ME 2:3 Flashcards
Explain how social hierarchies developed. Pay attention to the gender hierarchies as well.
Division of labor, which was brought about due to plow agriculture. Plow agriculture also strengthened differentiation based on gender, with men being associated more with work beyond that in the household and women with the more domestic tasks.
Accumulation of supplies and/or being in positions of leadership allowed those people to have wealth and power, which really created the divisions between people and cemented social heirarchies.
What evidence is there that Catal Huyuk engaged in trade and specialized labor?
They traded blades crafted out of obsidian for seashells and flint. They also operated a variety of industries such as textiles, pottery, basket making, etc
What examples of cultural diffusion does the book give in the Neolithic Age?
The transfer of ideas and knowledge such as that about seasons and weather or religious beliefs and practices.
Why did pottery, textiles, and metalworking emerge as Neolithic industries?
Pottery was required for storage, textiles for clothing, and metal working to produce tools and jewelry.
Explain the relationship between land and wealth.
Land ownership increased wealth, given that there were people on it who were required to labor for the owner.
How and why did Neolithic cultures develop an early kind of applied science?
They observed recurring patterns in the world around them and developed an early kind of applied science (astronomy) to indicate when they needed to plant.
How did cities like Catal Huyuk differ from Neolithic villages?
It was much more tightly knit and had a very high population of 8,000 people in its prime. The city was also home to various thriving industries and had networks of exchange and communication.
How did the rhythms of agriculture and the patterns of exchange shape religious beliefs and practices?
It caused people to develop various practices/rituals and religious beliefs/stories regarding fertility and gods.
- changing views on fertility, lead to rituals around it
- the gods had division of labor and social hierarchies too
human society was becoming more complex overall
