First Test: Reflections

INSTRUCTIONS: Write a blog post that reflects on our test, how you prepared, how you did, what you learned and what you will do different as we work our way through our next unit.

Well as far as first tests of the year go, I'd have to say I did relatively well. I received 6 points on the essay, which was more than i expected because of all the hype it earned before hand. The multiple choice, which i received a three on, is about where I assumed i had scored when I left class Friday, which is a well enough score for me :)
I prepared as in I studied whenever i really had a chance and i did end up making a set of flashcards to help with the topics that weren't ingrained as well as others. I also printed off every chapter's study guide and the Graphic organizers, filling each out. i also answered many of the margin review questions, stopping when i figured i probably could find better ways to study with the little time i had left.
For the next test I hope to spend more time studying and to prepare more as we go through this unit rather than needing to cover as much as i did for this previous test. As in, make a few flashcards as we go, take more time on the CCV's, and studying using the guides as we read each section.

Trade Routes- If I was a merchant...(Ch8)

Well I wouldn't want to be a merchant of the American Web because basically that didn't really seem like a suitable career, hehe. It was spotchy...it was definitely a more steady commerce system along trade on the Silk Road, Indian Ocean Basin Sea Routes, and the Sand Roads of Trans-Saharan Trade. Sea Routes would definitely be cool seeing as they were safest, could carry more goods, but being stuck at sea for so long and having to spend half your time on land away from home (seeing as you ride the monsoon winds- East in Summer and West in Winter), I'd rather be a merchant on a land Route. This leaves me one of two options: The Silk Roads or The Sand Roads. Both have their own appealing qualities, esp with some Mongol rulers offering to pay OVER the asking price of goods to merchants on the Silk Road, but seeing as I'd be a merchant on the move, I could get by with less money, so overall I think I'd choose to be a merchant on the Sand Roads because:

1.) It's most different from what I'm used to (but still within my comfort zone) 

2.) Semi-safe (compared with the Silk Roads)

3.) It is positively not to cold for my skinny body (blisteringly hot is more like it)

4.) AND the goods that I, as a merchant, would be carrying/trading/selling or whatnot, aren't too shabby themselves. 

• Gold
• Salt
• Slaves (not that this is one that I myself would trade, they are people after all!!)
• Horses
• Books (<3 gotta love reading)
• Cloth
• Weapons (*mischievous look*)
• Other Manufactured Goods (etc.)

5.) Crossing the Sahara Desert! okay so the way the Sand Roads work are pretty special in their own way, namely the fact that the average days spent crossing the Sahara was 70 days. Leading up to this 10 week journey is the process of fattening up the camels, and once in the desert these amazing animals need very little water to make it across (they can go ten days without water to sustain them!). The other bonus tied in with crossing the Sahara is the fact that most of the travel takes place at night...when there's a dark sky with hundreds of THOUSANDS of visible twinkling lights, known as stars to most, with millions more out of sight of the naked human eye. (Night travel...advantage to the merchants because the avoided the heat of day, but the view is way better at night, with the constellations accompanying the merchants and camels on their trek across the desert.)

Alright, the slave thing does show the downside to being a merchant on the Sand Road, seeing as slaves were one of the Big Three items traded (Gold and Salt being the other two), but I do believe I could make it as a very promising merchant, even without selling other humans like the properties that they are not. 

Overview, Final Post

What are the TEN MOST IMPORTANT FACTS we learned this semester?   

1.) Neolithic Revolution- The Neolithic Revolution, aka Agricultural Revolution, was the transition from the Paleolithic Age to a new world of societies, civilizations, and empires, which led to what we have today; Cities, States, Countries... During the Neolithic Revolution groups of people settled down and began growing their own crops, domesticating animals, and making homes and other buildings which were permanent rather than pick up/pack up/and move every few weeks or so. Peoples diets changed because now they always had easy access to food, the population expanded "more Food = more Babies", Social Classes began to form, Gender Roles were doled out, new Technologies were invented... It changed the course of human history. (see Neolithic Revolution Ch2 Post for more information.)


2.) Expanded Trade- From the start of all empires, there was trade. Some within the empire itself, some to nearby communities, whereas others had trade across the regions to empires all over the place. The biggest example of trade we learned of this year was the Silk Road (500-1500C.E) which was exchange all across Eurasia. The delivered luxury goods from China all the way to the Roman Empire, and everywhere in between. There were also Sea Routes of Exchange throughout the Indian Ocean. These trade routes not only spread goods across the region, but also religions, disease, and cultural influences. Trade was everywhere, drawing upon the resources that weren't within one civilizations reach, Egypt got goods from Mesopotamia, Sudan, the Middle East, Mediterranean, and Africa. (see Change and Continuity Essay, paragraph two for more examples.)

