homo erectus to the Homo sapiens, intelligence allowed for the means of cultivation, specialized labor, work based societies and religion. |

Chapter 2 Early Societies in South-West Asia and the Indo-European Migrations Cues | Notes | Gilgamesh His role in ancient Mesopotamia? | A king who ruled about 2750 B.C.E. ago for a period of 126 years. He was known to be the central figure in many folklores, heroics, and poems. | Mesopotamia | Two Greek words that mean “the land between the rivers” refer to the fertile valleys of Tigris and Euphrates. These waters helped farmers back then to produce bountifully even though rain was scarce in Mesopotamia. The cultivation of plants increased populations and migrants. | The Course of Empire | The rule of Mesopotamia had fallen due, riots of other city states, and power had been moved around a lot, and each city that took power had reigned for a long time, and also had their advantages and disadvantages, with their laws.
| Hammurabi Laws | A law made by the Babylonian Hammurabi, it established high standards of behavior and stern punishments for violators. | Late Mesopotamian Empires | Assyrians, Babylon (Chaldean Empire), then later lost their rule to foreigners. | Complex and Sophisticated Cultural Traditions | Mesopotamia became a diverse society of people, and specialized labor. New technology had been the rise due to various experiments, especially in transportation, and trading. | Social Classes | Accumulation of wealth increased, and classes of people or rulers were formed, Kings were chosen by people, and nobles chosen by the king’s siblings or closest supporters. Warriors were also considered highly ranked among the fortunate. | Slaves, Patriarchal society, Women’s Roles | Sources of slaves were: prisoners of war, criminals, and people who were heavily in debt. Men were placed as heads of families and decisions makers of the community. Women were not complete shut out, they also had important roles advising kings and also stewarding estates.
| Written cultural Traditions | The earliest form of writing was from Mesopotamia, it was developed in the fourth millennium B.C.E. for commercial transactions and taxes. Examples were pictography and symbols. | Education | Education was vocational. And people, who were thought how to read and write, often became scribes. As time went on knowledge expanded in Astronomy and mathematics, Scholars were able to make accurate calendars, and proportions. Education also made a way expressing ideas and analyzing ideas. | Hebrew, Israelites, Jews | These tribes were said to have been influenced by Mesopotamia. They adapted Mesopotamian laws and stories in order to live like the Mesopotamians. | The Phoenicians | They influenced societies through trade, and communication networks. | Indo-European Origins | Indo-Iranian, Greek, Balto-Slavic, Germanic, Italic and Celtic. These languages seemed similar to the Mesopotamian language, and linguists found an easier way to translate. Indo-European also studied horses and their behavioral patterns and were later able to tame them for travel. | Indo-Europe Expansion and Its Effects | Horses helped them travel far wide and they later on experienced a population explosion that influenced them to move to less inhabited places. The influential Indo-European migrants were the Hittites who went on, to conquer and take over now Turkey (Anatolia). They still had relations with the Mesopotamians. | Hittite Influences | They were accounted for innovating light, horse drawn chariots, and iron metallurgy refinement. |
Summary
Ancient Mesopotamia was a very influential society all around the world, their ways of civilization was adapted by neighboring countries, their laws and ways of analyzing their surroundings. Mesopotamia bloomed to a thriving city and had all sorts people from different backgrounds, making it a very diverse nation, but also very rich. Their education helped the world develop needed inventions. Indo-European countries that absorbed Mesopotamian cultures expanded and took over, large regions of the east and northern parts of Mesopotamia. |

Chapter 3 Early African Societies and the Bantu Migrations Cues | Notes | Ancient Egypt and Mummification | Embalmers preserved the bodies of deceased individual through the process of mummification. The embalmers went through long processes of taking out organs from the body, and then completely drying out the internal part of the body with a certain ionic element. | Early Agriculture society in Africa | Egypt was said to be the most prominent country by means of agriculture, But really they had gained all their popularity, with help from the Nubians. The Egyptians were more successful because they had favorable geographic conditions. | Climate Change and the development of Agriculture in Africa | After the last ice age, area of the