Power Point Lecture Notes Ashworth College Early

Describe the early societies of the Middle East. Discuss the main features and achievements of early Northeast African societies. Identify the main features of early Indian society and culture.

In this discussion board forum you should be able to, pick one, analyze the early societies of the Middle East, and hypothesize how these early societies impacted the development of later civilizations. Or, compare the main features and achievements of early Northeastern African societies and report how these features aided in the establishment and development of African societies. Or Distinguish the main features of the societies of the early Indian societies and cultures, support how these features helped other civilizations in India to develop.

In your choice of topic you should be able to evaluate its impact upon the region in which it developed.

Your reading assignment for this week (chapters 1, 2, and 3) described several early “civilizations,” emerging out of the Neolithic Revolution which established sedentary agricultural societies, in what was to become Europe and Asia. (These are not the hunting-and-gathering groups that preceded them.) These societies emerged around the Earth as the ice sheet receded, as people settled mainly along bodies of water–rivers, lakes, and the oceans–and they abandoned their previous primarily nomadic lifestyles. In the Fertile Crescent of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers of Southwest Asia, along the Nile River and coastal regions of the Mediterranean and Western Europe, among the lowlands of Central America, on the banks of the mighty Indus River in South Asia, and scattered among the major rivers of China, our early ancestors planted their societies and created their cultures.

As we study these early civilizations, it is apparent that in some ways they were different, but in other important aspects, they were similar. In fact, avoiding getting hung-up on the specifics, they tend to be more similar than different. So, please briefly describe similarities among the early civilizations of America, Europe, and Asia, in terms of their material culture (their “stuff,” or artifacts), their social Relationships, their political, economic, and religious Institutions, and other cultural Values. Please provide at least one specific example for each of the categories: cultural, social, political, economic, and religious. Along with referencing your textbook, you might draw examples from the Power Point lecture notes included at the end of your Reading Assignments section. How were their artifacts similar, and in what ways did they similarly use them? In what ways did they similarly construct their societies? And, how similar were their political, economic, and religious institutions?

Your response to this initial post should be at least two or three paragraphs in length (at least five sentences per paragraph) and include specific examples to support your opinions. Once you have responded to this post, I will read your response. At that time, I will either provide a follow-up post for your response or direct you to critique another students’ response. Please wait for me to do this before you continue.

Your second response, or critique of another student, should be at least one to two paragraphs and do the following: state what you agree with as to what is written; state what you might not agree with; and, add something else to the discussion. It is expected that you will be on your best netiquette when you respond to either my of other student’s writing.