Ancient Colonization and Societal Development

Early Human Migration and Colonization

• Both men and women migrated, suggesting intentional colonization of new lands
• This led to the creation of highly stratified societies or chiefdoms, such as ancient Hawaiian society
• Elite classes of chiefs with political and military power ruled over commoners

Environmental Impact of Human Migration

• Quick extinction of many species of animals, especially large flightless birds, occurred after human arrival
• Example: the moa of New Zealand largely vanished within a century of human arrival
• Deforestation, famine, violent conflict, and population decline occurred on Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

Paleolithic Societies

• Paleolithic people created separate and distinct societies, each with its own history, culture, language, identity, stories, and rituals
• Gathering and hunting technology using stone tools imposed commonalities on these ancient people
• Scholars have identified common features of these early societies based on archeological records and modern gathering and hunting societies

The Agricultural Revolution

• The Agricultural Revolution took 3,500 years to unfold in Mesoamerica, compared to a faster transition in the Middle East
• The north/south orientation of the Americas required agricultural practices to adapt to distinct climatic and vegetation zones
• The east/west axis of North Africa/Eurasia allowed agricultural innovations to spread more rapidly

Spread of Agriculture

• Agriculture spread gradually to much of the earth, coexisting with gathering and hunting ways of life
• Spread occurred through two ways: diffusion (gradual spread of agricultural techniques) and colonization/migration of agricultural peoples
• Diffusion involved the exchange of ideas and products between neighboring groups
• Colonization/migration involved the slow movement of agricultural peoples, often resulting in conquest, absorption, or displacement of gatherers and hunters

Languages and Cultures Associated with Agriculture

• Languages originating in the core region of Southwest Asia accompanied the movement of people and farming practices
• Indo-European languages, originating in Turkey, reflect this movement of culture associated with the spread of agriculture
• The Chinese farming system moved into Southeast Asia, accompanied by related language families
• India received agricultural influences from the Middle East, Africa, and China

This quiz explores the colonization of new lands by early humans, and the subsequent development of stratified societies, such as the ancient Hawaiian chiefdoms.