now Sahara desert was mostly grass, with numerous water bodies. The cows and plants flourished over the land. But then again climate change brought drought to these lands, and fertility, water bodies, humans and animals were destroyed. But as for Egypt, the Nile never dried out due to rain and snow, and Egypt continued to have good lands for cultivation. | Egypt and Nubia | Egypt and the Nubians were neighbors, but Egypt enjoyed more, because they had uses for the flooded land while the Nubians didn’t really have a use for it. After the climate change, the Sub-Saharan regions moved to the Nile for survival, and also introduced certain plants and taking care of animals. | The Unification of Egypt | Later politics and the economy allowed for, certain overcoming and taking over others but those rules never lasted, It wasn’t up till Egypt brought together the whole Nile delta, and other regions to form the largest rule, in all of Egypt. And the ruler of this empire was called Menes.After the Unification, Nubia and Egypt were wary of each other invading one another. | Turmoil and Empire | Several regions of Egypt, lived independent from the pharaohs, but this led to weaknesses and then they got invaded by the Hyksos, but the Hyksos rule didn’t last for long time after some Egyptian nobles started riots, to push the Hyksos out of Egypt. | The Formation of Complex Societies and Sophisticated Cultural Traditions | Just like Mesopotamia, Egypt had gone through erratic changes. Due to work factors in Egypt, men held most of the power. An Education brought about writing, which became a medium of literary expression. | The Emergence of Cities and Stratified SocietiesDid they also have variations of classes, and a Patriarchal society just like the Mesopotamians? | * Even, cities around the Nile, were not as prominent as ancient Mesopotamia, Some Pharaohs built cities that would soon be known for a particular popularity. The Nubians cities, were not too popular, but were as productive, as the Egyptians. * They cities were places, that generated a lot wealth for the highly positioned people, and as a result classes of people were established, Then again men were given the most power, and opportunity, but in rare cases the royal women sometimes took the role as Pharaohs. | Economic Specialization and Trade | Egypt did really catch unto iron metallurgy fast; it took a while before they start using it. Due to agriculture, many specialized trades were formed, in both Egypt and Nubia, transportation was also improved. | Early Writing in the Nile | Writing in Egypt as influenced by Mesopotamians, the Egyptians started with pictographic, and then began to add their own symbols later on. | Religion in Egypt in Nubia | Egyptians and Nubians, like the Mesopotamians, believed in certain deities and rulers of the earth so they created idols of worship, which were mostly Pharaohs and firmaments. Also huge temples of worship were built for religious purposes. The Nubians also had a specific god that was known to a lion-god called Apedemak, the Egyptian gods were Aten and Amon-Re. | Early Agricultural Societies of Sub-Saharan Africa | The Bantu migrations and other tribal migrants help spread the cultivation of different foods around Africa, and the shepherding of animals was not left out, this brought about population explosion and social classes. |
Summary
Egypt and Nubia were close neighbors, who learnt a lot from each other and the Mesopotamians, and agriculture le to so many innovations of improvement to both regions, but Egypt mostly because Egypt benefited and gained recognition for their way of living, transportation, education and religion. Earlier migrants like the Bantu migrations also helped other parts of Africa, by introducing new crops, and taming animals to western and southern parts. |

Chapter 4 Early Societies in South Asia Cues | Notes | Early Societies in South AsiaHarappan Society | Harappa just like Mesopotamia and Egypt grew gradually through agriculture, when Neolithic villages gradually turned into cities. | Foundations of Harappan Society | The Indus’ agriculture helped improve the society they sowed wheat and barley, and they were one the first people to domesticate chicken and have a poultry diet. They also cultivated cotton, which showed specialized trade. | Harappan Society and Culture | The Harappan just like Egypt and Mesopotamia bloomed to bustling and thriving city that included population explosion, and social distinctions, there were the poor and the rich who live very varied lives. When it came to religion, the Harappan religion believed in fertility, they had a mother goddess and horned gods; they also held certain things of nature sacred. | Harappan Decline | After all the progress, a time came when deforestation on the part of the Harappans, erosion came about and they had not had rain