AMSCO Prologue Overview
Part 1: Human Development to c. 600 B.C.E.
The First Migrations
● Modern humans appeared in East Africa between 200,000 BCE →100,000 BCE
● Lived in small groups, hunted animals, foraged seeds + edible plants.
● No larger than a dozen in a group, constantly moved and adapted to changing environments.
● Develop Animism: Earliest system of religious beliefs based on deities associated with nature
● Mainly egalistic society; but showed early signs of patriarchy.
Migrating →100,000 - 60,000 years ago. Populated all continents by 10,000 BCE (Except antarctica)
Agricultural (Neolithic) Revolution: 8000 BCE
● Started somewhere in the Middle East, near or at Mesopotamia
● Population grew → Large Settlements → Cities → Empires
● Not everyone has to farm → Specialty workers (Artisans, Merchants, Priests)
● New + Improved technology: Irrigation, wheel and Metals: Iron/Bronze
● Government extensions → Taxation spread, writing system invented to keep track of trade
● Social classes start to form by Wealth/Occupations → Women start losing status
The First Civilizations:
● Mesopotamia (3500 BCE)
○ World’s first civilization, based between Tigris and Euphrates River
○ Highly patriarchal society, built religious temples called Ziggurats
○ Polytheistic society, believed in many gods
■ Sumer: invented world’s first written language → Cuneiform: Kept track of
trades and to write laws.
● Egypt (3100 BCE)
○ Highly centralized government under a Pharaoh. Prospered in the Nile River Valley
○ Developed own writing system → Hieroglyphics, and had a complex math system
○ Built Pyramids to represent pharaoh’s power.
○ Women in Egypt had more status, allowed to own property, equal rights in court.
● Indus (3000 BCE)
○ Sophisticated civilization along Indus River
○ Developed technology such as indoor plumbing and urban grid planning layouts.
■ Home to cities: Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
● China (2000 BCE)
○ Highly patriarchal and centralized civilization along the Huang He and Yangtze River
○ Gave special honor to ancestors
● Non-River Valley Civilizations:
○ Olmec: Mesoamerica
○ Chavin: Andes
, Early Religions:
● Hinduism: Originates to at least 3,500 years ago from the Aryans
○ Aryans from Himalayas brought over scripture called: Vedas
○ Mono/Polytheistic Religion: One supreme deity in many forms
○ Taught a cycle of reincarnation, goal is to escape: Moksha (enlightenment)
○ Heavily defined and separated caste system, but also unified this region
● Zoroastrianism: Developed in Persia, early form of monotheism
○ Human free will, battle between the forces of good and evil
● Judaism: Developed in current day Israel, traced to the teachings of Abraham (~4,000 yrs ago)
○ Located in around the area of current day Israel, “Founding” Abrahamic Religion
○ Scripture: Hebrew Scriptures or The Old Testament
○ Mutual promise with their god: Yahweh
Part 2: The Classical Era; c. 600 B.C.E. to c. 600 C.E
Several great empires arose during this time, becoming foundations:
● Western Eurasia: the Persian, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine empires
● Southern Asia: the Mauryan and Gupta Empires
● Eastern Asian: the Qin and Han dynasties
● Mesoamerica: the Mayan Empire
Ideas and trade flourished along land routes such as the “Silk Roads”.
Buddhism and Developments in South Asia:
● Founder: Siddhartha Guatama (Born: ~530 BCE into a wealthy Hindu Family)
● Saw suffering around him, left life to understand why people suffered.
○ Mediated several days under a bodhi tree, reached “Nirvana” or enlightenment
○ Four Noble Truths → Eightfold Paths
● No Caste System → Popular amongst lower Caste members → Spread around the world
The Mauryan Empire: First Era of Unity in South Asia (322 BCE → 187 BCE)
● Reached the highest point under rule of Ashoka:
○ Promoted prosperity: efficient taxing, built roads to connect empire
○ One of the few powerful rulers to switch beliefs, Hinduism → Buddhism
● Quickly declined in power after Ashoka, political decentralization
The Gupta Empire: Second Era of Unity in South Asia (320 CE → 500 CE)
● Referred to as the “Golden Age of India” → Strong centralized gov. In Pataliputra
○ Intellectual and Cultural life flourished
■ Advancements in medicine → Innoculations to prevent disease
■ Mathematicians developed 0-9, and idea of the place value
● Highly patriarchal, and united under Hinduism
Part 1: Human Development to c. 600 B.C.E.
