Foundations Study Sheet

Key Concepts: Review Strayer packets, homework sheet handouts, journals, EWH readings and Stearns
Textbook
Introduction:
o Worldview, Periodization, “Civilization”
o Toynbee, McNeil and Diamond theories
Hunter-Gathering:
o Egalitarian division of labor
o Demography-factors that influence increase and decrease of population, relationship between demography
and population
o Guns, Germs and Steel Video (Jared Diamond debate)
Agricultural Revolution:
o Invention of Agriculture
o Women’s work (what, why, value, status)
o food surplus, specialization of labor
o spontaneous separate development- why, when, where
o pastoralist vs. hunter gatherer life style
o farmer vs. hunter gatherer life style
o Early inventions in metal and transportation Spread of bronze, iron, the wheel, stirrups, chariots
River Valley Civilization:
o Mesopotamia, Indus, Yangtze (Shang and Zhou), Nile
 Comparison
o Emergence of first cities
Axial Age:
o What is it, why did it happen, what questions were being asked, results (new theories/philosophies) City and
States: city-states, capital cities, commercial cities
o Athens, Alexandria, Rome, Pataliputra (Maurya and Gupta)
Belief Systems: Polytheism, Hinduism, Judaism, Confucianism, Daoism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism
o Compare spread, gender, ethics and morality, social structure
o Symbols
Classical Societies:
o Maurya, Gupta, Han, Rome, Greece, Alexander the Great’s Empire
o Influence of Hellenism on art and religion Empire building – what does an empire require
o Achievements of the classical empires
o Conrad Demarest Model of Empires
 Why empires fall
o Patriarchy/Social Hierarchies
 Slavery
 Role of women

Chronology of major events/processes: belief systems, progression of societies in the Mediterranean basin as well as those
of Northwest (region we often refer to as the Middle East), South and East Asia.

Document Analysis: The final section of the test will include several primary documents- you will need to be able to follow
the following instructions:
Directions: Complete the following questions based on the documents you will be given:
1. Analyze point of view for every document. Write your analysis in 3-4 sentences. (Why does the author say
what s/he says in the way that s/he say it?)
2. Based on the question, how would you group these documents? Justify your grouping.