AP World History Period 1

This is when people were still in hunter-gatherer societies. Migration from Africa to the other continents also occurred. Humans in this era learned how to use stone/wood tools. Paintings on cavewalls were very significant.

The belief that nature itself has superpowers. (There was belief in afterlife too)

Humans began to plant crops and build permanent settlements. This started in SW Asia, but spread to the civilizations near the Nile River, the Indus River Valley, the Huang River Valley, and areas in Mesoamerica and the Andes.

This began with the Agriculture Revolution. Most domesticated animals were in Afro-Eurasia, as in the Americas the only animals they could domesticate were the llama, alpaca, and -later- dogs. This increased disease transmission.

The Agriculture Revolution provided people with a constant and stable food supply, so people could stay in one place. This caused the emergence of specialized work tasks and jobs (eg. craftspeople, warriors, religious leaders, and government officials).

Societies that have cities. Examples are Mesopotamia and the Nile Valley. Both built religious buildings (ziggurats or pyramids) and elites had monumental structures built for themselves.

These began to form when nearby cities with a common language and religious belief united. In general, leaders claimed themselves to be gods, or at the very least claimed to be descended from gods. (eg. the Babylonians and Egyptians)

All of these are examples of the world's first literature. Usually these texts discussed creation and the meaning of life.

Nomads who herded domesticated animals but did not themselves settle. They were major catalysts for change.