Unit 0 Reflection questions:

• Describe how the Neolithic revolution led to injustices within religions, social classes, and between  genders. Please provide examples for each analysis. 

• Describe early neolithic technology and inventions. Please provide examples for each analysis. 

• Describe the rise of Interregional trade routes and how that led to the spread of religions. Give examples. 

• Explain the difference between centralized and decentralized governments. Please give examples of each. 

• List and explain six (6) significant terms that you should remember going into Period 1. 

The Neolithic led to injustices, like those within religions, social classes, and genders, because agriculture led to social stratification, which caused hierarchies. The Neolithic Revolution also led to the desire to take over land, like when the Jewish people’s land was taken, and they were forced into slavery. With social stratification, social classes developed. For example, in India, the people created social classes based on their religious texts, which became the Caste system. Gender injustice, like patriarchy, became very common. Paleolithic societies were often more egalitarian than Neolithic societies, like how in ancient Greece women weren’t considered citizens. 

Some early technologies that several ancient civilizations developed were irrigation, dating, and writing systems. In Mesopotamia, they developed a writing system called Cuneiform, and in Egypt they had hieroglyphics. In ancient China, we can see early writings on oracle bones. We have no way of translating the alphabet of the Indus River Valley Civilization, but we know they had one. Egypt had a date system, and Mesopotamia created the base 60 time system. They both also had irrigation systems. 

A prime example of interregional trade routes developing is the Silk Road in China. China had artisan goods that it could trade to neighboring countries, like silk. This started the development of several important trade routes, which became the Silk Road. These trade routes made it possible for Indian practitioners of Buddhism to travel to China, where they spread their religion there. Buddhism eventually was promoted in the Sui Dynasty. 

Centralized governments have one entity making decisions in order to preserve order and unity. Decentralized governments have smaller units that make their own decisions to meet the needs of different groups. When ancient China decided to implement bureaucracy, it helped them increase their Centralized government, because they could replace the aristocrats that would defend their homes with bureaucrats that were loyal to the emperor. The Gupta dynasty in South Asia is an example of a decentralized government. The Guptas left decision-making up to local leaders, giving up some of their federal control. 

Codification is the writing down of rules/laws of a religion or government. 

Pastoralists are people who turned to nomadic herding as a result of not being able to farm due to non-arable land. 

A dynasty is a series of rulers in the same bloodline

Egalitarian means Equal/an equal society, often referring to gender equality 

Social Stratification is the division of people into groups, like social classes or work groups. 

Tribunes are lobbyists (people who are paid to make sure that the government officials vote a certain way, often through bribes) for the plebeians