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History: Origins and Pre-Origins

History: Origins and Pre-Origins. The Concept of History and Eras of Pre-History. I. The Meaning of the Word “History”. Words are “embalmed history” “Historia” (Greek) meaning “to learn by inquiry” Greek philosopher Herodotus was first to use the word for a study of the past—the Persian Wars.

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History: Origins and Pre-Origins

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  1. History: Origins and Pre-Origins The Concept of History and Eras of Pre-History

  2. I. The Meaning of the Word “History” • Words are “embalmed history” • “Historia” (Greek) meaning “to learn by inquiry” • Greek philosopher Herodotus was first to use the word for a study of the past—the Persian Wars

  3. II. Why Study History? • Case study of growth and change • Employs reason, logic and intellectual resources • Highlights present concerns as we look at the past • Helps us to learn to cope with change

  4. III. Some General Lessons of History • The “law of progress” is a myth • The political welfare of a state depends on the condition of the lowest class within its borders • Problems for civilizations come in the form of flights from rationality, loss of individual and local community freedom, unresponsive government, the unplanned growth of cities to the injury of rural life and the neglect of literature, art and science, and perhaps also patriotism, justice and religion.

  5. IV. Duties of a Historian • Gather together and interpret the facts of the past as honestly as possible • Evaluate the validity of the evidence • Give proper emphasis to the story—deciding which eras or periods deserve more attention than others.

  6. V. Types of Evidence

  7. A. Written Records • Inscriptions • Papyri • Medieval Manuscripts --literature of antiquity preserved by monks depending on preference --copies made on vellum or parchment --not contemporary or error-free

  8. B. Archaeological Evidence • Buildings, statues, utensils, and documents • Discovered continually • Especially helpful with the artistic and social life of the ancients • Supplements written records • Significance of mounds -- “potsherds”

  9. The Eras of Pre-History

  10. I. Paleolithic (Old Stone) Age • Food Gatherers • Roaming Existence

  11. II. Neolithic (New Stone) Age • Farmers living in villages led to the notion of “property” • Life became more complex and gender-specific • Population Expansion and some specialization

  12. II. Neolithic Age (cont) • Emergence of Trade and Textile Manufacturing • Pottery making carried to a high peak • Still no “civilization” to speak of which requires coordinated efforts like irrigation

  13. III. Bronze Age (circa 3000 BCE) • Bronze in widespread use in the Near East just before 3000 BCE • Necessity of irrigation led to civilization • Evolution of monarchy • Development of Writing • Introduction of Potter’s Wheel • Civilization develops faster in Near East than in Western Europe

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