The Stone Age - Chapter 1

      The Epic of Gilgamesh was a story that told us about civilization in ancient Mesopotamia, defined as: 1) cities, 2) political systems based on land, 3) many people with jobs other than farming, 4) status based on wealth, 5) building, 6) keeping records, 7) long-distance trade and 8) advances in art and science.
     The earliest civilizations formed around river valleys, which provided water and good farmland. they formed their own cultures, which included twelve factors: a language, education, tolerance of others, art, clothing, agriculture, technology, gender relations, music, architecture, religion and food (*memory tip - the 12 parts of culture in this order spell out  LET A CAT GMARF. The AP Exam may have a question asking about the parts of culture in a civilization.*).
     The Stone Age lasted up to 4,000 years ago, and included the Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) and Neolithic (New Stone Age) ages. People mainly hunted and gathered their food, and often moved around a lot to follow it. They made temporary shelters as they moved. Your image of an animal-skin-wearing caveman would fit in here.
     Due to climate changes, the Neolithic Revolution occurred around ten thousand years ago. It can also be referred to as the First Agricultural Revolution. Over generations, starting in the Middle East, farming of wheat began, followed by sorghum (like wheat) in Africa, rice in Asia, and corn in the Americas. Animals were tamed and used for farm work. In the dryer parts of Africa, people began to herd animals for food and money (this was called Pastoralism). Farming helped to increase the population of the ancient world.
     Societies were based on kinship (family) links, often known as clans or lineages. During this time, religion focused on nature. This is the time when monoliths (literally "big stones") like Stone Henge were built.
     Two cities you need to know are Jericho (on the Jordan river) and Catal Huyuk (In Turkey. *Memory tip - both cattle and turkey are animals. Use this to remember the location of the city. Moo!*). Both cities were large for the time and had people with specialized jobs. Catal Huyuk was very focused on art and religion, and working of metals and agriculture was important to both cities.
     In the next part of the chapter, we will be looking at three river valleys. Some questions to consider:

• What achievements occurred in this period?
• What effect did the start of farming have?

Please answer and/or ask questions in the comments!