Quaestio : How did agricultural surplus lead to the development of complex societies ?

Quaestio: How did agricultural surplus lead to the development of complex societies? NuncAgenda:Which person do you think is more civilized? Explain your choice.

Bacha Khan Lifelong PacifistNonviolent Activist for Afghan Independence

Quaestio: How did agricultural surplus lead to the development of complex societies? NuncAgenda:Which person looks more civilized? Explain your choice.

Bashar Al-Assad Syrian DictatorResponsible for Crimes Against HumanityKilling Syrian Protesters, Gassing Syrian Children

Quaestio: How did agricultural surplus lead to the development of complex societies? NuncAgenda:Which person looks more civilized? Explain your choice.

Problems Defining Civilization • According to the textbook… Civilization:a complex and highly organized social order • CAUTION! The term Civilization can be problematic because whatever falls outside the definition would be considered “uncivilized” UNCIVILIZED! Barbarians! Savages!

Problems Defining Civilization • Its use has been historically influenced by bias, used to describe one culture as more or less civilized than another, or to force “civilization” on others

Diagnosing Civilization If you have most or all of the following symptoms, you might have Civilization! • Surplus Production • Cities • Job Specialization • Trade • Social Class Division • Organized Government • Complex Religion • Architecture • Writing

The Grass is Always Greener… • 10,000 BCE- The Neolithic Revolution began with the domestication of plants and animals. • Some groups only domesticated animals and lived by Nomadic Pastoralism: a way of life, also known as Herding, in which people move from place to place in search of grassy pastureland for their herds • Often viewed as “uncivilized” by settled peoples

Getting Settled • Many people began to adopt Settled Agriculture as a way of life, especially in fertile areas suitable for farming. Farmers now had to stay in one place because they could not leave their crops. • Two of the earliest known settled villages were found in ÇatalHüyükin modern day Turkey and Jericho in modern day Palestine.

Surplus Leads To Civilization • Over time, new farming techniques were developed, such as large irrigation (crop watering) systems, in which canals were dug leading water from rivers to the fields • This led to agricultural surplus (more than needed, extra) • SURPLUS food led to a growth in population and led directly to the growth of towns into the first large CITIES

Surplus Leads To Civilization • Without a surplus, everyone has to farm to make enough, but with a surplus, some people can do other needed jobs. This is known as JOB SPECIALIZATION. Priests conduct religious ceremonies. Soldiers defend the city from raiding nomads. Artisans make tools and pottery. Merchants engage in TRADE, selling goods to and from other cities and towns.

Job Specialization also leads to SOCIAL CLASS DIVISION, an unequal ordering of society into ranks based on job, wealth, and power

Surplus Leads To Civilization • ORGANIZED GOVERNMENTS were required to run the cities • Rulers hired government officials to collect taxes and supervise farm production • COMPLEX RELIGIONS also developed, in which rituals and sacrifices were performed by priests, who had a powerful position in the society

Surplus Leads To Civilization • Large-Scale ARCHITECTURE, such as monuments of religion or government public works like irrigation systems or bridges were common • The invention of WRITING was used for recording business transactions, keeping government records, and preserving religious rituals • Scribes were those who knew how to write, and often worked for the government

Papyrus Lansing: Be a Scribe! • Working in pairs, take turns reading and annotating the Papyrus Lansing • When finished, work together to answer the questions • Whatever is not finished will be done for homework

Quaestio : How did agricultural surplus lead to the development of complex societies ?