History: Origins and Pre-Origins

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History Origins and Pre-Origins

• The Concept of History and Eras of Pre-History

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I. The Meaning of the Word History

• Words are embalmed history
• Historia (Greek) meaning to learn by inquiry
• Greek philosopher Herodotus was first to use the
  word for a study of the pastthe Persian Wars

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II. Why Study History?

• Case study of growth and change
• Employs reason, logic and intellectual resources
• Highlights present concerns as we look at the
  past
• Helps us to learn to cope with change

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III. Some General Lessons of History

• The law of progress is a myth
• The political welfare of a state depends on the
  condition of the lowest class within its borders
• Problems for civilizations come in the form of
  flights from rationality, loss of individual and
  local community freedom, unresponsive government,
  the unplanned growth of cities to the injury of
  rural life and the neglect of literature, art and
  science, and perhaps also patriotism, justice and
  religion.

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IV. Duties of a Historian

• Gather together and interpret the facts of the
  past as honestly as possible
• Evaluate the validity of the evidence
• Give proper emphasis to the storydeciding which
  eras or periods deserve more attention than
  others.

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V. Types of Evidence
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A. Written Records

• Inscriptions
• Papyri
• Medieval Manuscripts
• --literature of antiquity preserved by monks
  depending on preference
• --copies made on vellum or parchment
• --not contemporary or error-free

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B. Archaeological Evidence

• Buildings, statues, utensils, and documents
• Discovered continually
• Especially helpful with the artistic and social
  life of the ancients
• Supplements written records
• Significance of mounds
• -- potsherds

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The Eras of Pre-History
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I. Paleolithic (Old Stone) Age

• Food Gatherers
• Roaming Existence

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II. Neolithic (New Stone) Age

• Farmers living in villages led to the notion of
  property
• Life became more complex and gender-specific
• Population Expansion and some specialization

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II. Neolithic Age (cont)

• Emergence of Trade and Textile Manufacturing
• Pottery making carried to a high peak
• Still no civilization to speak of which
  requires coordinated efforts like irrigation

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III. Bronze Age (circa 3000 BCE)

• Bronze in widespread use in the Near East just
  before 3000 BCE
• Necessity of irrigation led to civilization
• Evolution of monarchy
• Development of Writing
• Introduction of Potters Wheel
• Civilization develops faster in Near East than in
  Western Europe