| | Do not be misled by thinking ancient peoples were dumb or boring because they lacked the technology of modern society. The Egyptians, for example, cleverly built the massive pyramids using techniques that no one to this day can figure out or duplicate. In 2600 B.C., they constructed the pyramid of Khufu containing 6 million tons of stone extending to a height of 481 feet. The workmanship was superior to what we do today: the rock base was virtually perfectly flat, not varying in elevation by more than a half-inch; its orientation is precisely aligned with the points of a compass; its stones were perfect fits. Inside was a chapel, a causeway, and a temple. It amazes architects to this day. We would not be able to duplicate it even now, and no one knows how they were able to do it 4600 years ago. Many other cultures, from Mesopotamia to Greece to Rome to India to China, invented things and discovered knowledge that no one today is smart enough to duplicate. Could you built a wheel, or bake bread from scratch? | | Do not be misled by thinking ancient peoples were dumb or boring because they lacked the technology of modern society. The Egyptians, for example, cleverly built the massive pyramids using techniques that no one to this day can figure out or duplicate. In 2600 B.C., they constructed the pyramid of Khufu containing 6 million tons of stone extending to a height of 481 feet. The workmanship was superior to what we do today: the rock base was virtually perfectly flat, not varying in elevation by more than a half-inch; its orientation is precisely aligned with the points of a compass; its stones were perfect fits. Inside was a chapel, a causeway, and a temple. It amazes architects to this day. We would not be able to duplicate it even now, and no one knows how they were able to do it 4600 years ago. Many other cultures, from Mesopotamia to Greece to Rome to India to China, invented things and discovered knowledge that no one today is smart enough to duplicate. Could you built a wheel, or bake bread from scratch? |
| − | The feats of our ancestors are one part of the study of history. Also important are the clash of ideas, values, religions, systems of government and economies. Individuals, too, make a difference in extraordinary cases. One of many debates that we will have in this class is this: why did societies rise and fall in power?
| + | Finally, let me add a few words about terminology. "B.C" means "Before (the birth of) Christ" and "A.D." means Anno Domini (Latin for "in the year of our Lord") or simply "After (the birth of) Christ." The "1st century B.C." means the 1st century before Christ, counting backwards, which are the years 100-1 B.C. The "6th century B.C." is thus 600-501 B.C. The 20th century (A.D.) included the years A.D. 1901-2000. Because A.D. means "in the year of our Lord," the truly proper form is to put the date after the A.D., as in A.D. 2006. Dates are based on the birth of Christ. That is a fact and it is wrong to erase Christ from the annotation, as school textbooks do with "BCE" for "Before the Common Era" and "CE" for "Common Era." To convert, remember that BCE = B.C. and CE = A.D. |
| − | Just as you use reference points like landmarks to find your way, identify historical reference points to make it easier for you to organize the many hundreds of facts you will learn in this course. For example, the exodus of the Jews from Egypt is an excellent reference point for understanding the rise and fall of Egypt. The birth of Christ is another reference point that even our calendar uses to organize dates.
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| − | Finally, let me add a few words about terminology. “B.C” means “Before (the birth of) Christ” and “A.D.” means Anno Domini (Latin for “in the year of our Lord”) or simply “After (the birth of) Christ.” The “1st century B.C.” means the 1st century before Christ, counting backwards, which are the years 100-1 B.C. The “5th century B.C.” is thus 500-401 B.C. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the 5th century B.C. is the 500s B.C.! Likewise, the 20th century (A.D.) was the years A.D. 1901-2000. Because A.D. means “in the year of our Lord,” the proper terminology is to put the date after the A.D., as in A.D. 2006. But school textbooks rarely use “B.C.” and “A.D.” correctly anymore, instead replacing them with an anti-Christian “BCE” for “Before the Common Era” and “CE” for “Common Era.” In other words, BCE = B.C. and CE = A.D. | |