The Beginning of Civilization Quiz

Study Notes

Homo sapiens appeared approximately 200,000 years ago, replacing other human species over time
Archaeological evidence suggests human history dates back millions of years
The Paleolithic era (up to 9000 BCE) and Neolithic era (after 9000 BCE)
Humans lived in groups of varying sizes, regardless of location
Early evidence of human culture includes burials, paintings, flutes, and carvings
Earliest known discoveries of human remains: Kenya (80,000 years ago), Israel (100,000 years ago), and possibly Zambia (476,000 years ago)

Sedentary or semi-sedentary groups emerged around 15,000 years ago
These groups settled in one place for extended periods to gather resources
Earliest known sedentary groups found in modern-day Israel and Syria, usually in coastal regions
Agriculture emerged around 10,000 - 9,000 BCE after thousands of years of experimentation
The development of agriculture occurred independently in the Nile River Valley, western Africa, China, India, Papua New Guinea, Mesoamerica, and possibly other regions

Climate change, particularly warm weather, supported sedentary life and foraging
The Fertile Crescent, Mesopotamia, provided suitable conditions for agriculture with wheat, barley, and access to domesticable animals
Population growth was likely fueled by increased food availability and longer lifespans with lower child mortality rates
Agriculture may have led to population growth, or vice versa
The Göbeklitepe site in Turkey suggests cultural development may have contributed to the shift towards agriculture

Larger animals like cattle and buffalo were domesticated for agricultural purposes
The introduction of the plow improved farming efficiency and reduced labor demands
Agricultural surplus led to the need for storage methods, resulting in specialization in pottery, basketry, and container production
Other specialists emerged, creating tools, houses, and other items needed for village life
This division of labor marked the beginning of social specialization

Mesopotamia was unsuitable for agriculture due to limited rainfall and flooding
The Sumerians became the first major civilization in the region around 4000 BCE
The Uruk Period (4000-3000 BCE) saw significant developments:
- Irrigation techniques evolved
- Major cities emerged, including Uruk, Ur, Eridu, Lagash, Nippur, and Kish
- Cities were centered around temples, with priesthood involved in administration
- The cuneiform writing system was developed
The Sumerian civilization consisted of independent city-states, not a single unified entity
An image showcasing two clay tablets with Sumerian cuneiform writing

Early Sumerian (Vertical)	Sumerian (Rotated)	Late Babylonian	Babylonian	Assyrian
star	𒀝	𒀝	𒀝	𒀝
sun	𒌓	𒌓	𒌓	𒌓
month	𒌋	𒌋	𒌋	𒌋
man	𒂵	𒂵	𒂵	𒂵
king	𒋼	𒋼	𒋼	𒋼
son	𒑲	𒑲	𒑲	𒑲
head	𒀀	𒀀	𒀀	𒀀
lord	𒂓	𒂓	𒂓	𒂓
his	𒀊	𒀊	𒀊	𒀊
reed	𒍠	𒍠	𒍠	𒍠
power	𒈫	𒈫	𒈫	𒈫
mouth	𒅔	𒅔	𒅔	𒅔
ox	𒃶	𒃶	𒃶	𒃶
bird	𒐊	𒐊	𒐊	𒐊
destiny	𒂕	𒂕	𒂕	𒂕
fish	𒁪	𒁪	𒁪	𒁪
gardener	𒈛	𒈛	𒈛	𒈛
habitation	𒉺	𒉺	𒉺	𒉺
Nineveh	𒉼	𒉼	𒉼	𒉼
night	𒊌	𒊌	𒊌	𒊌