SST 122 Asian Studies 2nd Exam Reviewer - Ch.1 DRAFT PDF
SST 122 Asian Studies 2nd Exam Reviewer - Ch.1 DRAFT PDF
SST 122 Asian Studies 2nd Exam Reviewer - Ch.1 DRAFT PDF
Earliest Asian - Homo Erectus (Erect Man) are: Java Man (1891) and Peking Man (1921)
dating around 1 million b.c.e.
300,000 b.c.e. Homo Erectus merged with later humanoid species.
❖ They use stone axes and have been treated as cannibals.
150,000 BCE - Homo Neanderthalensis became dominant in Eurasia and Africa
❖ They were superseded by Homo Sapiens around 70,000 – 20,000 BCE
Eskimos and American Indians share some physical characteristics with Asians since they
migrated to the new world via walking the land bridge in Bering Strait.
13,000 BCE – 6,000 BCE: Homo floresiensis aka Hobbits inhabited the island of Flores, east
of Java, Indonesia.
❖ Half the size of modern homo sapiens.
Paleolithic Period
❖ Lasted around 1 million to 25,000 BCE.
❖ People used fire, create shelters and fashion garments out of skins or furs, and
develops stone weapons (spears and axes).
❖ Develops skills and artistic traits as paintings were found in the caves of Spain and
Southern France.
❖ Land bridges are apparent in this period as Asians migrated to the New World
(Americas) via Bering Strait and they also reach Australia via mainland Asia land
bridges.
3,000 BCE
❖ Early cities in Mesopotamia and Indus became successful as elements of modern
society are evident.
4 earliest cradles of settled agriculture based on archaeological evidences.
❖ uplands of Southwest Asia near Tigris-Euphrates in Mesopotamia
❖ Nile Delta
❖ Coastal Peru
❖ Coastal areas of mainland Southeast Asia
The Neolithic Revolution ended when metallurgy was introduced. Copper was the first
metal to work since its abundant on the surface and doesn’t need a complex process.
Origins of Civilization in India
❖ India’s is the oldest still in continuous existence.
❖ About 3000 b.c.e. true cities had arisen in the Indus Valley.
❖ Consistent agricultural surpluses provided the basis for cities development (e.g. arts,
metallurgy & literacy.)
The Indus Civilization
❖ Three Chief Urban Centers – Kalibangan (oldest), Harappa & Mohenjo Daro.
❖ Agriculture is dependent on the irrigation of the Indus River.
❖ The silt was brought to the lowlands during Indus overflows.
❖ Indus alongside Saraswati river provides easy transport of goods.
The Aryans
❖ The word Aryan has 2 meanings – as a linguistic term and a group of people who
migrated to South Asia around 2,000 BCE.
❖ Aryans are illiterate, seminomadic tenders of animals, farmers of wheat, and raiders
of trade centers and cities.
❖ Sanskrit is the classical language of India.
❖ Mahabharata and Ramayana – epic poems of Aryans.
Aryan Domination
❖ Aryans utilized chariots in their battle as an advantage over peaceful Indian people.
❖ Arya means noble or pure in Sanskrit.
❖ About 1,000 BCE, they conquered most of India but fails to subdue the Dravidians of
the south.
❖ The system of Caste was created by Aryans to create the distinction between them
and the conquered populace
❖ The mountains and great distance protected the south from the Aryans.