AP Video

 

Here's a video about AP classes, as suggested to us by Mr. Gerfers. 

Keep up the good work, everyone!

Review for Chapter 2/3 Quiz

1. The Late Bronze Age was __________ (you had to be paying attention in class to know this).
2. What was the North African colony settled by the Phonecians?
3. Who developed iron tools & chariots?
4. What is the modern capital of Sudan?
5. What civilization was on the island of Crete?
6. Who was the Assyrian god?
7. Where did most knowledge of this era come from?
8. The Hebrew religion ("Judaism, get it right!!!" Rachel says to add) has how many gods?
9. Who practiced child sacrifice?
10. What is a diaspora?

Answers: 

Minoan bull leaping depicted in Knossos

• Cosmopolitan
• Carthage
• The Hittites
• Khartoum
• The Minoans
• Ashur
• The Library of Ashurbanipal
• One
• The Carthaginians
• "Dispersal" - it's Greek

Chapter 6 - India and Ancient Asia

     The Indian subcontinent is made up of basins, mountains and a peninsula, and is influenced by monsoons (seasonal rains/winds that help with agriculture).
     From 1500 - 500 BCE, India was in the Vedic age. The Vedas, our main source of information about the time, were a group of religious texts that told us about life in India. There were two types of social divisions: jatis, the castes and birth groups, and varnas, the class system of priests, warriors, merchants/farmers and laborers, eventually joined by the "untouchables" at the bottom of the system. Many jatis were contained in a single varna. The higher groups feared "contamination" from the lower groups, especially the untouchables.
     The Vedic religion was male-based and centered around sacrifice. Jainism provided another option and challenged the Vedic religion. It taught that distancing yourself from the world gave "moksha" (liberation) and that you should practice strict nonviolence and eat only what you were given. As a result, many early Jainists starved to death.
     Buddhism gave yet another option. It taught the 4 Noble Truths:

1. All  life is pain and suffering.
2. The cause of suffering is want.
3. Suffering can be cured in Nirvana (paradise).
4. Following the 8-Fold Path will lead you to Nirvana.

The 8-Fold Path stresses having correct:

Theravada monk

1. Views
2. Intentions
3. Speech
4. Actions
5. Livelihood
6. Effort
7. Mindfulness
8. Concentration (by meditating)

Buddhism is divided into two different types: Theravada, the more traditional (the orange-robed monks), and Mahayana, the more progressive (with shrines, saints and monasteries). Buddhists built stupas, pyramid-like structures to worship at.
     Hinduism also appeared in India during the Vedic age. Hinduism focuses on the gods Shiva, Vishnu and Devi, all talked about in the main religious text, the Bhagavad-Gita. Hinduism allowed many forms of worship.
     Chandragupta Maurya first unified most of the subcontinent in 324 BCE in the start of the Mauryan Empire. The Empire grew wealthy from trade, iron and taxes on agriculture. Ashoka, its third ruler, converted the empire to Buddhism before its collapse in 184 BCE.
     The next few years were spent under Greco-Bactrian, Shaka, and Kushan occupation. During this time, the Iliad of India, the Mahabharata, was written and the Tamil Kingdoms came to power, stressing epics, poetry and the performing arts. The Gupta Empire was the next to take over with military and cultural control. It is a classic example of a theater-state, one which acquires prestige based upon its culture and ceremonies (this sounded pretty important!). There was a loss of women's rights during the Gupta Empire, with some girls being married off at six or seven and the principle of sati, a widow burning herself to death on her husband's funeral pyre. The Gupta Empire collapsed in 550 CE.

     Southeast Asia is mainly made up of Indochina, the Malay Peninsula and thousands of islands. Its climate and natural resources allowed for populations to grow very large. It had a strong Hindu/Buddhist culture because of being on trade routes, and its rulers used Indian knowledge and culture as a basis for their own, allowing them to enhance their power by using what worked for others.
     In the modern-day rice-growing regions of Vietnam, the Funan society grew to control trade across the Malay Peninsula. It was at its height in the fifth and sixth centuries, but gradually declined when trade routes began to shift.