in about a millennium causing a lot of natural disasters. | The Aryans and India | Aryans after entering India, practiced less agriculture, and were more interested in animals that were tamable, like cows and horses; the richest people of Aryan were usually noticed by how big their herds of cattle, horses were also used for a means of transportation. Aryans didn’t utilize writing, but used language as the only form of expression. | Origins of the Caste System | When the Portuguese merchants and mariners visited India during the sixteenth century, they noticed the sharp, inherited distinctions between social groups; they referred to them as castes. This difference brought about a sort of color power struggle, between light colored and dark skinned people usually fourth over. | Aryan Patriarchal Society | Aside for the Verna and Caste rule, men generally took over everything publicly and internally in individual families, women had no absolute roles in society. | Religion in the Vedic Age (Gods, Sacrifices) | The Aryans before they moved to the India, had their own religious beliefs, but after mixing up with the Dravidians, they incorporated certain Dravidian religious values that seemed fascinating. The prominent god of the Aryans, was a very belligerent war god whom was said to have won series of wars for the Aryans, also they were involved in slaughtering animals for tribute and compensation. |
Summary
The Harappan Society, just like thriving cities made generous progress through agriculture, not a lot was discovered on these people, but they said to have made wealth and created social standards the same ways as the Mesopotamia and Egypt, but their wealth didn’t last as long, because of deforestation, which cause many problems for them. Now unto the Aryans, they on the other hand didn’t rely on cultivation, they were more into animals, and they also ranked society, with skin complexions and hereditary relations. |

Chapter 5 Early Societies in East Asia Cues | Notes | Early Agricultural Society and the Xia Dynasty | The early settlers around the Yellow River had a hard living because the river used to flood their areas of dwelling, The river was named Yellow river because of the loess soil, but then again, the loess soil was extremely fertile and the settlers had an easier time cultivating. The Xia dynasty was known to have been one of the first societies, to organize a public life in China, the established a hereditary monarchical rules in China. They were a people that had some success in managing the Yellow River flood; also they had an oppressive rule which in later times caused its fall. | The Shang Dynasty | The Shang dynasty, to control from the Xia Dynasty, The Shang dynasty had most of their success through technology and specialized trade. Just like the Aryans in India the Shang dynasty used their technological influence, to extend their rule. | The Zhou Dynasty | The Zhou dynasty were in the northern part of Korea, and often fought with the Shang dynasty, but later on they allied for Zhou dynasty to take control over northern China, but the Zhou dynasty also had other allies who helped in getting rid of the Shang dynasty. Now the Zhou dynasty was a lot bigger than the Shang dynasty, and so they relied on a decentralized administration, they gave power to territories they had taken over, to their own people who showed tribute to the Zhou dynasty. The decentralized form of government didn’t last, because those subordinates established their own rules. | Society and Family in Ancient ChinaThe Social Order | All through these different dynasties, royal families and nobles took over most honored positions, they lived in big homes and had the most income coming from different trades, but then again people who had specialized trades worked for theses aristocrats, which made them a satisfactory income. Peasants didn’t have any reliable sources of income, they had no lands but were the producers. Slaves were also a part of the work force, they actually made no income, and they were also sacrificed for religious purposes, because they were enemy warriors caught in war. | Early Chinese Writing and Culture Development | Early China didn’t have a particular believe in particular gods, they believed in ancestors, and back then they didn’t also have writing, but they used symbols as a form expression. | Oracle Bones and Early Chinese Writing | Back then, priests used bones of sacrificed animals, to study astronomical events and interpreting weather patterns. | Literature in Ancient China | A lot of writing in early China, was done by high authority, they wrote books on foreshadowing and history. |
Summary
Early China didn’t have a consistent rule; they had time when the flourished and harder times where they suffered a lot, Dynasties that took over China were the Yangshao Society, Xia Dynasty, Shang Dynasty, Zhou Dynasty and the period of the Warring States. They all different cultures, a difference in their ways of expression and literature. |

