Primary Source

• Text written a long time ago

• Examples — diary, journal, contract, letter, ship’s log

• NOT an encyclopedia or textbook

Archeologist

• Person who studies artifacts to learn about the past

• Artifacts — old stuff and skeletons buried in the ground

Economist

• Person who studies money, trade, resources, supply and demand

• Scarcity = not having enough resources

Traditional Economy

• Barter = trade stuff for other stuff

• Before money existed

River Valleys

• Great places for agriculture and early civilization!

• Tigris & Euphrates → Sumeria (Mesopotamia)

• Nile → Egypt

• Huang He (Yellow) → China

• Indus → Harappa (India)

Neolithic Revolution

• Invention of agriculture (farming)

• Surplus food

• Settling down and building towns

Bantu Migration

• Migration of people from West Africa to other parts of Africa

• Spread Bantu language, agriculture and iron technology

• Cultural diffusion

Law Codes

• Hammurabi’s Code (eye for an eye)

• Justinian’s Code

• Napoleonic Code

• Twelve Tables (Rome)

Social Hierarchy

• Unequal social classes

• (Think of the pyramid with levels)

Hinduism

• Most popular religion in India

• Holy text = Vedas

• Karma & Reincarnation

• Caste system

• Human rights violations of Untouchables

Buddhism

• India → China, Korea, Japan

• Cultural diffusion

• Karma & Reincarnation

• 4 Noble Truths: Suffering is caused by desire

• 8-Fold Path

Gupta Empire

• Golden Age of ancient India

• Concept of zero

• Math, science, art

Confucianism

• China

• Five Relationships (father → son, husband → wife, etc.) respect for superiors

• Filial piety — respect for parents and elders

• Civil service exam

Islam

• Arabia → Middle East, Africa

• Holy text = Koran (Quran)

• Prophet Mohamed

• Five Pillars

• Hajj = pilgrimage (journey) to Mecca

Golden Age of Islam

• Algebra, Medicine, Science, Poetry

• Mosques and architecture

Ottoman Empire

• Turkey

• Muslim

• Suleiman the Magnificent

• Between Black Sea & Mediterranean Sea → Trade $$

• Conquered Constantinople → Istanbul

Zheng He

• Chinese explorer

• Ming Dynasty

• Looking for new trade relationships

Ghana, Mali, Songhai

• West African kingdoms

• Based on gold — salt trade

• Mansa Musa = king of Mali, went on famous Hajj to Mecca

• Spread of Islam

Byzantine Empire

• Eastern Orthodox Christianity

• Russia and Greece — Cultural diffusion

• City — Constantinople

• Between Black Sea & Mediterranean Sea → Trade $$

• Emperor Justinian (made law code)

Feudalism

• European Middle Ages

• Lords, nobles, knights, serfs

• Social hierarchy (pyramid with levels)

• Land is the most valuable resource

• Manorialism