Western Civilization
Chapter one the first civilization I. Introduction A. The Idea of Civilization
The West is an idea that developed slowly during Greek and Roman civilization. Initially the Greeks referred to their homeland as the Europe—or “West.” The Romans took up the concept and applied it to the western half of their empire. Asia—or the East—was similarly a geographical innovation of the Greeks and Romans. Asia was that land that belonged to non-Greek cultures of Asia Minor, particularly the Persians. The Romans, too, regarded lands east of Greece as Asia. The name was retained and applied to other cultures beyond the Turkish peninsula such as China and India. Although what we refer to as “Western Civilization” began in the area that today we call the Middle East, we tend to associate the term more with developments in Europe, particularly after the birth of Christ. After the sixteenth century, Western civilization was exported through the process of conquest and colonization beyond the confines of Europe throughout the world. The exportation of Western civilization superimposed western culture on ancient traditions of art, science, economy, and politics in Asia, Africa, and the New World. The results of the exportation of Western civilization have been mixed. Both positive and negative results have emerged along with a new global culture. B. Ötzi’s Last Meal
The discovery of the 5000-year-old remains of a man in the Ötzi valley provided us with a glimpse of life in the Stone Age. The Ötzi man’s diet consisted of meat, vegetables and einkorn wheat bread. He dressed in a simple leather breechcloth, calfskin belt, leather upper garment made from goat skin, and bear skin soled shoes. He carried a copper ax and flint knife. None of his clothes were woven. II. Before Civilization C. Introduction
The first pre-humans appeared as early as five million years ago. They were toolmakers and survived by hunting and gathering. The first immediate ancestors
The West is an idea that developed slowly during Greek and Roman civilization. Initially the Greeks referred to their homeland as the Europe—or “West.” The Romans took up the concept and applied it to the western half of their empire. Asia—or the East—was similarly a geographical innovation of the Greeks and Romans. Asia was that land that belonged to non-Greek cultures of Asia Minor, particularly the Persians. The Romans, too, regarded lands east of Greece as Asia. The name was retained and applied to other cultures beyond the Turkish peninsula such as China and India. Although what we refer to as “Western Civilization” began in the area that today we call the Middle East, we tend to associate the term more with developments in Europe, particularly after the birth of Christ. After the sixteenth century, Western civilization was exported through the process of conquest and colonization beyond the confines of Europe throughout the world. The exportation of Western civilization superimposed western culture on ancient traditions of art, science, economy, and politics in Asia, Africa, and the New World. The results of the exportation of Western civilization have been mixed. Both positive and negative results have emerged along with a new global culture. B. Ötzi’s Last Meal
The discovery of the 5000-year-old remains of a man in the Ötzi valley provided us with a glimpse of life in the Stone Age. The Ötzi man’s diet consisted of meat, vegetables and einkorn wheat bread. He dressed in a simple leather breechcloth, calfskin belt, leather upper garment made from goat skin, and bear skin soled shoes. He carried a copper ax and flint knife. None of his clothes were woven. II. Before Civilization C. Introduction
The first pre-humans appeared as early as five million years ago. They were toolmakers and survived by hunting and gathering. The first immediate ancestors