The document provides an introduction to world history, including key concepts and discoveries. It discusses how the oldest human fossils were found in Africa, dated to around 4-6 million years ago. Specifically, early hominid remains were discovered in Tanzania in the 1930s-1970s by Louis and Mary Leakey. More recently, fossils of Homo sapiens dated to 300,000-350,000 years ago were found in Morocco in 2017. The document also summarizes the development of early civilizations along river valleys in Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus River Valley, and China from around 3500 BCE, noting traits like cities, writing systems, specialized workers, and advanced technologies.

1. World History Introduction
Ch. 1

2. “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”
• George Washington University paleoanthropologist Bernard Wood

3. Questions
• What is World History? BC and AD? BCE? CE?
• Before Christ and anno Domini(Latin for “in the year of our Lord”)
• How old is the Earth?
• 4.6 billion years
• Where were the oldest human fossils found?
• Africa-Specifically Tanzania, Ethiopia and recently Morrocco
• Who found the oldest human fossils?
• Louis and Mary Leakey, Donald Johanson, and numerous other scientists
• What are some of the biggest achievements in world history?
• Invention of tools, mastery of fire, development of language, invention of
wheels, invention of boats(the sail), art

4. Louis and Mary Leakey
•Searched for hominid remains in
Tanzania from the 1930’s-1970’s
• Hominid – the group consisting of all modern
and extinct Great Apes (modern humans,
chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans plus all
their ancestors).
•Found humanlike fossils in 1959
in the Olduvai Gorge in
Tanzania(in Africa)
•This discovery would usher many
other findings over the decades

5. Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania

6. Donald Johanson
•Discovered a 3.2 million-year-old
fossil of a female skeleton in Ethiopia
named “Lucy” in 1974
•This was the oldest known hominid
remains found until 2015
•Article

8. Lucy’s death? University of Texas Study

9. History of the World in Two Hours

20. Link to Story-Slides 10-19

21. Earliest Homo Sapiens
•Found in Morocco(Africa) June, 2017
•Oldest Homo sapiens fossils found so far
• Previous oldest was 150,000 years ago
• These fossils date back 300,000-350,000 years ago
•Controversial within scientific community
• Are they truly homo sapiens or “early modern humans”
•Link to story and video

24. Source
and More
Info

26. Article
Neanderthal vs Cro-Magnon vs Modern

30. From Ape to Man Video

32. Agricultural/Neolithic Revolution
•Prior to more organized agriculture, people were nomadic and
hunted animals and gathered plants-hunter-gatherer
•They lived in groups of about 25-70 people
•No one knows exactly how things changed, but about 10,000
years ago, people started more organized farming
•Along with planting crops, people also domesticated animals
such as horses, dogs, goats and pigs

35. Ancient Sumerian City of Ur
•As time went on, people started setting up villages, which then,
over time, turned into towns and then some into cities.
•As cities emerged, more complex ways of thinking and living
emerged leading to civilization
•As cities grew, social classes emerged

36. Define Civilization
•Book Defintion-Dictionary.com
•An advanced state of human
society, in which a high level of
culture,science, industry, and
government has been reached
•Student Friendly Definition
•A highly advanced society

37. The Five Traits of a Civilization
•Advances cities
•Writing/Record keeping
•Specialized workers
•Complex institutions
•Advanced technology

40. Questions to Consider
•What are natural borders
•What are some natural boundaries that would be
helpful to an early civilization?
•Why are defensible borders important for a
civilization to thrive?

41. Ch. 2-Early River Valley Civilizations

42. •Arose in 4 separate river valleys around 3500 B.C.
•Fertile soil, mild climate, waterway for
transportation, water for crops & drinking
•Provided for abundant crops and food surpluses

43. Ch. 2.1 KEY VOCABULARY
• Fertile Crescent
• See map
• Mesopotamia
• Greek for “land between the rivers” See map
• City-state
• a city and the surrounding territory it controls
• functioned like an independent country
• Dynasty
• A series of rulers from a single family-father to son
• Cultural diffusion
• Process in which ideas spread from one culture to another

46. Ch. 2.1 Vocabulary Continued
•Polytheism
•belief in many gods
•Monotheism
•belief in only one god
•Empire
•group of territories or nations ruled by a single ruler

47. Ch. 2.2 Vocabulary
• Delta
• A broad, marshy area of land formed by deposits of silt where a river runs into
a bigger body of water
• See map next slide
• King Narmer
• King of Egypt that many believe united Upper and Lower Egypt around 3000
BC
• Pharaoh
• The god-kings of Egypt-Seen as almost as powerful as the gods of the heavens
• Theocracy
• Government headed by religious leaders or a leader regarded as a
god

50. Ch. 2.2 Vocabulary Continued
• Pyramid
• Huge structure where the Egyptian pharaohs are placed after they die
• Mummification
• The process of drying and embalming a corpse to prevent decay
• Usually reserved for royalty and the rich

52. Ch. 2.2 Vocabulary Continued
• Hieroglyphics
• Egyptian form of writing
• Papyrus
• What Egyptians wrote on. Came from papyrus reeds found in marshy areas.

53. Ch. 2.3 Vocabulary
•Indian Subcontinent
• The landmass that includes Pakistan, India and Bangladesh
•Monsoon
• Seasonal winds that can bring dry air or
heavy rain-Huge impact on India-See map

55. Ch. 2.4 Vocabulary
• Mandate from Heaven
• A just ruler that has approval from the gods
• An unjust ruler can lose their mandate to rule
• Dynastic Cycle
• The rise, fall and replacement of dynasties

56. Ch. 2.4 Vocabulary Continued
• Feudalism
• A political system in which the king gives land to nobles/lords and in returns, they vow
loyalty and military service to the king
• Used in China, Japan and Europe

57. Ancient Civilizations
• Mesopotamia
1. Sumerians
2. Akkadians
3. Babylonians
4. Assyrians
5. Phoenicians
• Egyptians
• India
1. Harappans
• China
1. Shang Dynasty
2. Zhou(joh)

58. Topics to Research
•Political: What type of government is there? Include anything
to do with laws or war. How/when did they came into power?
How/when did they lose power?
•Economic: What type of economy? How do people make a
living? How were social classes made up?
•Geography: Where is it? Does it have natural barriers? Is the
land mountainous? Desert?
•Social: Religion, education, art, entertainment, gender roles
•Include any advances they made technologically, politically, etc.