Chapter-2-The-First-Civilizations-(1)

TheAncientNearEast:TheFirstCivilizationsTheCurseofPharaohsThreecomponentsofhistory1.HistoricalDocuments2.Ethnology,ethnography3.ArcheologyderivedfromtheGreekwordarkhiologia:(discourseaboutancientthings)itmeansthestudyofthehumanpastthroughthematerialtracesthathavesurvivedThenewdevelopmentofarchaeologicalfindingspushesourhorizonsfurthertowardstheunknownpast.Throughthesefindingswewereabletopartlyreconstructthehumansocietiesbeforetherecordofhistoricaldocuments.------thefirsthumans,civilizationsintheNearEastHistorybeganinSumer------SamuelN.KramerWesterncivilizationcanbetracedbacktotheancientNearEast,wherepeopleinMesopotamiaandEgyptdeveloped.TheFirstHumansPaleoanthropology(古人类学):thestudyofthefirstphasesofhumans、Hominids(Africa):Homohabilis(能人)Homoerectus(直立人)Homosapiens(智人)Homosapienssapiens(晚期智人)TheOldStoneAge(PaleolithicAge)2,500,000B.C------10,000B.C.Peoplerelyonhuntingandgatheringforsurvival------Nomadic(游牧的)Menandwomeninthehunter-gatherercommunitiesThemakingoftoolsandtheuseoffire------twoimportanttechnologicalinnovationsSpear,bowandarrow,harpoonsandfishhooksEarlyHumanArtandPrimitiveThought------picturesintheChauvetcaveTheNewStoneAge(NeolithicAge)10,000------4000B.C.Agriculturalrevolution:theshiftfromhuntinganimalsandgatheringplantstoproducingfoodbysystematicagriculture(plantingofgrainsandvegetables&tamingofanimals)nomadicwayoflife------settledcommunitiesNeolithicfarmingvillages------JerichoneartheDeadSeaConsequenceoftheNeolithicRevolutionTheNeolithicRevolutionhadfar-reachingconsequences,andsomeofitsinfluencesreacheddowntoourowntimes.Growingofcrops------permanentsettlementFoodsurplus------storage,artisticactivitiesDivisionoflabor(pottery,weavingandhandicraft)------tradeTwosignificanttechnologicaldevelopments:theinventionofwritingandtheuseofmetalsBronze------themixtureofcopperandzin3000------1200B.C.TheBronzeAgeVillagelifeandwarfareHeliolithicCulture(日石文化)AcollectionofswastikasthathadappearedinEuropeandAsiaTheEmergenceofCityandCivilizationcitiesasthemanifestationofcivilizationAcivilizationisacomplexcultureinwhichlargenumbersofhumanbeingsshareavarietyofcommonelements.Itisastageinhumanorganizationwhengovernmental,socialandeconomicinstitutionshavedevelopedsufficientlytomanagetheproblemsoforder,securityandefficiencyinacomplexsociety.Basiccharacteristicsofcivilization1)anurbanfocus:citiesbecomethecentersofpolitical,economicandsocialdevelopment.(cityandvillage)2)adistinctreligiousstructure(emergenceofthepriestclass)3)newpoliticalandmilitarystructures(bureaucracyandprofessionalarmy4)newsocialstructure(upper-class,freepeople,slaves)5)developmentofwriting6)newformsofartisticandintellectualactivityWhydidalltheancientcivilizationsemergealongrivers?FertileCrescentisnotnaturallyconducivetoagriculture.IrrigationanddiggingofcanalsMassiveorganizationandplanning(plannersbecametherulers,laborsbecametheruled.)TheneedforarmiesandsoldiersEmergenceofthepriestcasteCivilizationinMesopotamiaMesopotamia,theland“betweentherivers”(ModerndayIraq)TigrisandEuphratesThefloodingoftheriverswasunpredictableandsometimescatastrophic.Farmingcouldbedoneonlywhenpeoplebuildirrigationanddrainageditches.TheFertileCrescentHistorybeganinSumer…3200------2000B.C.thefirstcitiesthatappearinSumer:Ur,Uruk,UmmaandLagashwalledcitiesbuiltofMudbricksThesefirstcivilizationsleftdetailedrecordsthatallowustoviewhowtheygrappledwiththreeofthefundamentalproblemsthathumanshavepondered:thenatureofhumanrelationships,thenatureoftheuniverse,andtheroleofdivineforcesinthecosmos(宇宙).Sumeriancitiesweremuchlargerthantheearlyfarmingvillages.Thecitizensofeachcityweredividedintothreeclasses:noblesandpriests,commoners,andslaves.Theseclassificationsarethefirstexampleofwhatweshalloftenmeetinhistory:arecognized,legaldivisionofpeopleintosocialorders.Thekingwasnotconsidereddivine,butratheraservantofthegods.Inpracticalpoliticalterms,heheldpoweronlysolongashecouldcommandsupportfromthepowerfulpriestsandnobles.ThecityanditsGodInMesopotamia,eachtownandcitywasbelievedtobeprotectedbyitsown,uniquedeityorgod.Thetemple,asthecenterofworship,wasalsothecenterofeverycity.Aroundtheyear2000B.C.,templetowersbegantobebuilttolinkheavenandearth.Thetowers,calledziggurats（金字形神塔）,wereverylarge,pyramid-shapedstructuresontopofwhichthetemplewasbuilt.TheMesopotamiansbelievedthatthesepyramidtemplesconnectedheavenandearth.Thezigguratswereoftendecoratedwithpillarsandotherornamentation.Atfirst,religiouseventswereheldatthetemple.Later,asapriesthooddeveloped,thetemplebecamethecenterofbothreligionandlearningfortheentirecommunity.Thetemplecomplexasthetruecenterofthecommunity…Mesopotamiansviewedtheircity-statesasearthlycopiesofadivinemodelandorder.Eachcity-statehadapatrongodorgoddessTempleswerelocatedattheheartofacity-state.PhysicalenvironmentofthisregionandtheworshipofgodInMesopotamiathepeoplelookedtoreligiontoanswertheirquestionsaboutlifeanddeath,goodandevil,andtheforcesofnature.Thedingirfollowedthemes,ordivinelaws,thatgovernedtheuniverse.TheSumeriansbelieve