CLAS 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Minos, Human Taxonomy, Animal Husbandry

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Classical Studies
• Course: CLAS 1000
• Professor: John Walsh

Document Summary

Lecture #2: the greeks before history 12,000-1200bc (chapter 4) The end of the last ice age 13,000-9500 bc. Shifts in earth"s axis and sunspot activity cause ice ages. Last ice age began 35, 000 years ago and ended 13,000 years ago. Athens 15,000 bc avg. winter temperature was 30 degrees f. winter was getting longer and colder) The origins of agriculture, 9,500 bc- 5000 b. c. Wet mixed woodlands became sparse and dry vegetation. Fertile crescent: well watered land, stretching from the persian gulf in the east, northwest along tigris- euphrates rivers, then down mediterranean coast to egypt. Temperature increased in hill country causing wild grains to evolve allowing people to use them for porridge and bread: more food allows people to support larger populations. Created first genetically modified crops, experimented with animal husbandry, taming cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats. Dwellers abandoned hunter-gatherer style for planting and harvesting crops (permanent settlements)