 3.) Spread/Beginning of Religion- Religion is obviously a very important aspect of all that we learned, of all history. It is the reason for many cultural languages, entertainment, art, government, architecture, etc. Religion spread through trade as well as distant settlement. Some of the most important of these are Judaism, which was the root for many following religions, Zoroastrianism which was the first monotheistic religion, and Greek Philosphy, because what different philosophers have come up with over history has carried on into the present. Religions are the base for many entire cultures, and many of the religions we learned about are still present today. (see Religious Beliefs Ch5 Post; Silk Road Ch8 Post, top.)

4.) Patriarchal Civilizations/Empires- Patriarchal Societies are societies where men are dominate over woman. Majority of civilizations are patriarchal; China, Rome, Greece, India, Mesopotamia, etc. In the Ancient and Classical World Patriarchy was more hardcore than it currently is. Patriarchy is still around, but woman have more rights in current communities than they did back then. Men basically owned woman, they got to control them and speak for them, woman didn't have the same citizenship rights as men, and in some societies mothers were even beneath their own son (three obediences, China). Men were also punished less severely for crimes they comitted. (see Patriarchal Societies Ch6 Post.)

5.) Writing- When writing came into play within societies that was obviously a big deal. Before written works, historians didn't have much that was left to learn about the people that lived there and how they lived. Writing began for many different reasons depending on the society. The world's first alphabet was by the Phoenicians. In China they had Pictographs put onto Oracle Bones in order to tell the future, where as in Maya and Egypt there were writings to celebrate the king/pharaohs great deeds. (see #5 Egypt Ch3 Post; #7 Classical Governments Ch4.)

6.) Technological Innovations- All the innovations that came to be were/are important to the course of human growth, in every way; agriculture, herding, travel/trade, education... In China, during the Qin Dynasty, a system of weights, measures, and currency was developed, the written form of Chinese came about. and a standard cart axle length. Plows, woven textiles, pots, metallurgy, looms, saddles and stirrups, triangular sails...all of these innovations led to something greater. (see Neolithic Revolution Ch2 Post; Silk Road Ch8 Post.) 

7.) Social Classes- Social Classes are everywhere, there is a hierarchy to every aspect of life, some are written out and in the form of laws that must be followed where as others are unspoken hierarchies that are expected to be followed without mention. Upper Class people were the ones with wealth, power, or land. They had the finest of everything, avoided physical labor in general, and they held the top positions in Politics/Military/Religious Leaders. Distinguishable by their clothing, housing, and manner of burial. In many empires, the more slaves you owned the more money you had, therefore putting you within the upper class. Free commoners, the majority of the population, were artisans, lower level officials, soldiers, police, servants, or farmers. Slaves were generally prisoners of war, criminals, or debtors. What laws and regulations applied to you generally depended on your Social Class. (see Patriarchal Society Ch6 Post.)

 

8.) Paleolithic Era- The Paleolithic Era was the beginning of time for humans. They lived before there was civilizations, writing, education, wars, etc. They lived within tribes that moved when the area they currently were residing had been picked clean and there was not much left to forage, when the animals had migrated or were dwindling, or even if they found the carcass of an animal that was too large to drag home. (see Summary of Paleolithic Societies Ch1 Post.)

 9.)  Art/Architecture- Art and Architecture often was drawn from the religions of the society, but also had influences from foreigners brought t them by trade or through other means of interaction. Greeks liked nudity, therefore much of their statues, which were created for the gods, were designed with the ideal "perfect body" in mind. Also in Greece they built huge temples for their gods, like the Parthenon for Athena with Greek columns along the temple. In Rome the big deal was arches and domes and columns. Pyramids were primarily built as temples or burial tombs for leaders of the Empire. (see Egypt Ch3 Post; Greek Theater Post; Mesoamerica and Eurasia Ch7 Post, 3rd Similarity.)

10.) Greek Theater- The start of theater was more important than it gets credit for, think about it; currently, one of the most prominent forms of entertainment is TV/Movies. Those only came about because theater was such a huge hit, and the Greeks invented theater itself, Greek culture is the root of many American distractions. Theater in Greece began as a way to show respect to their gods, to show wonderful feats that they accomplished, namely Dionysus. Dionysus, god of fertility and wine, was also the god that was most often celebrated in theater productions and had a festival held in his namesake. (see Greek Theater Post)

Sorry for the Highlighting, it won't let me remove it. 

Change and Continuity Essay

The civilizations from 3500 B.C.E to 500 C.E continued to have the same basic society rules but changed from having little/no trade amongst each other to having regional exchange and changed from there being no religious ways of thinking to having new and distinct religions.       