     Wonder what it's like being a Buddhist monk? Try meditating. Find a quiet spot and try to think about one thought for five minutes without getting distracted or sidetracked. Can you do it? Those of you who had AP Human Geo last year probably will do better, since we did this in the religion chapter. :)

Chapter 5 - Imperial China

     By 221, the Qin Dynasty (I apologize now if I spell it "Quin" and I don't catch it) conquered all of China. Shi Huangdi, the "First Emperor", as he liked to be called, burned books written by Confucius and all who opposed him. He attacked nomads in the north, who formed the Xiongnu Confederacy (they threatened China for years). Shi Huangdi made military service compulsory, and when he died, was buried with a terracotta army numbering in the thousands.
     Gaozou, the first Han emperor, took over after a rebellion. He gave land grants to the people, and appeased the Xiongnu with gifts (they later disintegrated in the mid 1st century). His son Wu took over and laid the foundation for the Silk Road (they'll be coming up later). He also started a salt, iron and alcohol monopoly and adopted Confucianism. His astrologer, Sima Qian, is considered the father of Chinese history -  he stated writing history down and recorded a lot of what we know about early China.
     The Chinese had a patriarchal society, and women were usually discouraged from doing much of anything substantial. Their situation differed by status, but overall, they had less freedoms than Roman women in the same time period. Beneath the wealthiest aristocrats, there was the gentry, a class that the Emperor chose his administrative officials from. They were well educated and respected for their wisdom. A 2-year military service was made mandatory in the Han Dynasty.
     The capital in the Qin & early Han Dynasties was Chang'an, in central China. It is still around (going by Xi'an now), but it is no longer the magnificent city it was in early imperial China. The aristocrats focused on entertainment there, and tiger fights were never missed.
     China at this time gained a wealth of knowledge - they studied astrology, made roads and canals, invented the watermill to assist in building and grinding plants, invented paper, and in the first century, started studying Buddhism, which originated in India four hundred years before.
     In 9 CE, Wang Mang seized power and started to better the economy, but was stopped by a flood of the Yellow River that was so destructive that the river paved a new path through the empire. After the Uprising of the Red Eyebrows, the Han were back in control, but their corrupt government, combined with economic problems and disloyalty in the military caused their collapse. General Cao Cao (pronounced "tsow tsow") officially ended the Han empire near 220 CE.  This threw China into a period of political fragmentation and pushing the heart of the Chinese culture towards the Yangtze River area.
    
     Thanks to everyone who used this site when we had to do Cornell notes (eew!) in class the past few days, and to those who used it as a source in their essays. Here is a panda for all of your good work... keep it up!

Chapter 5 - Rome

  

Roman aqueducts allowed water to be moved into cities.

      As legend goes, Rome was founded by an orphan named Romulus, raised by wolves. However, no one knows what really happened.
     The centers of the government were the Forum (civic center) and the Senate with its Council of Elders. In the Republic (from 507 - 31 BCE), the Consul, the top two elders of the Senate, lead many decisions.
     Land was the basis of wealth in Rome, with the elite (called "patricians") owning most of the land and the common people getting smaller parcels. Women in Rome had a lot more freedom than their Greek counterparts, and played important roles in society. Religion at first focused on numina, the natural forces, and was practiced in natural areas. It was believed that there was a pax decorum, literally "peace of the gods" in place... this was believed to be a covenant between the gods and the people granting safety if the priests offered regular sacrifices. Soon the Greek deities were equated with (Zeus = Juno, ex.), and the pantheon expanded.
     Rome reached its peak in the 2nd and 3rd centuries BCE, when it had a powerful army which conquered the surrounding tribes and accepted them (unlike Greece's plan of conquer-and-enslave). Rome fought Carthage twice and came out as the undisputed ruler of the Mediterranean, conquering Sicily, Sardinia, Spain and Gaul. Officials were chosen there by political connections with the capital city.
     Latifundas, broad estates/ranches were important to the empire, but they declined when military service became required. Gauis Marius took soldiers into the army and promised them land, which soon brought work back to farms.
     The emperors Sulla, Pompey, Caesar, Antony and Octavian fought many civil wars, resulting in the Roman Principate (31 BCE - 330 CE), which was really just a fancy name to disguise Octavian's (he was also called Augustus) military dictatorship. Augustus brought Egypt, parts of the Middle East and Central Europe into the empire and formed a core of merchants (called equites) who helped to pay for the running of the empire. This created the first bureaucracy.
     Emperors were chosen by the Senate, but in all actuality, it was really the military who selected them. During the Principate, the Emperor was one of the main sources of laws, and he held a lot of power.
     Upper-class Romans lived in huge homes in the cities, and they owned villas elsewhere for vacation. The poor, however, built slums in the cities and tended to "tenant farm" in the country. The country was a far cry from the filled-to-the-brim-with-politicians cities... the only official who was regularly seen was the tax collector.
     In 212 CE, Emperor Caracalla gave citizenship to all free men, but persecution still occurred. After the death of Jesus (prophet, messiah, politician, or crazy man, it's up to you to decide) the spread of Christianity was lead by a man named Paul, who brought it to Rome. Emperor Constantine eventually converted the empire.
     During the Third Century Crisis (235 - 284 CE), political, economical and military turmoil, frequent shifts in power, civil wars and invasions caused the near-destruction of Rome, but all was saved by Emperor Diocletian, who reformed the economy and put people back to work.
     The Western half of the empire fell in 476, but the eastern empire continued their control of the area.
Some words to know:

