1. Classical Civilizations
• What held these civilizations together?
• China – centralized politics, Confucian
hierarchy, Mandarin
• India – Hinduism and caste system
• Mediterranean – elite cultural achievements,
shared law, citizenship, military (vulnerable)

2. Fall of the Han – c. 150 CE
• Why?
– Disease epidemics
– Decline of Confucianism, rise of Daoism
(Yellow turbans)
– Overburdened peasants and corrupt gov’t
– Decline in trade and prosperity
– Nomadic invaders from the north
– Followed by 300 years of chaos
– Medium strength collapse

3. Fall of Gupta – c. 500 CE
• Why?
– White Huns invade
– Regional princes ‘Rajput’ rule
– Threat of Islam beginning in the late 600s
– This fall was the least culturally disruptive
 Hinduism and the caste system
– Mild collapse

4. Fall of Rome – c. 476 CE
• Moral and government decay from 180 CE
• Economic, population, trade decline
• Disease epidemics
• Not enough soldiers – hired mercenaries
• Couldn’t expand anymore – no more slaves
or tribute
• Large farming estates

5. Fall of Rome – c. 476 CE
• Rome split into East and West by Emperor
Constantine
– East – Capital at Constantinople, Greek language
– West – Capital at Rome, Latin Language
• Western Rome invaded by Germanic tribes
• Europe falls apart – most dramatic collapse
• Eastern Rome survives - Byzantine Empire
• Emperor Justinian – Justinian Law Code
• Orthodox Christian Church

6. Classical Mesoamerica
• Grew maize, beans, squash
• Olmecs (1200-400 BCE)
– Central Mexico
– Teotihuacan – city of successors (Toltecs)
• Maya (300 BCE–900 CE)
– Yucatan Peninsula
– Polytheistic; Legend of Quetzalcoatl
– Pyramids
– Writing, zero, astronomy, calendar
– Small city-states fought each other
– Prisoners sacrificed or enslaved

7. Civilization in Africa
• Agriculture, Livestock, and Iron
– Horses, Camel from Asia
– Tsetse fly - attacks horses and cattle
– No bronze age
 Stone to iron
• The Bantu Dispersal
– Bring agriculture and iron
– From Nigeria throughout continent by 1200 C.E.
– Culture - united by kinship

8. Bantu Migrations

10. Africa, Civilization, and the Wider
World
• Axum: A Christian Kingdom
– Urban center
– Ge'ez - writing system
– Used Arabic script
– Controlled Red Sea trade
– c. 350 C.E., King Ezana converts to Christianity

11. Golden Ghana: A Trading State
• Savanna peoples
– Trade intermediaries
– Salt for gold; gold for textiles, finished goods
• Trade leads to state formation
– Gao, Ghana

12. Indo-Europeans
• 2nd millennium B.C.E.
• North of the Black and Caspian seas
• Included the Hittites, Hyksos, and Hsiung-
nu (Huns)
• Attack Chinese and Roman territories
• Destroy the Gupta

13. The Celts and Germans
• Celts
– Ireland to Russia
– Culture
 Small kingdoms
 Warrior elite
 Pastoralism, agriculture
 No cities, writing
 Oral literature
 Animistic religion

14. East Asia at the End of the
Classical Period

15. Japan
• Mountainous islands
• Indigenous Culture and Society
– Shintoism – worship of political rulers and
spirits of nature (esp. rice)
– Society
 Clans
 90% peasants
• Politically independent of China
– Cultural borrowings

16. Societies of Polynesia
• Australia, New Guinea settled
• Polynesia settled
– Hawaii
• New Zealand – Maori people
• Common culture with differences
• Double canoes, triangular sails (pahi)

17. The Spread of Polynesian
Peoples