Introduction
Welcome to CHW3M: World history to the end of the fifteenth century! You are about to embark on a fascinating tour of a number of different civilizations. In this course, you will trace civilization from its beginnings to the start of the 1500s.
Society does not consist of individuals but expresses the sum of interrelations, the relations within which these individuals stand.
What you do think about this quote? Do you think that society is made up of a bunch of solitary individuals? Or is it more than that – is it a collective group of relationships, people brought together for a purpose?
Student Paulo’s answer:
I agree with this quote. I do think society is made up of a collective group of relationships, because society is the interaction of those people, together.
In this course, you will explore how civilization and society came to exist. You will also learn about how specific civilizations flourished, declined, and left legacies that live on today.
This course is designed to allow you to interact and participate instead of simply reading the material and absorbing the information. The more effort, participation, and interaction you put into this course, the better!
This course will help you understand how early civilizations emerged and developed into flourishing societies. As your big project, you will create a museum exhibit to showcase important aspects of a specific ancient civilization. You will start putting together the pieces of that Assessment in the next learning activity, and continue to work on it throughout the course.
The evolution of civilization
Introduction
The name of this course is World history to the end of the fifteenth century. Many historians refer to this period of time as “ancient history.” Ancient history begins with the earliest recorded evidence of humankind and goes to the end of the Middle Ages, around the end of the fifteenth century (that’s to say, the end of the 1400s).
This learning activity will lay the foundation for the rest of the course. First, you will learn about both the historical thinking concepts and the research and inquiry tools that you will be required to use in this course. Next, you will learn about some of the earliest incarnations of human organization, which formed the basis for the ancient civilizations you will be studying later in the course.
What you will learn
After you have completed this learning activity, you will be able to
- name the four big historical thinking concepts you will be using in this course
- differentiate between the types of historical sources that you will encounter in the research and inquiry process, and analyze the effectiveness of specific sources
- describe early hunters and gatherers, and the technological developments that helped people organize into collective groups
- explain the factors that led to the development of different kinds of society
To start, you will explore the categories that are most commonly used to study ancient history.
What is ancient history?
How would you define “History”?
Possible answer:
History is the collection of facts and events about the past that historians gather to study and evaluate for future generations.
In the introduction to this learning activity, you learned how “ancient history” is defined:
Definition
Ancient history begins with the earliest recorded evidence of humankind and goes to the end of the Middle Ages, around the end of the fifteenth century.
When you focus on ancient history, it’s important to understand the different types of history and look at the ancient civilizations that were around during this period of time.
Historical dating: BC and AD vs. BCE and CE
When working in other history courses, you have likely come across specific dates and noticed some letters following the years, like 55 BC or 25 AD. In the past, to refer to different historical events, we used a Western-organized system of dating that centred on Christianity – more specifically, the birth of Jesus Christ. The organization of dates can be traced back to the Gregorian calendar developed by Pope Gregory XIII, who introduced this Christian calendar to the world in 1582. The abbreviation “BC” stood for “Before Christ” and referred to all years prior to the birth of Christ. The abbreviation “AD” – Latin for “In the Year of our Lord” – referred to all dates after the birth of Christ. During the time this calendar was created, the continent of Europe was largely Christian, so it made sense to use a system of dating that was designed around Christianity’s main figure.
There has been a recent push, especially in the academic and professional world, to create a timeline that removes Christianity as the central focus. The new terms are BCE, which stands for “Before the Common Era,” and CE or “Common Era.” This method of dating is still centrally tied to the same Gregorian calendar, but is now more accepted by historical scholars. It does not mean any change to the actual dates, but rather uses more inclusive language.
In this course, we will use the academically accepted system of dating. You will notice dates that use the abbreviations “BCE” and “CE.” However, you need to be familiar with the old system as you will come across it in your research and reading.
Categories of history
One of the most common ways to study history is to divide it into six categories:
- Political
- Social
- Economic
- Cultural
- Intellectual
- Diplomatic
This course will concentrate on the first four categories:
Your turn!
