Overview of Human History

Introduction

• Discussion of a timeline of world history
• Importance of dividing history into time periods or ages
• Highlighting key turning points in history

Understanding the Chart

• Vertical Scale:

  • Represents the flow of time moving forward downward
  • White lines denote 100 years; equidistant scale allows for accurate comparisons

• Horizontal Sections:

  • Different parts of the world represented:
    • Americas
    • Africa
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Pacific Islands

• Culture Representation:

  • Each line represents a culture/civilization/empire
  • Width indicates relative importance in that time/region

Chronological Terms

• AD and BC:

  • AD = Anno Domini (Latin for "in the year of the Lord")
  • BC = Before Christ
  • No year zero; 1 BC immediately followed by 1 AD

• CE and BCE:

  • CE = Common Era
  • BCE = Before Common Era
  • More neutral terms used for inclusivity

Starting Point of History

• Starting point set at 3300 BCE (emergence of writing)
• Prehistory:
  • Goes back 200,000 years for Homo sapiens
  • Earth prehistory goes back 4.5 billion years

Main Periods of History

1. Early Bronze Age

   • Bronze tools emerged alongside writing
   • Key civilizations: Egypt, Sumer (modern Iraq), Indus Valley (modern Pakistan)
   • Innovations: Astronomy, Mathematics, and building of the Great Pyramids
   • Other notable cultures: Norte Chico in Peru, Stonehenge in England

2. Bronze Age Proper

   • Marked by the 4.2 kiloyear event (extreme dry conditions)
   • Decline of Egyptian Old Kingdom, rise of Middle and New Kingdoms, Babylonian civilization
   • Introduction of Indo-Aryans in South Asia
   • Civilizations in China, Sub-Saharan Africa, and North America (Poverty Point culture)
   • Minoan civilization in Crete and its downfall due to volcanic eruptions

3. Bronze Age Collapse

   • Around 1220 BCE, major civilizations disappeared suddenly
   • Transition to the Greek Dark Ages (silent historical record)
   • Coincided with the onset of the Iron Age

4. Classical Antiquity

   • From 600 BCE when written history became more prevalent
   • Contributions of Greeks and Romans to Western civilization
   • Major civilizations: Mesoamerican cultures, Persian empires, Maurya and Gupta in India, Imperial China, and the establishment of the Silk Road
   • Emergence of moral and philosophical foundations (Greek philosophy, Bible, Hindu/Buddhist scriptures)
   • Innovations: Democracy and scientific thinking
   • Ended around 500 CE with the fall of the Western Roman Empire

5. Middle Ages

   • Period between ancient and modern history
   • Misconception of the "Dark Ages" primarily pertains to Western Europe; other regions thrived
   • Events leading to this period: large migrations and the fall of the Western Roman Empire
   • Rise of new civilizations: Islamic expansion, Christian kingdoms, and empires in Africa and the Americas
   • Notable figures: Mansa Musa of Mali, Great Zimbabwe, Cahokia, Aztecs, Incas, and the Mongol Empire

6. Modern Age

   • Transition marked by the Black Death leading to the Renaissance
   • Fall of the Eastern Roman Empire, colonization of the Americas, and scientific advancements
   • Industrial and technological revolutions initiated

Conclusion

• Transitions between periods often involve climate events, mass migrations, and pandemics
• Discussion on whether the current events in 2020 indicate a new period in human history
• Engagement with the audience: inviting thoughts in comments

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