Changes

No “civilization” has been found that is older than about 3000 B.C.  By “civilization” we mean order and hierarchy in the way of life.  Some type of political system or government is usually necessary to have a civilization.  A structure similar to a city or town is necessary to bring together people, jobs, buildings or religious centers.  Usually there are different classes of people, such as rich and poor.  Some historians say there must be an agricultural surplus also:  enough food to feed the people so that some workers could spend time in jobs other than farming.  In a nutshell, a civilization must have cities, skilled (non-farming) workers, social and government institutions, writing to maintain records such as property ownership, and advanced technology.  Memorize the oldest dates for the ancient civilizations:

No “civilization” has been found that is older than about 3000 B.C.  By “civilization” we mean order and hierarchy in the way of life.  Some type of political system or government is usually necessary to have a civilization.  A structure similar to a city or town is necessary to bring together people, jobs, buildings or religious centers.  Usually there are different classes of people, such as rich and poor.  Some historians say there must be an agricultural surplus also:  enough food to feed the people so that some workers could spend time in jobs other than farming.  In a nutshell, a civilization must have cities, skilled (non-farming) workers, social and government institutions, writing to maintain records such as property ownership, and advanced technology.  Memorize the oldest dates for the ancient civilizations:

 

Mesopotamia (Mes-uh-puh-tay-mee-uh):  3500 – 500 B.C., when conquered by Persia

Egypt:  3100 – 525 B.C., when conquered by the Hyksos (HIK-sohs)

[[Mesopotamia]] (Mes-uh-puh-tay-mee-uh)</td><td>3500 – 500 B.C., when conquered by Persia</tr><tr><td>

Indus (IN-dus) Valley: beginning in 2900 B.C.

Egypt</td><td> 3100 – 525 B.C., when conquered by the Hyksos (HIK-sohs)</td></tr><tr><td>

China: beginning in 2200 B.C.

Indus (IN-dus) Valley:</td><td>beginning in 2900 B.C.</td></tr><tr><td>

Mexican Olmec (AWL-mek): 1200 – 300 B.C., the earliest known American civilization

China:</td><td>beginning in 2200 B.C.</td></tr><tr><td>

Peru (South America): 900 B.C.

Mexican Olmec (AWL-mek):</td><td> 1200 – 300 B.C., the earliest known American civilization</td></tr><tr><td>

 

Peru (South America):</td><td> 900 B.C.</td></tr></table>

History books speculate at length about “prehistory”, which predates writing.  But there is no reliable evidence to support this speculation, and not worth spending time on.  There is no reason to think that man existed for thousands of years without ever expressing himself in written form.  But in case you are asked, historians describe the period of time known as “prehistory” as the “Stone Age.”  They divide the Stone Age into two time periods: “Paleolithic” and “Neolithic”.  The Paleolithic Age is older, when man relied mostly on hunting and picking nuts and fruit to supplement his diet.  The Paleolithic Age was followed by the Neolithic Age, which consisted of the rise of agriculture.  The “Neolithic Revolution” means the “Agricultural Revolution,” when farming became dominant.  The dates of these ages are controversial, and historians have a bias for giving them older dates than proven by archaeology.

History books speculate at length about “prehistory”, which predates writing.  But there is no reliable evidence to support this speculation, and not worth spending time on.  There is no reason to think that man existed for thousands of years without ever expressing himself in written form.  But in case you are asked, historians describe the period of time known as “prehistory” as the “Stone Age.”  They divide the Stone Age into two time periods: “Paleolithic” and “Neolithic”.  The Paleolithic Age is older, when man relied mostly on hunting and picking nuts and fruit to supplement his diet.  The Paleolithic Age was followed by the Neolithic Age, which consisted of the rise of agriculture.  The “Neolithic Revolution” means the “Agricultural Revolution,” when farming became dominant.  The dates of these ages are controversial, and historians have a bias for giving them older dates than proven by archaeology.