WORLD CIVILIZATION

INTRODUCTION TO WORLD
CIVILIZATION
 Introduction: Tracing History of
Humanity
What had shaped human society?
Origin of man?
How did the changes in environment,
technology affect man’s life
Effect of changes?
 Introduction: Tracing History of
Humanity
History of Humanity involves two levels of
struggle
Human & nature
Humans against Human
 Introduction: Tracing History of
Humanity
Struggle explained through history of origin
of man- Theories of origin of man
Creation Theory
• Bible and Quran
Scientific Evolution
• Theory explain that the origin of human kind traced
back in Africa
• Apes and human have a common ancestor- Hominids
• Influence of natural selection
Introduction: Tracing History of
Humanity
Zinjanthropus (1.8m) – discovered in Olduvai
Gorge
Australopithecus (4.4m), Afar, Ethiopia
Kenyapithecus (2.5)- Baringo
Homo Habilis & Sapiens- (2m) Lake Turkana
L. Chad- Michael Brunet- Saheln
 Introduction: Tracing History of
Humanity
Human development involves:
Interaction between culture & biology

Culture evolution
Refers to continuous growth of culture from
simple to complex & to homogenous to
heterogeneous
• Material culture
• Linguistics
 Introduction: Tracing History of
Humanity
Paleolithic Age:
Characterized by hunting, gathering
shelter- caves- cold seasons
Social organization- lived in groups
 Introduction: Tracing History of
Humanity
Neolithic revolution most important aspect of
human cultural development
- refers to transition from nomadic hunting and
gathering communities to agriculture &
settlement
 Introduction: Tracing History of
Humanity
Neolithic revolution most important aspect of
human cultural development
- refers to transition from nomadic hunting and
gathering communities to agriculture &
settlement
Marked by village settlement, domestication &
new implements
• Adoption of farming techniques
• Crop cultivation
• Domestication of animals
 Introduction: Impact of Neolithic
revolution
Property ownership
Slavery system
Increase in food production
Increase in population
Adoption of farming techniques
Crop cultivation
Domestication of animals & plants
Civilization
 Introduction: Impact of Neolithic
revolution
Domestication of animals & plants
Tame, to train or to adopt an animal or plant to live
or be of use to human being
Taming- short term, no evolution of intimate
relationship no human intervention with natural
breeding
 Introduction: Early Civilizations
Civilization:
Acceptable forms of behavior- Eurocentric
Latin word- ‘civis’ or townman or citizen
Civilization refers to a complex society or a state-
level society
Refers social organization based on existence of
institutions
 Characteristics of Civilization
Settlement led to accumulation of property
and individual land ownership
Hence laws, states & armies were developed to
protect possession & inequality
Intense agricultural techniques- crop rotation,
use of human labor, irrigation
Division of labor
Rise of permanent settlements- cities
Rise of a form f social organizations
 Characteristics of Civilization
Institutionalized control of food by ruling class,
government or bureaucracy
Establishment of complex social institutions-
religion, education
Development of forms of economic exchanges
Expansion of trade leading to money Market
Accumulation of materials
Development of technologies
Advanced development of arts especially
writing
 Characteristics of Civilization
Architecture
Patriachical society
 Sources of Pre-history
Primary:
Archaeology – study, observation, recording &
experimentation
• Carbon 14- not older than 50000
Anthropology
Oral sources
Geology- development of earth crust with
successive floras & faunas
Paleontology- study of fossils- bones, teeth
Written- secondary
 Sources of Pre-history
Dating:
Based on Christian calendar- Zero year (Birth of
Christ)
BCE or BC- used until 4th c AD
After 4th AD- new system of dating adopted- BP or
BCE