The First Migrations
● Modern humans appeared in East Africa between 200,000 BCE →100,000 BCE
● Lived in small groups, hunted animals, foraged seeds + edible plants.
● No larger than a dozen in a group, constantly moved and adapted to changing environments.
● Develop Animism: Earliest system of religious beliefs based on deities associated with nature
● Mainly egalistic society; but showed early signs of patriarchy.
Migrating →100,000 - 60,000 years ago. Populated all continents by 10,000 BCE (Except antarctica)
Agricultural (Neolithic) Revolution: 8000 BCE
● Started somewhere in the Middle East, near or at Mesopotamia
● Population grew → Large Settlements → Cities → Empires
● Not everyone has to farm → Specialty workers (Artisans, Merchants, Priests)
● New + Improved technology: Irrigation, wheel and Metals: Iron/Bronze
● Government extensions → Taxation spread, writing system invented to keep track of trade
● Social classes start to form by Wealth/Occupations → Women start losing status
The First Civilizations:
● Mesopotamia (3500 BCE)
○ World’s first civilization, based between Tigris and Euphrates River
○ Highly patriarchal society, built religious temples called Ziggurats
○ Polytheistic society, believed in many gods
■ Sumer: invented world’s first written language → Cuneiform: Kept track of
trades and to write laws.
● Egypt (3100 BCE)
○ Highly centralized government under a Pharaoh. Prospered in the Nile River Valley
○ Developed own writing system → Hieroglyphics, and had a complex math system
○ Built Pyramids to represent pharaoh’s power.
○ Women in Egypt had more status, allowed to own property, equal rights in court.
● Indus (3000 BCE)
○ Sophisticated civilization along Indus River
○ Developed technology such as indoor plumbing and urban grid planning layouts.
■ Home to cities: Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
● China (2000 BCE)
○ Highly patriarchal and centralized civilization along the Huang He and Yangtze River
○ Gave special honor to ancestors
● Non-River Valley Civilizations:
○ Olmec: Mesoamerica
○ Chavin: Andes
, Early Religions:
● Hinduism: Originates to at least 3,500 years ago from the Aryans
○ Aryans from Himalayas brought over scripture called: Vedas
○ Mono/Polytheistic Religion: One supreme deity in many forms
○ Taught a cycle of reincarnation, goal is to escape: Moksha (enlightenment)
○ Heavily defined and separated caste system, but also unified this region
● Zoroastrianism: Developed in Persia, early form of monotheism
○ Human free will, battle between the forces of good and evil
● Judaism: Developed in current day Israel, traced to the teachings of Abraham (~4,000 yrs ago)
○ Located in around the area of current day Israel, “Founding” Abrahamic Religion
○ Scripture: Hebrew Scriptures or The Old Testament
○ Mutual promise with their god: Yahweh
Part 2: The Classical Era; c. 600 B.C.E. to c. 600 C.E
Several great empires arose during this time, becoming foundations:
● Western Eurasia: the Persian, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine empires
● Southern Asia: the Mauryan and Gupta Empires
● Eastern Asian: the Qin and Han dynasties
● Mesoamerica: the Mayan Empire
Ideas and trade flourished along land routes such as the “Silk Roads”.
Buddhism and Developments in South Asia:
● Founder: Siddhartha Guatama (Born: ~530 BCE into a wealthy Hindu Family)
● Saw suffering around him, left life to understand why people suffered.
○ Mediated several days under a bodhi tree, reached “Nirvana” or enlightenment
○ Four Noble Truths → Eightfold Paths
● No Caste System → Popular amongst lower Caste members → Spread around the world
The Mauryan Empire: First Era of Unity in South Asia (322 BCE → 187 BCE)
● Reached the highest point under rule of Ashoka:
○ Promoted prosperity: efficient taxing, built roads to connect empire
○ One of the few powerful rulers to switch beliefs, Hinduism → Buddhism
● Quickly declined in power after Ashoka, political decentralization
The Gupta Empire: Second Era of Unity in South Asia (320 CE → 500 CE)
● Referred to as the “Golden Age of India” → Strong centralized gov. In Pataliputra
○ Intellectual and Cultural life flourished
■ Advancements in medicine → Innoculations to prevent disease
■ Mathematicians developed 0-9, and idea of the place value
● Highly patriarchal, and united under Hinduism