• Pax Romana - "Roman peace"; safety and stability given by Roman power in the area
• Romanization - the spread of Latin and the Roman culture, which was strong in the Western provinces (Greek culture was more common in the East)
• Aqueducts - long conduits that carried water 
• Parthia - the heirs to Mesopotamia and the Persian Empire; the long-standing enemy of Rome

Greece and Iran - Chapter 4

     The Iranians started out as a group with a similar language and culture in what is now Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan. The Medes people (Medes is a city there) were the first to achieve a complex political structure, and they conquered the Assyrians (who, if you remember from earlier, managed to conquer a lot of the region) in the 7th century BCE.
     Cyrus united the Persians and overthrew the Medeans, taking their land and expanding the empire with his son Cambyses' conquest of Egypt.
     The Persian society was based on patriarchy (the father was the head of the family). Persia was divided into warriors, priests and peasants. Under Darius I, the empire expanded into Greece and Pakistan. Satraps, the local governors, ruled the regions and brought taxes to the king's ceremonial capital, Persepolis. The empire under Darius I followed Zoroastrianism, which was the predecessor of Judaism and Christianity. It held that the god, Ahuramazda, was opposed to a force of evil, called Angra Mainyu. Zoroastrianism venerated nature.
     The Mycaeans were destroyed in 1500 BCE, which threw Greece into a Dark Age of depopulation, poverty, and relative isolation. Around 800 BCE, the Phoenicians brought new ideas into Greece when they decided to expand their trade routes, starting what is known as the Archaic Period.
      Greece was ruled by polises - city-states, which had an urban center and agricultural land. The acropolis was the top of the city, where people would meet in emergencies, while the agora was where government decisions were made (and where the marketplace was).
     Greece perfected the use of a hoplite army - one that fought in a close formation with lots of armor. Hoplite armies were mainly farmers, who required little training and worked between seasons.
     Greece started colonies to reduce the population in its core, and began to coin money in the sixth century BCE. In the late 7th and early 6th centuries BCE, tyrants took control of the city-states by seizing power and holding it by violating normal procedures (while taking advantage of citizens' money). These tyrants were one of the reasons that democracy started.
     The ancient Greeks believed in a pantheon of gods, with Zeus as the main one. Sacrifices were important, and communication with the gods could occur with the help of priestesses or the Oracle at Delphi.
     During this time, an emphasis on individuality and history occurred. Herodotus, the first true historian, published Histories, a chronicle of wars.
     The two main cities of the time were the democratic Athens and the militaristic Sparta (the fear of rebellion made authorities start a militaristic life for the people, with boys taken into the army at seven).
     Pericles, a government official, oversaw the transfer to democracy, helped to build the Acropolis, and was involved in the Peloponnesian War (more on that later).
     An uprising of the Greeks under the Persians, called the Ionian War, ended up failing and resulting in two attacks on Greece in the fifth century (the attacks were called the Persian War).
     Athens ended up taking control of the Aegean navy and using its money to subsidize their democracy and culture. Women and slaves were exploited, allowing the men to have more time to be involved in the government and politics. The Spartans and their allies started the Peloponnesian War because they feared Athens' power. They only won because of help from the Persians.
     King Philip II made Macedonia (part of modern-day Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Albania and Bulgaria) into a military power and united the city-states into a strong empire in the fourth century BCE. His son Alexander the Great conquered and took over the Persian empire. When Alexander died, a half century of power struggles started. This was called the Hellenistic age because of lands in NE Africa and W Asia coming under Greek (Hellenistic) control.
     In Egypt, Alexandria became the world's greatest city. It was the center of commerce in the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, it started a museum and a library, and made advances in science, technology and medicine.
     Members of the native population of Greece learned Greek and took on some of the Greek customs to be a part of the ruling class. Greeks borrowed from Egyptian and Mesopotamian culture, and gave their citizens many freedoms, even for minority groups, such as the Jews.

