I don't know where to begin when blogging about section two. Section one dealt with the Neolithic and Paleolithic eras. Strayer reminds us of the incredible length of human history before modern day governments and hierarchies. Section two spans a shorter time period but is filled with a much more overwhelming amount of information.
Our class discussion regarding the Mesopotamia region and the excerpt from the "Epic of Gilgamesh" was incredibly interesting. It's story of sex, beer, relationships with nature and one another was expectantly familiar. I left class wondering if it is true that history continues to repeat itself or if the similarities are more indicative of human nature. If it is indicative of human nature I wonder how far we have come since that time.
Section two of our book moves away from the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia and into the "Second Wave" civilizations. It shows a diverse history of competing civilizations and dynasty's as they rise and fall. The foundations of our own civilizations, religions, social hierarchies and struggles were built during this Classical period.
I am most interested in the Greek and Roman civilizations. I would love to learn more about teachings of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Strayer mentions Aristotle's government recommendation of a mix of Republic, Democracy and Monarchy which is what our government is currently based on. He discusses the view of women as inferior and that homosexual behavior was socially acceptable.
Strayer begins the section by asking if we are the next Roman Empire. Have things changed that much? I think this question is especially relevant right now. As special interest groups and the wealthy in our country continually shape our laws to fit their interests it is hard not to wonder if the income gap will become to wide. How long will it be before another country bypasses us as the worlds superpower.
Beyond all of this I enjoyed learning about the history of our current world religions. The beginning of Monotheism and the evolution of Buddhism and Christianity from it's original teachings. Slayer writes how their followers turned their leaders into gods. India's Caste system that continues to be a influential part of India's social system. China's system of class was more open to social mobility. During the Han dynasty students could become Elite officials by passing examinations. Although the Peasant class was the least wealthy they had more prestige then the Merchant class. In the America's the Mayans had their own writing and could predict eclipses of the sun and moon.
I really did enjoy section two of our book but the amount of material in this section has made this blog difficult to do. When you look closely at these societies there are so many interesting and diverse aspects of each of these civilizations. When you pan out they all suffered from many of the same problems. It brings me back to the "Epic of Gilgamesh" and leaves me wondering how far we have come. It is possible that we are just the next Roman Empire.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Ways of The World Intro Thru Chapter 3
"Although often neglected by historians and history textbooks, this long period of the human experience merits greater attention..." (5)
Strayer points out that although Homo sapiens emerged on this earth 250,000 years ago the early beginning of civilizations as we know them did not exist until about 12,000 years ago. He feels that it is important to understand that for the majority of it's existence mankind lived without the cities, states, man-made boundaries, hierarchies and inequalities that exist today. He points out that what we may perceive as natural and necessary to the continuation of our species are actually concepts that have been around for a relatively small period of our history. By ignoring this long period of human history and viewing our early ancestors as "barbaric" and "uncivilized" we lose important lessons from a time where there was no slavery, deforestation, major wars, gender inequalities or ruling class.
During the Paleolithic era, beginning with the emergence of Homo sapiens, we existed as small groups of less than 20 people. These societies sustained themselves by gathering plants and hunting animals. Women were in charge of gathering plants which made up for a majority of the groups food supplies. Although there was no written language, it is possible to gain a better understanding of this lifestyle by examining The San of Southern Africa and the Chamash of Southern California. These societies resisted the expansion of agricultural and industrial influences and continued their gatherer-hunter way of life.
The last ice age ended 16,000 to 10,000 years ago followed by a "global warming". Plants and animals who could not adapt to the warming climate died off. Many plants that could not survive during the ice age did well and became abundant. The human population grew during this time. Some communities began to settle and form villages. One interesting fact is that completely unrelated and distant communities began to settle into villages at around the same time.
As human beings began to settle into villages and into the neolithic era with the beginning of agriculture, populations began to grow rapidly. We began to domesticate plants and animals, exploit natural resources and build boundaries. Boundaries had to be defended. Disease spread from domesticated animals. Areas where plants did not grow easily gave way to "pastoral societies" who herded domesticated animals. Both herding and agricultural communities began to maintain order through lineage systems. "Many agricultural societies, in Africa and elsewhere, conducted their affairs without formal centralized states or full-time rulers, even when they were aware of these institutions and practices from nearby peoples." (pg51) Chiefdoms became another form of society. Although these chiefs "seldom use force to compel the obedience of their subjects." (pg 51) this way of life lays the framework for the idea of monarchies.
It was not until around 3500 B.C. that civilizations emerged. These new civilizations brought progress in the way of written language, tools, trade and the domestication of horses. At the same time the formation of cities and politics came with the beginning of social inequalities, disease and damage to the environment. The land and it's inhabitants became tools to be exploited by the rapidly growing human population. Today we look at early gatherer hunter societies as if they are barbaric but we seldom take the time to look at the lessons they offer in regard to quality of life. Strayer believes that it is a mistake to ignore our early history that, after all, makes up the large majority of human history.
Shauna Banks
Strayer points out that although Homo sapiens emerged on this earth 250,000 years ago the early beginning of civilizations as we know them did not exist until about 12,000 years ago. He feels that it is important to understand that for the majority of it's existence mankind lived without the cities, states, man-made boundaries, hierarchies and inequalities that exist today. He points out that what we may perceive as natural and necessary to the continuation of our species are actually concepts that have been around for a relatively small period of our history. By ignoring this long period of human history and viewing our early ancestors as "barbaric" and "uncivilized" we lose important lessons from a time where there was no slavery, deforestation, major wars, gender inequalities or ruling class.
During the Paleolithic era, beginning with the emergence of Homo sapiens, we existed as small groups of less than 20 people. These societies sustained themselves by gathering plants and hunting animals. Women were in charge of gathering plants which made up for a majority of the groups food supplies. Although there was no written language, it is possible to gain a better understanding of this lifestyle by examining The San of Southern Africa and the Chamash of Southern California. These societies resisted the expansion of agricultural and industrial influences and continued their gatherer-hunter way of life.
The last ice age ended 16,000 to 10,000 years ago followed by a "global warming". Plants and animals who could not adapt to the warming climate died off. Many plants that could not survive during the ice age did well and became abundant. The human population grew during this time. Some communities began to settle and form villages. One interesting fact is that completely unrelated and distant communities began to settle into villages at around the same time.
As human beings began to settle into villages and into the neolithic era with the beginning of agriculture, populations began to grow rapidly. We began to domesticate plants and animals, exploit natural resources and build boundaries. Boundaries had to be defended. Disease spread from domesticated animals. Areas where plants did not grow easily gave way to "pastoral societies" who herded domesticated animals. Both herding and agricultural communities began to maintain order through lineage systems. "Many agricultural societies, in Africa and elsewhere, conducted their affairs without formal centralized states or full-time rulers, even when they were aware of these institutions and practices from nearby peoples." (pg51) Chiefdoms became another form of society. Although these chiefs "seldom use force to compel the obedience of their subjects." (pg 51) this way of life lays the framework for the idea of monarchies.
It was not until around 3500 B.C. that civilizations emerged. These new civilizations brought progress in the way of written language, tools, trade and the domestication of horses. At the same time the formation of cities and politics came with the beginning of social inequalities, disease and damage to the environment. The land and it's inhabitants became tools to be exploited by the rapidly growing human population. Today we look at early gatherer hunter societies as if they are barbaric but we seldom take the time to look at the lessons they offer in regard to quality of life. Strayer believes that it is a mistake to ignore our early history that, after all, makes up the large majority of human history.
Shauna Banks
Monday, May 14, 2012
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