Chapter 6 Early Societies in the Americas and Oceania Cues | Notes | Early Rituals and Migrations | Early in September of 683 C.E. a Mayan king slit 3 deep cuts into the skin of his penis to influence blood flow, because it was said that their ancestors spilled blood to maintain growth in nature, and so this became a Mayan tradition even in times of war. Agriculture affected the world in so many ways in the olden days, during the ice age where water levels had dropped dramatically, Human groups had opportunities to migrate to other lands, because due to low sea level lower lands began to appear, and these human groups were able to migrate and spread out. | The Olmecs | In 8000 to 7000 B.C.E., people of Mesoamerica, were said to have begun experimenting with different cultivation crops, this experiment was successful and they begun to add more crops, from that point on agriculture spread throughout Mesoamerica, and Mesoamerica would be known to have a rich diet in cultivated foods. As agriculture spread, populations also grew and many technological advances happened, causing elaborate city centers, monuments and cities. | Heirs of the Olmecs The Mayans | After Olmecs disappeared, many prominent groups arose, but the most recognized was the Mayans. The Mayans created one of the greatest societies, they had fertile lands and many permanent villages begun to appear, and these were prominent villages. The Mayans on like others, survived in poorly drained lowlands that had poor fertile soils, but the Mayans used a very intellectual approach way of cultivation, to improve the soil’s fertility. The most cultivated crops were maize and cotton, but cacao was also included. | Mayan Warfare | There was a lot of warfare among the Mayan communities, the victors didn’t necessarily kill their opponents they usually took their highly ranked officers, and used them as slaves or sacrifices. | Decline in Mayan Societies | By 800 C.E, many villagers began to dessert their villages, due to deforestation, epidemics diseases, foreigners and ecological problems, but the northern part flourished, where Chichen Itza was located. | Mayan Religion | The Mayans believed in the Popol Vuh, they believed that human beings out of maize and water, which turned into the human flesh and blood, which meant their faith was based on an agricultural basis. | The City of Teotihuacan | It was a large agricultural village by 500 B.C.E., and it expanded rapidly, they built a lot of pyramids and monuments, and they had had the two most dominant pyramids that dominated the skylines. The society was made up of cultivators, artisans, and merchants. Most of them were cultivators but artisans were especially famous. Just like the Olmecs they played the ball game, they adapted the Olmec calendar, and expanded the graphic symbols into a system of writing. It wasn’t long till Teotihuacan begun to decline due to military pressure from other people. | Early Andean Society and the Chavin Cult | The Andean society and the Mesoamerican societies were contemporaries but they both grew through agriculture, the Andeans came under cultivation between 2500 and 2000 B.C.E., they mostly cultivated beans, peanuts, and sweet potatoes as their main food crops but cotton was also used for fishnets and textiles. The Chavin Cult came after 1000 B.C.E., they enjoyed significant popularity during 900 to 800 B.C.E., the essence of their being was not known. | Early Andean States: Mochita | Mochita state was a society that left a remarkable artistic legacy; they live in the base in the valley of the Moche River. Their art mostly represented gods, deities and demons, The Mochita artists left abundant evidence of a complex society with specialized labor. | Early Societies in Australia and New Guinea | Australia and New Guinea had migrants, way before cultivation and keeping domesticated animals, they lived by foraging. But sea levels rose to separate the lands, Australia stuck to foraging, while New Guinea moved on to cultivation. The earliest inhabitants of New Guinea foraged for food, but it wouldn’t be long till foreigners will change the way of finding food, they were introduced to yams, taro, pigs, and chicken and this sort of lifestyle spread through all parts of New Guinea. | Summary The early societies of Mesoamerican had elaborate cultures and traditions; they were usually more into foraging for food, other than cultivating. After being introduced to agriculture one sees a very quick life improve in the sense of specialized trade, herding animals and building a society of classes. Prominent societies had strong beliefs in their religion, and they based it mostly on agriculture both directly and in directly. |