Are you comfortable with the six main categories of history? To check your understanding, match the categories of history on the left with the examples on the right.
You now understand the definition of ancient history and the different categories of history that you will be investigating in this course. Next you’ll explore a different way to focus on the course material. Historical thinking concepts will provide a framework for the creative process of interpreting historical evidence and telling the stories of history.
When you study history, what knowledge will you gain and what will you be able to do?
In addition to learning facts about specific people and events, you will discover basic historical thinking concepts.
Historical thinking concepts form the structure of the practice of history. They will help you develop the skills you need to “think historically.” In this course, you will use four concepts: historical significance, cause and consequence, continuity and change, and historical perspectives.
To learn more about these four historical thinking concepts, explore the “Historical thinking concepts poster (Opens in new window)” or “Historical thinking concepts poster (accessible version) (Opens in new window).” Keep it handy so that you can consult it regularly as you proceed through this course.
The historical thinking concepts will expand your approach to the study of history. You will be able to form your own opinions and to assess the claims of others based on evidence.
When you can apply historical thinking concepts to real events, you will become more actively engaged in the study, practice, and interpretation of history. The research, analysis, interpretation, and presentation skills you develop through this approach will become tools that you can use in all areas of study – and in other aspects of your life.
You’re now aware of the historical thinking concepts and how they apply to the study of history. The coming learning activities will explore each of these concepts in more detail.
The historical thinking concepts will expand your approach to the study of history. You will be able to form your own opinions and to assess the claims of others based on evidence.
Notebook
When you encounter a notebook section like this one, you will be invited to answer questions from the learning activity. Setting up a notebook can be helpful to record your answers.
Your notebook can be a paper or digital document. You may also use your notebook to record notes and ideas from the learning activity.
Explore your first notebook questions now.
You may be thinking to yourself, “Which of the four historical thinking concepts is the most important when examining an ancient civilization?” Answer this question in your notebook.
Possible answer:
I think “historical significance” is the most important when examining ancient civilizations. This concept gets to the heart of why a specific person or event is important in history. That’s the whole point of studying an ancient civilization – to learn from that civilization.
This is actually a bit of a trick question. It is vital to understand that all of these thinking concepts are valuable. Each concept allows you to build one part of a multi-part framework for understanding and telling history. Exploring history through this diverse set of lenses allows you to frame the same set of information in different ways. You may find you see the same factual information in a completely new light.
Now that you understand how this course is organized, it is time to examine the process that you will use to analyze historical events and facts for yourself.
Tools for historical research and inquiry
When researchers study a topic in history, they must follow certain processes. In fact, when anyone studies something in detail, they take specific steps in order to properly explore what they are studying.
Understanding the research and inquiry process will help you to become information literate.
“Information literacy” is important because we live in a world of unlimited information, available at the click of a button. You need to be able to filter that information with the right lenses in order to determine which information is true, useful, and accurate, and which information may lead you towards incorrect conclusions.
The research and inquiry process will be helpful to you across all subjects; it will enable you to become skilled at determining how to find the best kind of sources, regardless of the topic.
Research and inquiry process
Explore the following steps the research and inquiry process:
- Formulate Questions: Formulate questions related to the applicable overall expectation in order to identify the focus of their inquiry.
- Gather and Organize: Collect and organize relevant data, evidence, and/or information from primary and secondary sources and/or field studies.
- Interpret and Analyze: Analyze the data, evidence, and information, using different types of graphic organizers as appropriate.
- Evaluate and Draw Conclusions: Synthesize data, evidence, and/or information, and make informed critical judgements based on that data, evidence, and/or information.
- Communicate: Communicate judgements, decisions, conclusions, predictions, and/or plans of action clearly and logically
As you can notice, the step where you gather and organize information to answer historical questions involves sifting through information. When you research a topic, as you will have many chances to do in this course, there are some things to keep in mind about historical sources. Let’s go through some of those key ideas.