                Societies were organized with men being more important than woman, the elite classes being distinctly separate from those of lower class, and slaves being used as cheap labor. This didn’t change over time. In Athens woman meant nothing in the court, only being referred to by their relationship to some other man. Men were thought of so greatly in comparison to woman that it was thought a woman’s job was to birth sons and manage domestic affairs. As in Athens, woman of China stayed inside the home. They had ‘three obediences’ to follow, first to their father, secondly to their husband, and thirdly to their own son. Now days, a mother has authority over her son, but Ancient and Classical China believed a woman was to obey what her son told her to do. Elite classes were also a major part of society that didn’t change, luxury items still determined their position (for instance, the Olmec Civilization), more land meant you were richer (as in China), or as in India, whichever caste you were born into determined your status. The last main part of society that continued to stay the same was how slavery was prominent in most places such as Eurasia, Greece, Rome, and India. Even in China slaves played a minor role in the daily lives of the people. This is one of the most important continuities that can be found in history because it is still true; woman and men are becoming equals, but men still have the upper hand in many positions of power; “elite classes” are still separate from others, for they are seen with the more expensive items; and until the Civil Rights Movement in the recent past, slaves still were used as manual labor to save plantation owners, and other white men, money.

                A significant change that occurred between 3500 B.C.E and 500 C.E was the amount, and distance, of goods that were exchanged. Before 3500 B.C.E there was very little exchange, due to how hard it was to travel great distances, but over time exchange began to grow and expand. Before trade many civilizations couldn’t get necessary goods to fuel their society, resulting in famine and deforestation. Once travel began, caravans were a prime way of delivering goods and made commerce across Northern Eurasia easier. In Mesoamerica the trade grew into a sprawling network of trade. As trade began to grow, so did the forms of transportation used to deliver these goods from one place to another; the Indian Ocean Basin used seaborne routes and the Eastern Woodlands of North America used rivers to deliver necessary, and unnecessary, items from one place to another. Even in the Sahara trade began to pick up around 300 C.E. Trade is and was a vital part of history, it created a way for one society to get goods they didn’t have from other societies, Egypt got wheat and barley from Mesopotamia and gourds and watermelon from Sudan. Besides exchanging merchandise, trade routes also spread cultures, such as their religions, art, architectural techniques, and styles. For example Greek culture (art, religion, and philosophy) was influenced by Mesopotamia and Egypt. Besides cultures and products, unwanted spread also occurred, such as the spread of diseases. Intensified trade between these time periods brought even greater trade later on. Trade is so important to the growth and power of every empire and society since then, now days majority of products people in America buy have been processed, manufactured, and/or packaged elsewhere in the world.

                The other main change that happened in this time was the new religious traditions, which went from being mainly polytheistic to monotheistic, and the life style techniques. The first monotheistic religion that appeared was Zoroastrianism, around the 7^th century B.C.E, which sought to distinguish between good and evil, and like other religions to define the relationship between life and death. Zoroastrianism sprang up about when Judaism did, which also believed in one High God. Judaism set the path for many following religions, such as Christianity and Islam. Not only did religions begin, but different traditions started up (some due to religions), in China a new form of governing sprang up, Confucianism, which stated how important education is and that social harmony would come from moral examples from positions of authority. Other traditions that began in India were Hinduism and Buddhism, which started around the same time. The beliefs of Hinduism were to become involved in a social and political life where as Buddhism was to withdraw into nature. Both of these religions spread within the same state, yet the differences between them are great. The importance of religions in this time was it changed how rulers led their empires and how traditions began, even what goods were significant in the regions that had that religion. The change is still important today even because many of these religions were foundations for current popular beliefs, many of the religions that began between 3500 B.C.E and 500 C.E are even still practiced today.

Shamanism and Animism

Define shamanism and animism and give an example of where they are and why they continued.

Shamanism-

     Definition: The animistic religion (believing natural objects/phenomenon have souls) of Northern Asia, embracing a belief in powerful spirits that can be influenced only by shamans. 
Today it is practiced in parts of the world still, such as Japan where it is part of Shinto, the native religion. Shinto has merged with other religions though, not focusing mainly on shamanism alone anymore.
In Mongolia shamans work at businesses which provide services like healing, fortune telling, and solving problems for people, because it has become a persons living, it has survived into this age. 

Animism- 
    Definition: The belief that natural objects, natural phenomena, and the universe itself possess souls. Natural objects have souls that may exist apart from their material bodies.
Many beliefs of animism is that humans are equal to the other living beings of the world, not superior.
Some Hindu groups are animistic, its carried out to them because it was brought into the religion, as part of its important parts, therefore as Hinduism has survived, so has the animism within it. As with shamanism, it plays the same role in Shinto, Japan's traditional religion. 
   

