This document provides an overview of early human history from the emergence of Homo sapiens in Africa to the Neolithic agricultural revolution. It then summarizes the major early civilizations including ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, China, Greece, Rome, the Byzantine Empire, Russia, Islam, Africa, Mesoamerica, and the early Middle Ages in Europe. Finally, it covers the late Middle Ages, the Black Death, the Renaissance, and the Northern Renaissance.

1. Early Man
Homo-Sapiens emerge from Africa
between 100,000-400,000 years ago
Paleolithic Era (Old Stone Age):
Nomads, simple stone tool and
weapons, make fire, spoken language,
Cro-Magnons made Cave Art
Neolithic Era (New Stone Age)-
Agricultural Revolution, Domesticate
animals, make pottery, weaving
Archaeologist- study fossils, human
remains
Radio Carbon Dating- determining the
age/date of an artifact
Stonehenge: England,
started during the
Neolithic Era and
ended during the
Bronze Age
Aleppo and Jericho:
earliest settlements in
the fertile crescent
Catalhoyuk: Neolithic
settlement under
excavation in Anatolia
http://youtu.be/fu9-7ZJ1h1g
http://youtu.be/6Sn911TNR4M

2. Ancient Egypt
Nile River Valley: “Upper and Lower”
King=Pharaoh
Sphinx, Great Pyramids
Slavery accepted
Hatshepsut- 1st female pharaoh
Amenhotep/Ankenaton- Only one
true god (Ra), wife= Nefertiti
Thutmose/Rames II (The Great) build
temples and monuments
King Tut- Boy king, Valley of the Kings
Cleopatra- Marc Antony from Rome
commits suicide
Hieroglyphics
Rosetta Stone-
used to understand
Hieroglyphics
Kush/Nubians- live
in “Upper Egypt”
http://youtu.be/bqyjoaPUXAI

3. Mesopotamia
Cradle of Civilization Fertile Crescent
Tigris & Euphrates
Sumerians- 1st city, cuneiform,
ziggurats, arches, domes
Phoenicians- alphabet, ships, trade,
purple dye, colonies
Lydians- coin money
Babylonians- Hammurabi’s Code
Persians: Empire, tolerance of
conquered, development of imperial
bureaucracy, Zoroastrianism
{All Polytheistic}
Hebrews/Jews
Monotheistic-Judaism
Founder>Abraham
10 Commandments=
law + moral code
Moses- leads Jews out
of slavery
Jerusalem-sacred city
Torah- holy book
Yahweh- God
http://youtu.be/jAMRTGv82Zo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84y2q4giihY&f
eature=share&list=PL4E51082F4702F439&index=5

4. India
Hinduism:
Caste System Vedas & Upanishads
Many forms of one god
Reincarnation
“Follow the Dharma of your Varna, to
have good Karma, and be released
from Samsara (reincarnation)”
Nirvana=Moksha
• Harappa & Mohenjo Daro
• Indo Aryans migrate
through the Khyber Pass
• bring the Caste System
with them
•
Gupta Empire= Golden Age,
math (zero), medicine,
literature
Mauryan Empire= roads,
hospitals, vets
Buddhism:
Siddhartha=Buddha
4 Noble Truths Eightfold Path
NO Caste System
Ashoka spreads Buddhism

5. China
Great Wall: Qin (“chin” a)
Shihuangdi built to keep invaders
out
Silk Road: Trade from China to
Med Sea
Civil Service System, Paper,
Porcelain, Silk
Calligraphy
Buddhism- spreads
from India
Animism-spirits
inhabit everything
Yin and Yang-
opposite forces in
nature
CONFUCIANISM: relationships, respect
for elders, politeness
DAOISM: one with nature, simple life
LEGALISM: strict laws, harsh
punishments

6. GREECE
Aegean Sea, Peloponnesus, Mediterranean Sea,
lack of arable (farmable) land= trade, colonization
Polytheistic- mythology
Athens: Monarchy>Oligarchy/Aristocracy>Tyranny>
DIRECT DEMOCRACY
Athens- strong navy,
arts, education, trade
Sparta- strong army,
military based,
farming
Persian Wars: Greece and Athens
team up against the Persian Army
Peloponnesian War: Sparta V. Athens,
Sparta wins, Greece is weak
Philip of Macedon-
conquers Greece
Alexander the
Great- giant empire,
hellenistic culture

7. GREECE- important people
Homer- Iliad and Odyssey
Aeschylus & Sophocles- Drama
Herodotus & Thucydides- History
Archimedes & Hippocrates- Science
Pythagoras & Euclid- Math
Socrates, Plato, Aristotle (SPA)- Philosophy
Phidias- sculpture
Draco and Solon- tyrants, reform
Pericles- leader of Athens during Golden Age
http://youtu.be/uxOANJ-sSu0
http://youtu.be/xvRWUCfAPs0
http://youtu.be/ZSGM4YfReQY

8. ROME
Italian Peninsula, Alps,
Mediterranean
Polytheism- based on Greek
gods
Social Structure: Patricians-
Plebeians- Slaves
Republic > Empire
(Julius Caesar and
Augustus)
PAX ROMANA-200
years of peace &
wealth starts with
Augustus
ROME=REPUBLIC- representative
democracy
Consuls-Senate-Assembly
TWELVE TABLES Innocent until proven guilty
Punic Wars- 3 wars,
Carthage V. Rome
Rome wins all three,
Scipio Roman general
Hannibal Carthaginian
General
territory grows