Types of historical sources
When you begin to research a specific topic in this course, you need to know that there are two main types of sources: primary and secondary.
Primary sources
Definition
Primary sources are materials that are original in nature. These pieces of information – such as documents, diaries, autobiographies, film footage, photographs, letters – were produced at the time of the historical event being studied.
Primary sources can be divided into three categories:
Examples of original documents are letters, diaries,
interviews, autobiographies, and official records. Translations or copies of these are still considered to be primary-source documents.
The Magna Carta, pictured, is an original document known today as the foundation for democracy and modern law. You'll be studying it later in the course.
Examples of creative works are music, writing (including poetry, drama, and novels), as well as artworks like paintings, sculptures, and engravings.
Pictured is the bust of Nefertiti, the wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten. This piece of ancient Egyptian art is an example of a creative work.
One of the most useful forms of primary sources is the artifact.
An artifact or relic is a physical object made by a human that exemplifies some aspect of cultural or historical interest.
The Las Limas Monument 1 is an Olmec artifact that dates back to the Middle Formative Period (1000 BCE–600 BCE). It was found in Veracruz, Mexico.
Explore this!
The following video demonstrates what the musical instruments of ancient Rome would have sounded like. The instruments in the video were recreated using artifacts discovered by archaeologists.
You will have an opportunity to study artifacts of your own choosing throughout this course. In the next learning activity, you will learn a bit more about this task.
Archaeological evidence
Documents, creative works, artifacts, and relics are examples of archaeological evidence.
Definition
Archaeological evidence is physical material from the past.
Archaeological evidence can take the form of physical objects, art, architecture, or even music. This evidence helps to form a picture in our minds of what the civilization in question really looked, sounded, tasted, or smelled like.
Secondary sources
Definition
Secondary sources are works that analyze primary-source documents. They give us someone’s perspective of a historical event. Secondary sources may contain pictures, quotes, or pieces of the primary source being.
One example of a secondary source is a history textbook. If you had a history textbook for this course, you could consider it as a secondary source. In fact, you can consider this entire course as a secondary source: while the course incorporates pictures, quotes, and other pieces of primary sources, it will be an authored perspective of these primary sources, explaining them to you.
Secondary sources can help to justify your own thoughts or opinions about historical sources. Let’s say you make a claim about a certain piece of medieval music. If you can back up your position with opinions from other authors, you have a much stronger argument.
You decide: Primary or secondary?
Assessing historical sources
In this course, you’ll often be asked to gather or examine sources. As part of this, you will have to make judgements about the sources that you’re considering using.
There are four main concepts that you must keep in mind when you are analyzing historical sources (or sources for any other course).
- Accuracy
- Fact vs. opinion
- Bias
- Purpose
Press on each accordion to learn more about each one!
You need to make sure that the information you are using is accurate – that’s to say, true or correct. Using false information will lead you to conclusions that are also untrue.
To determine whether information is accurate, ask yourself these questions:
- Who produced the document?
- Do the authors have credibility?
- Where did the information come from?
- Is the information first-hand knowledge from a primary source, or is it a summary of facts?
- Who is the intended audience?
- Was the information intended for personal use, as in a diary, or did the author intend the information to be given to a particular person?
- Was the information to be published widely?
- Does the information in this source match or contradict information that you already have on the topic?
- If the information seems to contradict what you think you know, is there a logical explanation for that?
Definition
Facts are unbiased pieces of information about reality. They are objective and unarguable.
Opinions are judgements and views of reality that are subjective and arguable.
Your turn!
Can you tell a fact from an opinion? Try these questions.
Identify whether each of the following statements is fact or opinion.
Select your answer, then click Submit to check if you are right!
To practise working with this distinction, give one example of a fact and one example of an opinion.
When you locate a specific source that you might want to use in your research, take a moment to review it. Ask yourself, does this make sense?