Silk Road (Ch8)

How did the Silk Roads impact:

Religion (Buddhism and Christianity)- Buddhism spread mainly to the east but was blocked in the west due to Zoroastrianism. It spread slowly among pastoralists for it made founding monasteries hard and most nomads were illiterate so they couldn't read the written teachings. Merchants helped transmit Christian beliefs along the Silk Road, and in 638 the first Nestorian church was created in Changan. Evidence of Nestorian Christian writings can be found in previously mentioned cave temples at Dunhuang.



Trade (What products came from each location?)- Silk came from China and was popular all over, especially in Rome where the elite/rich wore it to show their social status. Camel caravans were the vehicles that often times carried the goods from one place to another. Grape and Olive products came from Rome. Caravans towards China carried gold (and other precious metals), ivory, valuable stones, and glass. In the opposite direction (westward) furs, ceramics, jade, bronze, lacquer, and iron were carried.
China- Silk, bamboo, mirrors,gunpowder, paper, rhubarb, ginger, lacquer-ware, chrysanthemums.
Siberia (forest lands) and Central Asia (grasslands)- Furs, walrus tusks, amber, livestock, horses, falcons, hides, copper vessels, tents, saddles, slaves.
India- Cotton textiles, herbal medicine, precious stones, spices.



Disease (What diseases and what was their impact?)-  Due to the travel, societies were exposed to unfamiliar diseases, such as the smallpox/measles in the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty. The Bubonic Plague from 534-750 C.E within Mediterranean.The Black Death, from China to Europe, this caused farmers to be able to demand high pay because their services were in such short supply. <--Grain prices also dropped.


Technology- Donkey Saddles, with stirrups. Domesticated pack animals, and the yoke which is the wood that hooks up oxen to something. Maritime technology, Lanteen Sails (triangular in shape rather than the squares that were used. These were invented because the physics of the wind became better understood).

Mesoamerica and Eurasia (Ch7)

List and explain in detail at least three similarities and three differences between Mesoamerica and Eurasia.

Similarities:
    1) Large Cities: Both Mesoamerica and Eurasia had societies with large populations and were over expansive areas of land. In Eurasia there was obviously the large Empires of Greece, Persia, Rome, and China, plus the settlement of India. In Mesoamerica there was the Olmec Empire, the Mayan, and the America's greatest city- Teotihuacan. The city itself was 8 square miles, but its whole empire reached over 10,000 square miles, taking over some of the most distant cities of Maya, such as Kaminalijuyu . 
    2) Agriculture: Both Mesoamerica and Eurasia had societies that settled down for agriculture. Without agriculture, these settlement would not exist for they would have stayed hunter gatherers. In Mesoamerica all the civilizations we study utilized the land to grow crops and they domesticated animals. The land in both regions was fertile and made this life easy. 
    3) Architecture: In both regions they had elaborate architecture and more similarly, both places had pyramids.  Teotihuacan in Mesoamerica had two pyramids within the city itself, serving as temples,  the Temple of the Feathered Serpent and the Pyramid of the Sun. Egypt, in Eurasia, is well known for its multiple pyramids, built for pharaohs as burial chambers. The Maya and Olmec (Mesoamerica) also built pyramids for sacrificial purposes, or just to honor their gods. In Eurasia the Chinese, often had burial mounds, which were used in the same way as pyramids, just not quite extensive. There were also the pyramids of Rome and Greece (even though there conditions didn't last as well as some other pyramids). Even though all of these places had pyramids, Egypt is still the most known society of pyramid builders due to how many there are and how well the conditions of many of them still are today. 

Differences:
    1) Trade: In Mesoamerica there was no trade, or at least very minimal amounts of it, they grew most of their own plants, killed their own animals, wove their own textiles, and created other tools and materials. Where as in Eurasia trade was a very big deal, the greatest example of which is the Silk Road, which was a network of trading routes that went from China to Rome, with stops everywhere in between. Camel Caravans carried the goods across the land. There was also seaborne trade and exchange across the desert, through woodlands and through mountains.  
    2) Metallurgy: Mesoamerica didn't have metallurgy, they worked with earth itself, where as Eurasia used metallurgy to utilize new technologies. Metallurgy worked gold, copper, bronze, and later iron, into jewelry, tools, and weapons.
    3) Big Animals: In Mesoamerica there were no large animals to domesticate and use for agriculture and travel, but in Eurasia there were horses, camels, oxen, and elephants which were indeed used for agriculture, travel, and trade.