HIST 2A Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Shang Dynasty, Fertile Crescent, Jordan River
Document Summary
Lecture groupings (parts 1-4), 4-5 lectures in each group that work together in regional or thematic focus. Ethnographical (one ethnic group writing about another) depictions. Order: mesopotamia (tigris-euphrates); ancient egypt (nile); harappan (indus-ganges); shang. Different components (listed below) have to be working together. Can have a society with everything except for writing, but cannot share or conserve ideas and traditions. Previous judeo-christian belief (diffusion) that rest of world borrowed ag. Simply because we see some sort of technological development in one place (even if we know it existed somewhere else before) doesn"t mean that they borrowed it. Failure theory: early large-scale agriculturalists came to be due to massive failure at being hunter-gatherers. Failure due to climate change in africa and near east (sahara desert used to be productive environment) and changes in food options even in productive areas. Early agriculture in the nile and tigris-euphrates valleys. The fertile crescent: crescent-shaped piece of land extending from outlet of tigris and.