Chapter 3 - The Iron Age

      The Iron Age began with the advent of (you guessed it!) iron being used in tools instead of bronze, mainly because iron was not an alloy and it could be found in many places.
     In late Bronze Age Mesopotamia, cultures and lifestyles were shared, and peasant life was improving.By 1500 BCE, the Babylonians had risen to power in the south, and the Assyrians had taken the north.
     The Hittites, the first people to master iron working, were from Turkey. They established power in Anatolia (Turkey) and Syria in the late Bronze Age with a wealth in metals and a strong military. They vied with New-Kingdom Egypt (we'll talk about them later) for control over Syria and Palestine before falling to unknown attackers in circa 1200 BCE. The Hittites used cuneiform and were highly influenced by Mesopotamian culture.
     In 1640 BCE, Egypt was ruled by the Hyksos, the Princes of Foreign lands, who had taken over with the use of the chariot and the composite bow. The pharaohs Kamose and Ahmose started the New Kingdom in 1532 BCE, which was both aggressive and expansive (especially in trying to control Nubia).
     Some Pharaohs to Know:

• Hatshepsut - she became pharaoh when her husband died and led a successful reign
• Akhenaten/Amenhotep IV - he is the alleged "creator" of monotheism (at least in this book - this will be that answer for the exam, if they ask about the creator of monotheism); he changed Egypt's religion from following many gods under the supreme god Akhen to worshiping one god, Amen (Amun). He was married to Queen Nefertiti. 
• Tutankhamen - he ruled and died at a very young age and is known for the riches discovered in his tomb
• Ramses II - he reigned for 64 years and had over 100 children. His Egypt specialized in metal trad using horses and camels

     The ancient Greek civilization began with the Minoans in Crete. The fortified city of Mycenae was the first site to be excavated there, so it is known as the Mycenaean empire (I apologize now for any times I spell that wrong in the future). The Mycenaeans used a language called Linear B, which was an ancestor of Greek. The Minoans and Mycenaeans were known for their sailing and ship trade in slaves, pottery, oil and wine. They imported things from all over the region, showing that they were well connected. While the Hittites were conquered and the Egyptians surrendered lands after years of attacks, the Mycenaeans built forts to protect their cities. These forts bought them time, but they were eventually destroyed by invaders. Their economic connections increased their vulnerability - once their trading partners were taken over, they only had a matter of time.
     The Assyrians expanded to cover the area from Anatolia to Iran. All people served the king, and propaganda was used to gain military support for the government, to the point where professional soldiers were hired. The rebellious were deported en mass, with up to four million people being relocated. The government used its cities as tight centers of control to exploit the area's wealth. The Assyrians valued knowledge and built large educational institutions, with the Library of Ashurbanipal being the most well known (to historians... I doubt we've ever heard of it).
     Ancient Israel began with Abraham (who goes by Avraham too) and his descendents accepting a monotheistic religion. They soon were put into slavery in Egypt, but left hundreds of years later and accepted the Torah (yes, I know, the book calls it the "Hebrew Bible"... but it's the Torah). The twelve tribes of Israel divided, and trouble with the neighboring Philistines started.
     Saul became the first king of Israel, with David taking over after Saul was killed in battle. Solomon, David's son, built the First Temple to consolidate religious and secular authority in what is known as the golden age for ancient Israel.
     Extended families were important in Israeli society, with male heirs being needed to carry on the family's business. Women were respected, but could not own property or divorce their husbands.
     After King Solomon died (around 920 BCE), Israel split into Israel (in the North) and Judah (in the south). They were soon crushed by the Assyrians, sending the Jewish people into the Diaspora, which strengthened their cultural identity.
     Phoenicia (which called itself Canaan) dominated the Mediterranean while Israel was still one kingdom. It specialized in sea commerce, and developed an early form of writing to keep track of trade. Phoenicia was ruled by a bunch of city-states, the most notable Sidon and Tyre.
     By 700 BCE, the Phoenician Triangle (of trade) spanned all of North Africa, the Spanish coast, and many Italian islands. Carthage, a city in modern-day Tunisia, was a part of this triangle. Carthage was a commercial and naval power, but was crushed by Rome in the third century BCE. It used chosen judges as heads of state, had a well trained navy, and kept watchtowers over all of its ports. Carthage controlled a belt of agricultural land in North Africa, which it used to grow food (well, the slaves grew it).
     The Carthagenians worshiped many gods - the main god was one who controlled the storms and had to be appeased by sacrificing children.
     All of these civilizations fell to Assyria, but the large territory weakened the state and the Neo-Babylonians and Medes (from Iran) took over in 612 BCE and resulted in the depopulation of Northern Mesopotamia. However, this resulted in a cultural renaissance in Babylonia.


