HISTORY FEED BACK

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2) As mentioned in the text book “Bentley and Ziegler 108”; The Paleolithic period by far the longest portion of the human experience on earth as is the period historians and archaeologists call the Paleolithic era, which means the “Old Stone Age”. The Paleolithic period extended from the first tool-using hominids until about twelve thousand years ago. By reading the text book “Bentley and Ziegler 108”; I came to understanding their economic and their social lifestyle. There are not prove of written records of their lifestyle; but they survive by hunting and gathering items, according to the evidence that Archaeologists have excavated. Theses individual did not own private property. Men moved place to place during hunting season for search of prey that provides a substantial amount of meat so they could feed their family, friends, and others whom they cared about. In the Paleolithic lifestyle, plant foods were essential to survive, but meat was highly item in their diet. Paleolithic hunting was a complicated venture, but they clearly demonstrated the capacity of human intelligence, they showed the ability to make complicated plans and sophisticated language/communications skills- so they can exploit the environment. The Paleolithic period ended when some of the more powerful hunters founded settlements in rich areas, and abandoned the nomadic lifestyle, they established permanent settlements. To my understanding the Paleolithic period stated to Africa in general, the one who moved to rich areas and refused to go back are the ones that created the culture of Neandertal people in Middle Eastern, Europe, and South West Asia as the intelligent progress (technology) of the Neolithic era advanced. To compare the Paleolithic era and Neolithic era, both eras are similar to me economically; they survived by hunting and gathering. As pointed in book of “B and Z 108”; Neolithic eras mean a new stone age as opposed to the old stone age of Paleolithic times. Neolithic era can be defined as the time of arising agriculture; agriculture became the way of life, people stopped nomad hunting and gardening. I can point the significant steps humans made but to stay on the main topic; the development of tools and new technology are extensive. The historians estimated that before agriculture, about 10,000 B.C.E, the earth’s human population was roughly four million. By 5000 B.C.E, agriculture appeared in a few of the world’s regions “B and Z 108”  source from page 10 to 17. In 2012, the population was estimated to be around seven billion. 

EXSAMPLE

When you state that the two eras are similiar economically is it just base on hunting and gathering? My interpretation from the reading is that the Neothithic actually settled down and built more of an agriculture society where gathering was lessen because they started to grow their own crops.  Based on the region and resource that was settled, the limitation of what can be grown built up to the trade developement to acquire other crops or products.  So I felt that in the Neolithic age build more interaction from different group because of trade and settlement than the Paleothic age where society or groups countinously moved in search of food.  The agricultural society and trading I think it made the Neolithic age more economically advance than the Paleolithc age and that it build an actual ecomony.

2) Rivers had a very important role in early civilization.  The Euphrates and Tigris rivers flow geographically parallel to each other which was home to very fertile valleys where crops could be cultivated.  From 6000 B.C.E to 3000 B.C.E. Sumerians developed methods to use the water from the Euphrates and Tigris rivers to irrigate their crops by constructing canals, and reservoirs.  Canals were used to divert water from rivers to lands distant from rivers to irrigate crops, reservoirs were used to store water redirected from a river that could also be used irrigate crops at a later time.  By taking advantage of the irrigation source of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers Sumerians were able to provide a stable food supply for the people of this region, which additionally brought immigrants from surrounding areas.  

[1]

The Nile River had an enormous impact on the Nile River Valley and the development of ancient Egypt just as the Euphrates and Tigris rivers impacted the Sumerians in ancient history.  From around 1000 B.C.E. to 5000 B.C.E immigrants from northern Ethiopia settled in the upper Nile valley regions of Nubia and Egyptian valley’s due to an extended drought in the northern Africa content.  The Nile River empties in to the Mediterranean Sea.  Spring rains and winter snow melts cause the Nile to overflow and in the process the nutrient rich mountain water empties in the valley before it exits in the Mediterranean Sea.  This annual process fertilized the Nile valley which local farmers took advantage of to produce a variety of crops to feed the growing population.  Sudanic immigrants introduced gourds and watermelons to the area as well as domesticated cattle and donkeys.  

[2]

Both the Sumerians and ancient Egyptians took advantage of the irrigation resources of the great rivers in their areas which greatly contributed to the success of their civilizations.  Inevitably, both the Sumerians and Egyptian societies succumbed to outside forces such as invasions by enemy military forces and natural disasters such as climate change in their regions. 

EXSAMPLE : The character of the Nile, and the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, also affected these civilizations.  For example, the flooding of the Nile was regular and expected, and also allowed for the replenishment of the rich soils that made Egypt so wealthy and stable.  Egypt experienced multiple growing seasons and this allowed for regular supplies of food.  Its food supplies would later support outside conquerors, including Rome and Constantinople.  Because Egypt was isolated by its geography, with deserts to the west and east of it, and the enormous distance of the interior of Africa, it duration affected its outlook in religion, political and social organization, and technology.(1)

In contrast, the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers often produced unexpected and devastating floods because of the runoff from snow in the mountains that supplied them.  They were often fast-flowing, unpredictable, and turbulent.  Unlike Egypt, Mesopotamia had no natural geographic barriers.  It was flat and easily accessible by invaders and marauders.  Violence, instability, and the change of regimes led to a more voilatile view of religion, political and social organization, and the dynamism of these societies.  The Epic of Gilgamesh
 reflects some of the concerns that Sumerian society had and its religion exhibited.(2)

Grappling with the rivers forced inhabitants to first cooperate with each other, especially in Mesopotamia, to build dykes, dig irrigation canals, and generally work to manage water.  Scholars think as one village dealt with its river, it had to deal with neighboring ones, and eventually larger political entities emerged.  This is why the first civilizations and empires grew from these areas.  A unified Egypt appared in the late fourth millenium B.C. (BCE)(3).