You might also want to read several articles on the same subject, comparing the information. If most of them explain similar concepts but one doesn’t seem to “match,” it could well be that the outlier presents an opinion not backed up by facts.
Fact vs opinion: The Holocaust
Sometimes people try to disguise opinion as fact. One very serious example of this is the fringe group of anti-Semitic people who deny that the Holocaust occurred.
The Holocaust was the systematic genocide of millions of Jewish people (and minorities, disabled, gypsies, and homosexuals) during the Second World War.
So-called “Holocaust-deniers” say the Holocaust never took place. They have websites and groups that publicize their prejudiced views, and claim to provide factual information. However, countless historical records, bolstered by DNA/scientific evidence, and personal testimonies of survivors, have definitively proven these people wrong.
This example alerts us to the fact that anyone can publish something on the Internet, presenting their opinions as facts. Don’t fall into the trap of false information.
Bias is the presentation of an issue from a single point of view. Biased statements may persuade the unwary of opinions they might not otherwise hold – and that can be quite dangerous!
Whatever you may be reading, you should ask yourself the following questions:
- Who wrote the document and why?
- Was the author or organization closely involved in the event being described? Could that have affected what was written?
- What credentials does the author have to indicate that he or she is a reliable source?
Did you notice that these questions are similar to those used to evaluate accuracy? That’s because misrepresentation caused by bias can easily result in inaccurate or distorted understanding of a subject.
Can you spot bias?
Indicate whether each of the following statements exhibits bias:
Beware of sweeping generalizations. If someone labels an entire group of people as something, they are often exhibiting bias.
When reviewing a potential source, you need to identify the author’s purpose. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Who is the author of the material?
- Are they educated in the subject matter that they are writing about?
- Are they employed by a university or research institution?
- Are they qualified to write about their subject material?
Where to look
We’re all accustomed to doing basic Internet searches. However, to find reputable, well-written articles, you may wish to use a database that locates scholarly articles. A database such as “Google Scholar” can help you find articles written by reliable, knowledgeable authors.
Sometimes Internet articles provide background information about the author, either at the beginning or end of the article. This is also a good way to tell if the author is a reliable and trustworthy source.
You be the judge!
Explore the following webpage.
In your opinion, is this a reputable source? How can you tell?
Possible answer:
Yes, it seems reputable. My first clue was that the website is from the government-run Canadian Museum of History. My second clue was that the museum’s purpose is to educate. The “About the Museum” section says that their mandate is “To enhance Canadians’ knowledge, understanding and appreciation of events, experiences, people and objects that reflect and have shaped Canada’s history and identity, and also to enhance their awareness of world history and cultures.”
Context
Context refers to the setting for an idea, and it’s needed to fully understand that idea. You may have heard the phrase, “don’t take that out of context.” This means, don’t misunderstand something you are reading because you’re not familiar with the background facts.
Let’s say you’re doing research and have found an article about your subject. You might be tempted to take a couple of sentences from the article and simply move on. However, this may cause you to take information out of context and misunderstand what is being said. Take the time to carefully read through the sources that you are using. This will ensure that you understand the context in which the information is being presented.
You be the judge!
Read the following quote.
“We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. … we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air… We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing-grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender!”
What type of person do you think said these words?
Well, these words were actually spoken by Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of England, as his country fought Hitler’s Nazis in World War II. Does knowing the statement’s context affect how you interpret it?
You see that gleaning one small piece of information can a bit dangerous. Always ensure you understand the entire context when using information from a source.
Now that you have some understanding of the research and inquiry process, let’s get started at exploring early civilizations. This next section begins your investigation of early humans and the earliest forms of civilization.
Early hunters and gatherers
You’re now familiar with the historical thinking concepts and the research and inquiry process. It’s time to dive in to course content! While we won’t go back to the creation of the universe, we will go back thousands of years in order to investigate early humans’ journey on Earth.
Early humans did not just start building civilizations from the moment they began walking the Earth. This was a process that took thousands of years, and it couldn’t begin until certain environmental and technological factors fell into place. For early humans, life was all about survival.
