The document provides an introduction to world history, including key terms and concepts. It discusses how the oldest human fossils were found in Africa by Louis and Mary Leakey and Donald Johanson. It also outlines some of the biggest achievements in world history, such as the invention of tools, language, and wheels. Additionally, it introduces the four early river valley civilizations that arose around 3500 BCE in Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, and China due to fertile land and water resources. Key terms related to these early civilizations are also defined.

1. World History Introduction
Ch. 1

2. 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 and Ethiopia
•Who found the oldest human fossils?
• Louis and Mary Leakey, Donald Johanson, Recent Scientists(Name??)
•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

5. 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

6. Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania

7. 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. Source
and More
Info

10. Homo-Sapiens
Neanderthal vs Cro-Magnon vs Modern

14. 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

18. 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

19. 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

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

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

24. Ch. 2-Early River Valley Civilizations

25. •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

26. 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

29. 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

30. 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

33. 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 devay
• Usually reserved for royalty and the rich

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

36. 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

38. 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

39. 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

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

41. Topics to Research
•Political: Who controls what? What type of government is
there? 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?
•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.