Name: _________________
Date: ___________
Period: ______
Mr. Hons – World History
A Brief History of Human Civilization – Josh Kennan
Sometimes, I’m amazed how young we are. We have only found bones for modern day humans
going back 200,000 to 450,000 years ago. We have only existed in our current behavioral form
for 50,000 years. That is nothing on a geological scale. For all intents and purposes, we were
brought forth yesterday. Our current population is estimated at 6.8 billion. To put that in
perspective, when Jesus Christ was on Earth, there were only an estimated 20 million people
alive at the time.
Agricultural dominance began in 10,000 B.C. and the Sumerian civilization, the first in history,
arose in 3,500 B.C. Think about that. It was only 5,500 years ago that human civilization as we
know it began. We know that we’ve been around a lot longer but this is the oldest known
writing system (cuneiform script).
That is a staggering thought. Human civilization is only 5,500 years old. When you hear
someone foolishly insist that the world is less than 6,000 years old, in one sense they are
correct. There was no written language or history before that time. The birth of civilization was
the birth of modern humans.
After Sumeria came Egypt, which rose in 3300 B.C., then the Harappan civilization in 3300
B.C. These civilizations arose overnight, out of nothing, and were incredibly different, leading
most historians to conclude that they sprouted independently, which is a miracle. It simply
doesn’t make sense that humans would figure out civilizations, across the entire world, in a
matter of a few hundred years and suddenly build complex cities. In 2200 B.C. you had the Xia
Dynasty arise in China
Then, it happened. The mother of all western civilizations arose and has served as the
foundation of western civilization since. Ancient Greece took her place at the forefront of the
world only a few hundred years before Christ.
Central heating? Tumble locks? Hula hoops? The
catapult? Levers? Maps? Thermometers? Construction? The bathroom? The
crossbow? Vending machines? The odometer? The alarm clock? Automatic doors? Steam
power? Clock towers? These are just a few of the things that were invented or perfected by
Ancient Greece. We owe them nearly everything of value today.
Then, of course, came Rome, which conquered Greece and dominated the world for a few
centuries. The lessons learned in construction, political theory, and philosophy were quantum
leaps forward for humanity.
Then came the dark ages. Europe slipped into a morass of misery and stupid superstition that
lasted for centuries until the light slowly dawned and the middle ages arose. Then,
the renaissance shown forth and the age of enlightenment arrived. Philosophy, music, political
theory, and art once again burst forth that has lasted.
It was out of this rebirth the United States was born in the tradition of the greatest philosophers
and thinkers. Our intellectual underpinnings were John Locke and Voltaire. We were a great
experiment in self-government and rationality.
1. How far back in history is there physical evidence of humans that were like us today?
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2. How far back were there humans who thought and behaved similar to us today?
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3. Compare the population of today with that during year 0 (Jesus’ birth).
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4. When did people begin growing their own food? ______________________________
5. When did ancient Sumerian civilization arise? ______________________________
6. What civilization developed in China around 2200 B.C.? _______________________
7. What civilization does the author call the “mother of all western civilizations?”
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8. Why do you think he calls it the “mother of all western civilizations?”
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9. What areas of human civilization did the Romans contribute to according to the author?
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10. What happened during the “enlightenment” in Europe?
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11. How does that differ from what he calls the “dark ages?”
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12. How did the “enlightenment” influence the United States?
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