Brainstorm activity: Survival!
Imagine that you are stranded on a deserted island. Make a list of everything that you would need in order to survive. Be as specific as possible – and remember, this is simply about survival.
Possible answer:
Shelter of some kind, a weapon for defence, water to drink, food to eat, knife or hunting device, something to cover and protect the body (clothing), something to protect feet (shoes), blankets or something to keep warm, fire
Okay, now that you have thought about that for a few moments, do you suppose that early humans would have a similar “survival list”?
Possible answer:
Early humans would also need shelter, weapons, water, food, hunting devices, clothing, and fire to survive.
Armed with limited technology, early humans faced harsh conditions and hostile environments. The basic concerns of survival were their primary focus.
Early hunters and gatherers
Archaeological evidence tells us that the earliest humans who lived on earth were hunters and gatherers. This means that they hunted animals and gathered plants and vegetation to eat and to survive. They were by necessity nomadic people: they moved from place to place according to changes in climate or seasons, or in order to find food and natural resources.
Imagine if you were forced to survive in Canada by hunting and gathering. Life would be difficult – particularly in winter, when plants are frozen or snow-covered, and animals hard to find. You would likely think about moving further south to find more food.
Early humans thought like this too. Rather than putting down roots in a single location, they moved from place to place.
By 15,000 BCE, early humans had ventured outside of Africa. They had begun to settle all over the world, migrating to North and South America across a land bridge that existed by Siberia and Alaska. These migrating groups often came into contact with groups that were native to the area. This contact could result in the merging of groups, the sharing of tools or weapons, or conflict.
Use this map to review the global migration of early humans.
Since early humans were always on the move, they lived in naturally occurring shelters like caves, or temporary structures made from animal hides and tree branches.
Notebook
In your notebook, answer the following question.
Why did early humans move so much?
Early humans migrated because they were pursuing animals and plants for food, and because of seasonal changes in vegetation and weather. Early humans might also move because of contact (positive or negative) with other groups.
Daily life
Life for the earliest humans was different than it is for you and me today. Take a minute to put yourself in the position of early humans. Do you think that they lived in small or large groups? Why?
Possible answer:
Early humans typically lived in small groups of about 25 to 30 people, since it’s hard for a large group to move. The smaller the group, the easier it was to move and provide for each other.
These small groups of hunter and gatherers were referred to as bands or tribes. A band would occasionally meet up with other bands, leading to relationships between groups that could be either positive or negative. It was not unusual for bands to come together at different times of the year to form a community to forage or hunt together for specific plants or animals.
Explore this!
While the exact nature of daily life would vary depending on the band and its location, the following video discusses certain aspects of daily life that were common among the earliest humans.
Case study: Australian First Nations
To learn about a specific group that practised hunting and gathering, read “How Aborigines workOpens in new window.” by Ryan Johnson.
Note: The original article used the term ‘Aborigines’ which is insensitive as it has racist connotations from Australia’s colonial past, and lumps diverse communities into a single group.
Australia’s First Nations peoples are two distinct cultural groups made up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. However, there is great diversity within these two groups with 250+ different language groups across Australia. The term 'Indigenous Australians' or 'Australian First Nations' both encompass Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people. However, some of these groups do not like to be referred to as 'Indigenous' as it is very generic and broad; thus, it is best to name specific groups wherever possible or find out what individuals prefer to be called.
Sources:
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. (n.d.). Indigenous Australians: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. AIATSIS. https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/indigenous-australians-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-people
Korff, J. (2021, November 29). What is the correct term for Aboriginal people? Creative Spirits. https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/people/how-to-name-aboriginal-people
Now work through the following multiple-choice questions to reinforce what you have learned.
Now that you have an idea of who early hunters and gatherers were, let’s investigate some of the technological developments that originated during this time.
Technological developments
How do you define technology?
Possible answer:
Some kind of electronic device that makes life easier, like a computer or iPhone.
