Chapter 3 Document

Germania by Tacitus

• Germans- not mixed with other races through immigration or intercourse (aboriginal)
• Appear as an unmixed raced, all look the same since its all pure German blood
• Asks why anyone would leave Asia, Africa or Italy for sullen Germany
• With exception of it being their home
• Ancient songs, only way of recording their past 
• Choose kings by birth, but they don't have unlimited power
• Generals lead by example more than they exert authority
• Priests have the real authority
• Believe women have certain sanctity and prescience
• Worship deity mercury, human sacrifices
• Strict marriage code
• Adultery, husbands power to dish out punishment
• No cities, live scattered 
• No laughs 
• Slaves look over the house

Question #2:

• Reliable Statements
• Kings coming from birth 
• Little to no intermarriages 
• Strict marriage code, expecting spouses to be faithful to each other
• Worshipping mercury 
• Not as reliable
• No laughter
• Saying the country is sullen
• Human sacrifices
• Punishment for cheating

The Dancing Girl

What features of this statue may have provoked such observations [scholars inferring and observing that this 'dancing girl' was confident, good at what she did and she knew it, a queen or high status woman]?

The first thing I notice when I see the Dancing Girl statue is the girl's head is held high.  The head is in such a position that it is clearly inclined, holding your head high is a symbol of confidence, an indication that you know you are doing something right, and a symbol of taking pride in yourself and actions.  The bangles up and down the girl's arm, and the exquisite necklace she wears are symbols that she was her own individual, as it has been observed that women with jewelry indication class, ethnic, and individual variation.

Chapter 2

• Seven major civilizations developed around the world
• Southern Mesopotamia - first written language
• Norte Chico differed from Mesopotamia and Egypt was mainly self-sufficient (only import was maize)
• Indus Valley planned cities standardized things, had architectural styles
• written script that remains undeciphered
• No palaces, kings, or warrior classes
• China - defined by the ideal of a centralized state 
• Ruler was 'son of heaven'
• Has remained cultural continuity into modern times
• 1st civilizations roots in agricultural revolution
• Developed from earlier, competing chiefdoms
• Creation of 1st civilizations quick 
• Urban
• Cities
• Political capitals
• Equality
• Craft specialization 
• Classes and hierarchies 
• Upper, commoners, slaves
• Gender
• Patriarchy gradually emerged in first civilizations
• Declining position of women product of growing social complexity 
• Restrict female sexual activities to ensure property stayed in family 
• Egypt vs Mesopotamia
• Both depended on rivers
• Nile (Egypt) was predictable with flooding, could be prepared
• Mesopotamia was unpredictable, with floods that were destructive
• States
• Central to civilization organization
• Served needs of upper class
• Used force
• Writing and accounting more common
• Defining elite status 
• Commoners join elite through literacy

It's interesting to see the similarities between social structure in in the first civilizations and the social structure in today's society.  Something that particularly stood out to me during this chapter was the fact patriarchy began developing and women's position began declining.  Today, we still are yet to have a female president in the United States and women are still having to fight for a spot in society, fighting to be heard.  When women do speak out for rights, we get shot down.  Its crazy and sad to think that this has been going on since such an early time and there is absolutely no reason for it.

Agriculture-End of Chapter 1

• Takes place in Neolithic, agriculture revolution
• Beginning about 12,000 years ago
• Cultivation of plants and domestication of animals
• Gradually replaced gathering and hunting in most parts of world
• Selective breeding of animals
• Mutual dependence of humans on plants and animals and vice versa
• More food led to more people getting much more from less land
• Agriculture revolution happened independently in several world regions, all around the same time
• Coincided with end of ice age
• Amazon people learned to cut back plants to grow ones they wanted 
• Women were likely agricultural innovators
• Population growth may have led to a food crisis
• Variation across regions depending on plants and animals that were available
• Including in the Americas
• Agricultural practices adapted based on very different climates
• Agriculture spread in 2 ways
• Diffusion: Gradual spread
• Colonization/migration 

• Agriculture spread led to the spread of language and culture
• Globalization of agriculture took about 10,000 years
• Was rested where land unsuitable for farming
• Led to greater population
• Effected environment 
• Did not necessarily improve life for average person
• Usually meant more hard work
• Health deteriorated in early agriculture societies 
• New risk of famine
• New technology advances 
• Brewing of alcohol because the correct plants could be grown 
• No pastoral societies emerged in Americas 

• I am so amazed at the way earlier people made so much with so little
• The equality of men and women in history is surprising to me, I was expecting to read more about male dominance.  To me this displays the strong values earlier people had
• I am grateful to our ancestors for the foundations they provided us with, agriculture is still such a huge part of our lives and I can't imagine how things would be if they didn't take the steps they did