     Please review the key questions at the beginning (and the ones that the end) of the chapters to make sure that you've got the main points. I will be putting up chapter four sometime soon (I hope), since we need to move quickly to catch up to where we are supposed to be.  I would prefer to be ahead and help you with writing essays than be behind. Let me know what you think so far!

The Olmec and Chavin - Chapter 2

     The population of the Americas began through the Siberia-Alaska land bridge near 18-14,000 BCE.
     The Olmec (1200 - 400 BCE) were based in Southern Mexico. They created extensive agricultural plans for their fields, a wide range of trade, ceremonial centers, and monuments. Centers of industry at La Venta, San Lorenzo, and Tres Zapotes exchanged products such as salt, chocolate, limestone, and clay.
     Large platforms were used in ceremonies and as bases for houses. Little is known about Olmec politics, but kings are suggested by giant statues of stone heads. The Olmec worshiped may gods, who could change into animal forms at will. Shamans (those who could contact the gods) were essential to Olmec religion.
     From observing the starts, the Olmec created a calendar that was later expanded upon by the Maya.

Nubia and the Celts - Chapter 2

     Nubia, called Kush by the Egyptians, was the 1,000 mile stretch of Nile Valley that became the only continuously inhabited territory to connect the North and South of Africa.
     Egyptian rulers sought to dominate Nubia for its gold, resulting in the rise of civilizations in the area. Nubia was always influenced by Egypt and its practices.
     The Kingdom of Meroe (800 - 350 BCE) rose after Egyptian power began to decline. In fact, Nubian kings sometimes ruled Egypt during this period. In 701 BCE, Nubians offered aid to Assyrian-occupied Palestine, but the Assyrians invaded Egypt and drove the Nubians south. Due to this invasion, Nubia moved the capital to Meroe in Southern Egypt.
     Women played an important role in Nubian society, even ruling on their own. Meroe itself was a huge city, the center of agriculture and trade for Nubia. Nubia collapsed in the fourth century CE due to nomad raiders and shifting trade routes. 
     

Early China - Chapter 2

     East Asia has different weather conditions in different areas, making agriculture possible only by the combined efforts of many people.
     During the Shang Period (1750 - 1045 BCE), the Chinese grew millet, raised pigs and chickens, perfected stone tools, made pottery, and started to make silk. The Shang dynasty pioneered writing in Asia, so we see it as the first real ruling dynasty of China.
     The Shang writing system was an ancestor of modern Chinese. All court records were kept in Shang on cattle bones (called "oracle bones" by historians). Many parts of the Shang religion were recorded, such as the sky god Di (who people joined when they died). Like the Egyptians, the Shang saw their ruler as a link with the gods.
     The Shang elite were warriors who reveled in drinking and battle. Their cities were not well preserved, due to climate and conquest, but records show that the capital moved around a lot.
     In the mid-11th century BCE, the Zhou took over, led by Wen and his son Wu. Wu saw himself as "the son of Heaven" and declared that Heaven could take away power from rulers who were not being just towards their people (this was known as the Mandate of Heaven, and was very useful for keeping Wu on the throne). Much more is known about his period because of the written records. It was during the Zhou period that Feng Shui, the art of setting things on a harmonious order, began.
     The Zhou perfected warfare by putting warriors on horseback. During the Spring and Autumn Period (the first part of the Zhou reign), the different Chinese states were frequently at odds with each other.
     Confucianism, which focused on its founder's teachings, spread wildly during this period. Confucius supported respect for rituals, ancestors, and gods, and felt that the supernatural was unknowable. Confucianism's main rival, Daoism (or Taoism), founded by Lao Zi, focused on tranquility and nature. During this time, clans moved to a three-family structure (grandparents, parents and grandchildren).
     The second half of the period, called the Warring States Period (481 - 221 BCE) got its name from frequent power struggles. The Qin state maintained that the Confucians were wrong and that rulers should disregard subjects' opinions. Rather, they believed that total control was necessary. The Qin government broke up estates and took away nobles' privileges to keep control over the people.