Class on 1/30

Yesterday's class, we viewed a vedio about a science professor in a college, we travelled to an tropical island and explore for the aboriginal tribe, and their different living habits. Professor said that they are not feeble minded, but just the different skill set, if we stayed in a original forest, how can we survive in that environment, that is why professor said that.

test today

Today's class, we got a big test which valued 100 points in power school. And I really prepared hard for this test. I hope that I can get a great score this time.

class on 1/28

Today's class, we reviewed the prehistory. And tomorrow, we have a big test which valued 100 points. This is huge, and I need to try my best to get higher score. Last semester's Human Geography, I didn't get a great score, but this time, Western Civilization, I will try my best.

The Origins and “Ages” of Human Beings

–200,000 years ago a human species emerged in southwestern Africa

–14,000 years ago, a worldwide human race existed

–Earliest prehistoric age is the Paleolithic age (Old Stone Age)

–Neolithic Age (New Stone Age) was marked by advanced tool making and the beginnings of agriculture

–Initially, humans were parts of migratory groups which hunted, fished and gathered plants for food

The Agricultural Revolution

–Also known as the Neolithic Revolution, this was a shift from itinerant hunting/gathering to more permanent settlements centered on agriculture (beginning in southwestern Asia)

–Populations rose due to increased ability to care for young children

–Hierarchies appeared in village life; the status of women was lowered as women were confined more to domestic duties

–Invention of wheel and plow made it possible to produce enough food for storage

–Villagers were polytheists, worshiped multiple nature, human and animal gods

The Earliest Cities: Mesopotamia

• the district known as Sumer occupied the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers

• Population increased dramatically due to new irrigation techniques
• Cities and towns were founded, some with as many as 40,000 inhabitants
• better food storage allowed for diversity in professions: priests, tradesmen, artisans, politicians, farmers
• Kings emerged, as did family dynasties and the concept of the “city-state”
• Sumerians invented the earliest form of writing, known as “cuneiform” the world’s first (surviving) epic was the Sumerian “Epic of Gilgamesh,” which told of a great flood Sumerians first divided the hour into sixty minutes and the minute into sixty seconds; they also organized a calendar based on moon cycles the Ziggurat was a Sumerian temple built on top of a “mountain” of earth a pantheon of Sumerian gods and goddesses emerged, with many of the deities representing the natural elements of the world

Civilization in Mesopotamia

• Wandering nomads drove herds of domesticated animals in many areas, especially to the south of Sumer in Arabia
• Sumer was conquered by the Akkadians c. 2350 B.C. - their gods took the place of previous gods and all were forced to worship them
• King Hammurabi of Babylon created a series of laws known as “Hammurabi’s Code” - laws that included “an eye for an eye” and regulations of marriage, divorce, and punishments for all sorts of crimes

Today's class, we talked about the Hammurabi's Code of Laws, and we talked about some of the laws which we are interested in. Such as when someone is jealous about something in others house and if the house start burning, people will throw this guy into the fire.
And also, there are a lot of funny laws, all of them showed us that Babylonians treat people who did something bad really serious, but this law also have some bad point and some thing inhumane. That's why, most of these laws are never use nowadays.

1. When and where did human beings first emerge?
200,000 years ago a human species emerged in southwest Africa.
2. Why did the period known as"prehistory" end?
Prehistory means before things we got written down. The end of this period means there are something we already got written down.
3. What made the rise of civilization possible?
Because of the agriculture revolution, ancient people can just stay in one place and start a village life, thus, the civilization start.
4. Name some early technological innovation.
Agriculture Revolution, cuneiform.
5. How did hunters/ gatherers live?
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6. Who was King Hammurabi, and why was he important?
King Hammurabi of Babylon created a series of laws known as “Hammurabi’s Code” 

prehistory: the period of time before written records

Paleolithic Age (old stone age): during the Paleolithic period, humans grouped together in small societies such as bands, and subsisted by gathering plants and fishing, hunting or scavenging wild animals. The Paleolithic is characterized by the use of knapped stone tools, although at the time humans also used wood and bone tools. 

Neolithic Age (new stone age): this period, like the old stone age, people still use stone tools, wood tools and bone tools, but this period, the climate became warmer, and near the end of the period, people start agriculture. (around 10,000 B.C.), the initial transition from hunting and gathering to settled agriculture in prehistory and developing the ability to farm crops. This period is commonly referred to as the 'First Agricultural Revolution'.)

Agriculture Revolution: Also known as the Neolithic Revolution, this was a shift from itinerant hunting/gathering to more permanent settlements centered on agriculture.

Cuneiform: Cuneiform script is one of the earliest known systems of writing, distinguished by its wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets, made by means of a blunt reed for a stylus.

Ziggurat: a rectangular stepped tower, sometimes surmounted by a temple.

Indo- Europeans: the ancestral Proto-Indo-European language.

First class in Western civ

Fortunately, I get Mr.Schick's Western Civilization this semester. I hope that we have a great class like last semester. Although there is just me as an Asian, I will still work hard and try to get higher score this time.