Was your answer similar to Paulo’s? In reality, the definition of technology is much broader.
Technology is defined as “the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry.” – Oxford Dictionary
This definition suggests that technology is in no way limited to the information age we live in today. Technology can be reduced to a very simple idea: applying knowledge to solve a problem in a new and easier way.
This definition of technology helps us understand its role in the lives of early humans. Several technological developments permanently changed how the early hunters and gatherers lived. Let’s explore two of these developments:
Domestication of fire
It is thought that early humans began using fire for survival 500,000 years ago. Fire served a number of very important purposes. It was used for
- warmth
- light
- cooking
- making tools and weapons
- defending against animal predators
Tools
The development of technological devices, such as tools and weapons, also helped early humans survive. There is evidence that some stone tools were used for cutting as early as two million years ago. Later, bows, spearheads made from flint, and metal tools were developed.
Tools helped early humans build better shelters, and made hunting and daily tasks easier and faster. The development of farming technology led to a surplus of food. These advances allowed humans to settle and control their environment in new ways, leading to a different way of living.
Outcomes of technology
You learned about historical thinking concepts earlier in this learning activity. Do you remember the concept of “cause and consequence”? You’re about to see it in action!
The technological developments of fire, weapons, and tools had several important consequences:
Trade
As early humans migrated searching for food, fertile land, and plants, early forms of trade began to develop. One such form was cultural diffusion.
Cultural diffusion is the spread of beliefs, social activities, and culture among different groups of people.
Information was also exchanged - such as where to find food or vegetation, simple tools, or early weapons. Trade began to develop dramatically in places like early Mesopotamia, where civilizations settled for longer periods of time.
Agricultural Revolution
The First Agricultural Revolution, also referred to as the Neolithic Period or New Stone Age, occurred around 10,000 BCE. This revolution was based on the fact that humans learned to
- plant seeds and grow plants themselves
- domesticate animals (much like farmers who raise cattle or pigs today)
These developments immediately made more food available to early humans. In consequence, populations were able to grow larger and settle in one area instead of constantly moving around, chasing food sources.
Social hierarchies
As groups came to settle in one place and farming technologies increased the food supply, social systems began to change. With larger groups of people staying together, leaders emerged. Each band had a leader called a chief or headman. If a band ran low on food resources, it went to war with neighbouring bands. Chiefs or headmen gained power and prestige among their peers if they successfully led their band, and warriors had great power within these groups.
Explore this!
The following video explains how the First Agricultural Revolution greatly changed the way civilizations organized themselves.
Notebook
Use your notebook to answer the following question.
In your opinion, which of the technological developments you have studied played the biggest role in the formation of early civilizations? Why?
Possible answer:
I think the Agricultural Revolution was the most important development. It led to a surplus of food, which changed the way early humans lived and organized themselves.
You now have a basic understanding of some of the technological developments that led early humans to go beyond simple survival and develop early forms of recognizable societies. Next you’ll explore some of the other factors that led humans to live together socially.
Factors that led to the development of society
You now understand the technological developments that changed the lives of early humans. Do you suppose that society and “daily life” looked the same for all bands?
In fact, daily life varied greatly from band to band as different types of society emerged. We will look at the three factors that play the biggest role in shaping a society:
- Geography
- Politics and religion
- Trade and urbanization
Mesopotamia
In this section, you will analyze how each of the three factors influenced life in the early civilization known as Mesopotamia. You will learn exactly how and why Mesopotamian civilization developed the way it did.
Geography
Explore this map. It highlights an area of land called the Fertile Crescent.
The Fertile Crescent is an area of land located in parts of modern-day Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. It is a strip of land that lies between two rivers: the Tigris and the Euphrates. North of this land are mountains and south of this land is a plateau.
Do you have any idea why a group of early humans would have chosen to settle in this strip of land? (Hint: Think about the area’s nickname.)
The land was very fertile, so settlers could grow crops and have access to fresh water.