9. ROME
Constantine- legalizes
Christianity, changes capital to
Constantinople
Diocletian-splits empire in 2
Western Roman Empire
Falls:
Invasions, TOO big,
political instability,
inflation
Eastern Roman Empire
continues to thrive-
Constantinople/
Byzantine Empire
Christianity-roots in
Judaism, Jesus, afterlife,
New Testament
Apostles spread- Peter and
Paul
http://youtu.be/w-Nh-zSMzqo
http://youtu.be/CWCwnkdPPCc
http://youtu.be/2kRwJJwxGZE

10. Byzantine Empire
Trade & Protection
Surrounded on
three sides by water
JUSTINIAN- takes back
Roman land, expands
trade, Nike Revolt
Hagia Sophia- church
THEODORA= wife, lots
of political power
Copy Greek and Roman
culture
Language- Greek
Greek Orthodox Church
Roman Laws
City falls to Turks in 1453
and it renames Istanbul
The Great Schism 1054
Church splits in two
WEST- Rome, Latin Pope,
Icons ok,
EAST- Constantinople,
Greek, Patriarch, no icons
http://youtu.be/46f-3rane14 http://youtu.be/ng--WLT0Xjc http://youtu.be/46f-3rane14

11. Russia
Copies Byzantine Empire
Onion Domes
Cyrillic alphabet
Ivan III- “The Great”
gets ride of Mongols
Ivan IV- “The Terrible”
Kills all those who disagree
with him
Czar/Tzar “Caesar”- Russian
KingMongols invade and unify
Russia (Ghenghis & Khubla
Khan). Destroy countryside
and Kiev along the way
New capital at Moscow
3rd Rome

12. Islam
Founder= Mohammed
Mecca (Kaaba)
Medina (Hijrah-622)
Monotheistic= Allah
Quran
Arabic
Achievements:
Arabic numerals (0-9)
Algebra, architecture, copy
texts, med,
Spreads to Spain, Africa,
and parts of Asia despite
barriers
Moors= Muslims in Spain
Expansion into W. Europe
is halted by Charles Martel
@ Battle of Tours
5 Pillars of Islam
Creed
Almsgiving
Fasting
Pilgrimage
Pray 5x a Day facing Mecca

13. AFRICA
EAST
Nubia/Kush- upper Nile
River/ South of Egypt
Axum- Red Sea, Christian
Kingdom
SOUTH-
Limpopo and Zambezi
River
Great Zimbabwe
Sahara Highway trade
route
WEST- Niger River, lslamic
Salt and Gold trade
Ghana
Mali-Mansa Musa, Timbuktu
Songhai

14. Mesoamerica
Polytheistic- human sacrifice
Math
Calendars
Inca- Andes Mountains
Roads, Terrace Farming,
Bridges, Quipu (knots in
rope), Brain Surgery
http://youtu.be/l2NzutZZo7s
Aztec- Mexico, calendar,
Tenochtitlan, Chinampas,
human sacrifice, Cortez
Maya- Yucatan Peninsula
Large temples, Math/zero
Chichen Itza, Glyphs,
Pok –ta -Pok

15. Early Middle Ages
Europe= Germanic invasions
Protection= feudalism
Franks- settle in Gaul
(France) Roman culture
Magyars- settle in
Hungary
Angles & Saxons- settle
in England
Vikings- Scandinavia,
attack Europe, settle in
Normandy
Roman Catholic Church is
very powerful!
Monks- Monasteries, copy
books by hand, illuminated
manuscript
Pope makes Charlemagne
Holy Roman Emperor
http://youtu.be/8qSkaAwKMD4

16. Late Middle Ages
Nation States start to appear
Hundred Years War:
France V. England
Long bow, cannon
Joan of Arc- French girl
who help unify the French
forces
France Wins
Strengthens the monarchs
power, weakens feudal
system
Scholars=Church
England- Will the
Conqueror- Battle of
Hastings 1066
Common Law- Henry II
Magna Carta- limit King john
France- Hugh Capet est.
French Throne
Spain- take back land from
Moors, Ferdinand & Isabella
expel Jews and Muslims

17. Black Death
B-U-B-O-N-I-C
Decline in population
Feudalism ends
Church power declines
Serfs revolt
Crusades
Christians V. Muslims
Pope Urbans Speech
Crusaders (Christian) take
Jerusalem (Holy Land)
Establish Crusader States
Muslims under Saladin take back
the Holy Land
Constantinople is sacked
Effects-
Pope and power of church
decreased
Monarchs power increased
Increased trade
Bitter feeling btw Christians,
Jews, and Muslims
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZy6XilXDZQ&list=PLA72B0BF6DE99BA2F&feature=share&inde
=1

18. Renaissance “rebirth”
Starts in Italian port cities
like Florence, Genoa,
Venice
New banking practices
Da Vinci- Mona Lisa & Last
Supper
http://youtu.be/_UVfIN2NM4E
Michelangelo- “David” & Sistine
Chapel
Petrarch- Father of Humanism
Humanism- celebrate the
individual
Secularism- non-religious
Classicism- rebirth of Greek and
Roman values
Medici Family- leaders of
Florence, patrons of the arts
Machiavelli- “The Prince”
How a leader should rule
Absolute power
“End justify the means”
Do good when possible,
evil if necessary

19. Northern
Renaissance
Renaissance ideas spread
North of Italy- Flanders
Erasmus- “Praise of Folly”
Sir Thomas More “Utopia”
ART-
Middle Ages- church and
salvation
Renaissance- individuals,
nature, secular religious
but with detail and
emotion not seen in MA
(north)
Merge Humanist ideas
with Christianity
Gutenberg- movable type
printing press, people read
Bible