Introduction and the Near Eastern Origins of Western Civilization

1. Introduction and theNear Eastern Origins of Western Civilization

2. Introduction to Western Civilization 1. What Are Your Questions…What Do You Hope to Discover? 2. How Might This Course Help in Your Quest?

3. Introduction to Western Civilization • All history is the history of thought. (R.G. Collingwood) • To be ignorant of what happened before you were born is to remain always a child. (M. Tullius Cicero) • Anyone who cannot give an account to oneself of the past 3,000 years remains in darkness, without experience, living from day to day. (Goethe)

4. Key Questions • What is “Western” Civilization? • Is the West “special?” • Does the West have unique/noteworthy features or is it just one of many cultures? • Is the West in decline or withering away? • Is Western culture better – or worse – than others? • Does it matter? (Dead…White…Men)

5. Major Themes • Growth of rational inquiry • Tension between religious ideals and social-political realities • Rise of constitutional forms of government

6. Interesting Questions History of ideas (e.g., progress) How the West grew rich Emergence of the self The death of the soul The nature of war The American political ideals and the concept of rights Echoes of the past in art and architecture

7. Principal Focuses • Historical record: Social, political, intellectual, technological, and economic events • Cultural legacy: Developments that move culture in new directions; provide examples of specific styles/modes of thought; show diverse perspectives; provide links between styles; mark start/end of era; are interesting or “cool.”

8. What Is A “Civilization?” • Form of urban life, involving the construction of permanent settlements • System of government that regulates political relations • Development of social classes distinguished by wealth and occupation • Tools and specialized skills for production of goods, leading to manufacturing and trade • Shared system of religious beliefs, whose officials play significant role in community affairs

9. An Important Caveat • The anthropological use of the term “civilized” carries absolutely no value judgment • “Primitive people” can create valuable and lasting works • Highly “civilized” societies can cause indescribable suffering • This course chronicles high achievements and grim background

10. The Origins of Western Civilization • Africa is the site of the origin of hominids … and the earliest “human” recognition of abstract images in the environment. The Makapansgat pebble resembling a human face, c. 3 million BCE

11. Recent African Origin (RA0) Model of Modern Humans The recent African origin of modern humans is one of two hypotheses of the origin of anatomically modern humans. The theory is also known as the Out-of-Africa model, the recent single-origin hypothesis (RSOH), and the Replacement Hypothesis. According to this theory, anatomically modern humans evolved solely in Africa, between 200,000 and 100,000 years ago, with members of one branch leaving Africa by 60,000 years ago and replacing all earlier human populations. Alternative theories claim a multiregional origin of modern humans. Some claims push back the original "out of Africa" migration to 2 millionyears ago.

12. Upper Paleolithic (40,000 – 11,000 BCE) • Traces of physically modern humans found in North Africa, Near East, parts of Europe • No writing; everything known (surmised) from artifacts: • Nomadic • Hunter-gatherers • Implements of stone, bone, wood • Probably small populations/bands

13. Stone Age Art: Women L-R: Venus of Willendorf (c. 28,000 BCE), Venus of Laussel (c. 25,000 BCE, Reclining Woman (relief, c. 12,000 BCE, La Magdelaine Cave, France)

14. Stone Age Art: Sculpture Human with feline head, Hohlenstein-satdel, c. 30,000-28,000 BCE.

15. Stone Age Art: Animals Two Bison, Ariege, c. 15,000 BCE Bison with turned head c. 12,000 BC

16. Stone Age Art: Cave Paintings Clockwise from upper left: Altamira bison; spotted horses, Pech-Merle, 22,000 BCE; aurochs, Ardeche, 30,000 BCE; rhinoceroses, Ardeche, 30,000 BCE;

17. The Purpose of Cave Paintings (?)

18. The Neolithic Era (11,000-4,000) After 11,000 BCE changes in the global climate brought transformation in economic and settlement patterns Agriculture is the key

19. The Fertile Crescent

20. Impact of Agriculture (1) Dependence of relatively few plants Vulnerability to weather Dependence of harvest times Demand for intense physical labor

21. Impact of Agriculture (2) Permanent Dwellings Specialization Technological Advances Accumulation of Wealth Agra, in Iran, and CatalHayuk, Turkey

22. The Agricultural Revolution: Technology (1)

23. The Agricultural Revolution: Technology (2)

24. The Agricultural Revolution: Technology (3)

25. The Agricultural Revolution: Technology (4)

26. The Agricultural Revolution: Technology (5)

27. Neolithic Settlements Jericho tower

28. New Technologies Clay containers Tools Animal Plows Boat Wheel Kiln-fired brick/pottery Weaving/dyeing/tanning

29. Neolithic Society • Stratified • Hereditary (?) elites were rulers, priests, generals/warriors • Focus on supernatural powers • But…very little known about Neolithic society • Coordinated systems of authority do not emerge until 4th millennium BCE in Mesopotamia.