Mesopotamia has also been referred to as the “cradle of civilization” as it saw the emergence of social, political, economic, and religious structures, as well as one of the first systems of writing.
This particular society developed, in part, because it had the right climate and geography for its people. First, the mountains and plateau created a natural defensive barrier, providing safety from other tribes. Second, the land between the rivers was very rich in nutrients. Finally, the fresh water served as a means of transportation, and allowed for the irrigation of crops and animals.
Explore this!
As the following video shows, the ability to irrigate land was a significant advantage for a civilization.
Notebook
Use your notebook to answer the following question.
Based on the information from the video, why was large-scale irrigation such an important development?
Ditches and canals were designed to irrigate crops planted in fertile soil that otherwise didn’t have a sufficient water source. This resulted in larger crops and more complex organization.
Mesopotamian society developed around the area’s unique geographical features. Other early civilizations developed in their own unique ways, according to a given region’s climate, physical features, space, fertility, and local resources.
Geography was not the only deciding factor in the development of early civilizations. Next we’ll look at the role that politics and religion played in shaping early Mesopotamian civilization.
Politics and religion
Politics and religion looked very different in ancient Mesopotamia than in other early civilizations such as China, Egypt, or Greece. Even though the region of Mesopotamia is often referred to as one civilization, it was actually a very multicultural area. Within the space of Mesopotamia, there were multiple empires, kings, and even smaller civilizations. The area’s only unifying ties seemed to be religion, views of literacy, and views on the role of women in society.
Religion was central to Mesopotamians as they believed the divine affected every aspect of human life. Mesopotamians were polytheistic; they worshipped several major gods and thousands of minor gods. Each Mesopotamian city, whether Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian or Assyrian, had its own patron god or goddess ...
In early Mesopotamia, priests were the initial rulers as all authority came from the god. Priests then were both representative of the god and mediator between the god and the people. Later, the secular power was established in a king, although kings also had specific religious duties. Kings ruled by the god’s favor and so were imbued with a semi-divine authority. Kings, priests and priestesses were the most important people in Mesopotamian society.
Source:
History on the Net. (2022, May 5). Mesopotamian Religion.https://www.historyonthenet.com/mesopotamian-religion
Geography, politics, and religion helped to develop this unique kind of culture within Mesopotamia, but other factors played an important role as well. Developments such as trade and urbanization also helped shape the Mesopotamian civilization.
Trade and urbanization
Mesopotamia developed as a unique civilization in part because of both trade and urbanization.
Definition
Urbanization is a shift in population from more rural areas to more urban areas, leading to the creation of areas of population known as cities.
To learn more, read “How ancient trade changed the world (Opens in new window)” by Heather Whipps.
Did the article help you understand how both trade and urbanization changed the world that early humans lived in? How ground-breaking an idea it was that each early human no longer had to create everything that they needed?
Explore this!
As agriculture spread, populations grew larger and cities grew bigger. Humans were able to specialize in specific occupations, and trade what they produced for something that they needed to live a more comfortable life. The following video explains the effect that this process of specialization had on a society.
You may now be able to see why societies would end up developing in different ways, depending on the kind of goods being traded or produced. One civilization might start to produce goods and services that another civilization had not even thought about. In this way, trade and urbanization greatly influenced just how different one early civilization could be from another.
Remember, Mesopotamia was used as an example to illustrate how an early civilization developed according to different factors such as geography, politics, religion, trade, and urbanization. Other civilizations – like ancient Egypt, China, and Greece – developed in their own unique way due to the same factors.
Conclusion
This learning activity gave you a glimpse into the lives of the earliest humans and their hunting and gathering techniques. It also traced the developments that led humans to form larger groups, and the factors that produced different kinds of civilizations. In addition, you explored the research and inquiry process, studied the four historical thinking concepts, and reviewed the types of primary and secondary sources available to historians.
In the next learning activity, you will start exploring the different elements necessary for society to exist.