Prehistory and Ancient Civilizations

Study Notes

Emergence of humans: Homo sapiens evolved in Africa around 300,000 years ago
Early human societies: Nomadic hunter-gatherers, development of language and social structures
Neolithic Revolution: Transition to agriculture and settled communities around 10,000 years ago

Mesopotamia: Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians in modern-day Iraq; developed writing (cuneiform) and cities
Ancient Egypt: Pyramids, pharaohs, and hieroglyphics; lasted from around 3100 BCE to 30 BCE
Ancient Greece: City-states like Athens and Sparta; developed democracy, philosophy, and theater
Ancient Rome: Republic and Empire; expanded through conquests, established law and governance systems

Fall of the Roman Empire: Fragmentation into smaller kingdoms and the rise of Christianity
Feudalism: System of lords, vassals, and serfs; characterized by localized power and limited social mobility
Crusades: Series of military campaigns to reclaim the Holy Land from Muslim rule

Renaissance: Revival of classical learning and cultural achievements in Europe
Age of Exploration: European powers like Portugal, Spain, and England established colonies and trade routes
Reformation: Protestant movement challenged Catholic Church authority, leading to religious divisions

Industrial Revolution: Transition from manual labor to machine-based manufacturing and significant economic growth
Nationalism: Rise of nation-states and nationalist movements, leading to conflicts and reorganization of global politics
World Wars: Global conflicts in 1914-1918 and 1939-1945, resulting in massive loss of life and reshaping of global politics

Globalization: Increased interconnectedness and interdependence of economies, cultures, and societies
Digital Age: Rapid development of technology, especially computing and communication systems
Ongoing conflicts and challenges: Terrorism, climate change, and social inequality continue to shape global politics and society

Homo sapiens evolved in Africa around 300,000 years ago
Early human societies developed as nomadic hunter-gatherers, with the emergence of language and social structures
The Neolithic Revolution occurred around 10,000 years ago, marking a transition to agriculture and settled communities

The Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians developed writing (cuneiform) and cities in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq)
Ancient Egypt lasted from around 3100 BCE to 30 BCE, during which pyramids, pharaohs, and hieroglyphics were developed
City-states like Athens and Sparta in Ancient Greece developed democracy, philosophy, and theater
Ancient Rome expanded through conquests, established law and governance systems, and transitioned from a Republic to an Empire

The Roman Empire fell, leading to fragmentation into smaller kingdoms and the rise of Christianity
The feudal system characterized by localized power and limited social mobility emerged, with lords, vassals, and serfs
The Crusades were a series of military campaigns to reclaim the Holy Land from Muslim rule

The Renaissance revived classical learning and cultural achievements in Europe
European powers like Portugal, Spain, and England established colonies and trade routes during the Age of Exploration
The Reformation, a Protestant movement, challenged Catholic Church authority, leading to religious divisions

The Industrial Revolution transitioned from manual labor to machine-based manufacturing, leading to significant economic growth
Nationalism led to the rise of nation-states and nationalist movements, resulting in conflicts and reorganization of global politics
The World Wars (1914-1918 and 1939-1945) resulted in massive loss of life and reshaped global politics

Globalization has increased interconnectedness and interdependence of economies, cultures, and societies
The Digital Age has been marked by rapid development of technology, especially computing and communication systems
Ongoing conflicts and challenges include terrorism, climate change, and social inequality, which continue to shape global politics and society