The Origins of Civilization

2690 Words11 Pages
Part I The Origins of Civilization Summary. The first human beings appeared over two million years ago, with major stages in physical development ending about 140,000 years ago. They discovered tool using and improving and thus were able to move away from hunting and gathering practices to form larger groups. The key markers for the origins of human societies are the beginnings of agriculture, about 9000 B.C.E., and the achievement of the societies that followed. By 1000 B.C.E. several civilizations were ready for more elaborate political and cultural forms. The Neolithic Revolution. Humans had spread widely long before agriculture was invented. Their hunting and gathering techniques kept them in small bands. Agriculture made larger systems possible, but it brought disadvantages. Relationships between men and women altered, and unfavorable changes occurred in the physical environment. Thousands of years passed as new political forms and technologies developed. The dispersion of the species ensured that the development of agriculture happened in different places at different times. Civilization’s First Phase: The River Valleys. By 2000 B.C.E. five major civilizations had developed: Mesopotamia, Egypt, northwestern India, northern China, and Central America. They had limited contact with each other. The five were the pioneers in generating elements common to later civilizations. The early civilizations ended or paused around 1000 B.C.E., a date marking a move to a more mature phase of civilization. Issues for Interpretation: Problems in Analyzing Early World History. The focus in studying early societies is on the emergence of developing separate civilized traditions as people increased their mastery over nature. Technology and culture help to explain change and the characteristics of a civilization. Comparison between the
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