Block 1

• Sport has evolved from survival and religious activities to a global phenomenon.

Human history timeline

• Prehistory: Before 3,000 BC
• Ancient history: 3,000 BCE - 476 CE
• Middle Ages: 476-1492 CE
• Early modern period: 1492-1789 CE
• Modern history: 1789-1945 CE
• Contemporary history: 1945 CE-present

Prehistory (before 3000 BC)

• Paleolithic period spanned from 2.5 million to 10,000 BC
• Characterized by hominids to the appearance of Homo Neanderthals.
• Nomadic hunter-gatherer societies used stone tools, controlled fire, and created early art like cave paintings.
• Mesolithic period (10,000-8,000 BC) saw the domestication of animals, early farming, seasonal settlements, and microlith tools.
• Neolithic period (8,000-3,000 BC) marks the first agricultural practices and the use of early metal tools, establishing permanent settlements too.

Ancient History (3000 BCE - 476 CE)

• Bronze Age (3,000-1,200 BCE) featured bronze tools and weapons and early writing systems in civilizations like Mesopotamia.
• Iron Age (1,200-500 BCE) included iron tools and the rise of large empires and city-states like Assyrians and Phoenicians.
• Classical Antiquity (500 BCE-476 CE) saw the flourishing of philosophy, science, and governance, including the establishment of empires.
• Events from the ancient period included the founding of Rome (753 BCE), the Athenian Golden Age (5th Century BCE).
• Also Alexander the Great's conquests (4th century BCE), and the rise and fall of the Roman Republic and Empire.
• Civilizations included the Roman Empire, Ancient Greece, and Han Dynasty in China.

Middle Ages (476-1492 CE)

• Early Middle Ages (476-1000 CE) saw feudalism, the spread of Christianity and Islam, and decentralization in Europe.
• Events included the fall of the Western Roman Empire (476 CE), Justinian's rule in Byzantium, and the spread of Islam (7th century CE).
• Civilizations included the Byzantine Empire, Islamic caliphates, and the Carolingian Empire in Europe.
• High Middle Ages (1,000-1,300 CE) were characterized by urbanization, gothic architecture, and crusades
• Norman conquest of England (1066) and the First Crusade (1096-1099).
• Civilizations included medieval Europe, Sejuk Turks, and the Song Dynasty in China.
• Late Middle Ages (1,300-1,492 CE) involved the decline of feudalism, the Black Death, and the beginnings of the Renaissance.
• Key events were the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) and the Fall of Constantinople.

Early Modern Period (1492-1789 CE)

• An age of exploration, a focus on science, and the rise of nation-states.
• Key events include the discovery of America and the genocide of indigenous tribes (1492...).
• The Protestant Reformation (1517), scientific achievements by Galileo, Newton, and others (16th-17th centuries).
• Thirty Years' War were also notable.
• Civilizations included European colonial empires (Spanish, Portuguese, British, and French), the Mughal Empire in India, and the Ming and Qing dynasties in China.

Modern History (1789-1945 CE)

• Characterized by industrialization, revolutions, and global conflicts.
• Notable events include the French Revolution (1789-1799), the Industrial Revolution (18th-19th centuries), and the unification of Germany and Italy (19th century).
• World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945) were significant conflicts.
• Civilizations included industrial powers (Britain, Germany, USA).
• There was a decline in colonial empires, and Japan emerged as a modern power.

Contemporary History (1945 CE-Present)

• Spanning from 1945 to the present,marked by the Cold War, globalization, and the digital revolution.
• Key events are the creation of the United Nations (1945).
• Decolonization of Africa and Asia (1950-1970).
• Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989) and the collapse of the Soviet Union (1991)
• Rise of the Internet and digital technologies (1990s onward)
• Climate change movement, global pandemics, and AI (21st century).

Sporting practices in antiquity

• Physical activity in the Paleolithic period featured alternations between intense physical exertion and rest.
• Essential physical capacities like swimming, jumping, running, and fighting were developed for survival.
• Ritualistic and recreational activities, such as dance and games, were used to prepare adults for responsibilities and promote social cohesion.
• Neolithic and metal ages involved the transition from nomadic to sedentary agricultural lifestyles.
• Recreational and competitive activities emerged to resolve disputes and build community
• Technological advances like metal tools contributed to more structured activities and roles within society.

Ancient history

• Classical Greece saw the emergence of the ancient Olympic Games (776 BC), linked to religious rituals for Zeus, with importance placed on the body and virtue.
• Rome focused on sports spectacles like Gladiator games in the Colosseum as tools for political power and social control.
• In Asian civilizations, Kung fu and Tai Chi symbolized harmony between body and mind.
• In Mesoamerica, they viewed the ballgame was a religious and political ritual.
• In contrast to other Greek city-states, Spartan women actively participated in sports like running.

Sports in the Middle Ages

• Dominance of knightly games such as jousting, and popular activities like medieval football.
• Pagan games were banned due to religious influence.
• Physical activities were integrated more over time into war preparations and expressions of love.
• Organized physical activities were held in monasteries and within feudal systems.

Renaissance Impact on Sports

• A reintroduction of Greco-Roman ideals emphasized harmony between body and mind.
• Sport medicine developed led by figures like Geronimo Mercurialis during this era.
• Treatises on physical education were composed, promoting the inclusion of physical activity in youth formation and overall wellbeing.