How do natural features such as rivers, lakes, and mountains help unite people or keep them isolated from each other?

How do natural features such as rivers, lakes, and mountains help unite people or keep them isolated from each other?

3/30/2011

Kyle C.

Weather and Geography Conditions:

In the ancient times, communities and groups dwell together to form a place; when the population of groups increased, the space dominated by a certain group became smaller and there were level-headed leaders to charge the land. As the communities/lands were all isolated from one another, there were lack of communication going on; to add insult to injury, there were severe weather and disasters (flood for example), which caused people there to suffer. Though each community had an idea to prevent this accidence, they needed extra support. The only solution they had was to gather together and create a stop to this by inundating; by uniting, their lives could've been easier from the harmful disasters.

On the contrary, as the small groups united, there had to be a particular leader. Due to the fact that there had to be one, all the contenders were in a fight causing troubles in this. It was not the problem of geography conditions, it was all about who was capable of ruling the land. But back to what I said, another impact that could had isolated the nomes, was the fight of the charge of one's land, due to the fact that in the past and still today, people (especially farmers) prefer surfaces where it is easy to farm, meets the weather condition they want, and best of all, the water (lakes, rivers etc.) for the crops. When the land where one was in charge was in a stage of lack of crops, one had to invade and conquer to suit him/herself. In conclusion, the natural features of the world led to unite or to keep apart from others.

Going Along the Nile River

Trip along the Nile River

Kyle C.

Am I heading down or up, doesn’t matter it is still going to be Nile; there it is Nile again, trying to greet me. I see the Nile’s beauty, beauty of 6,670 km, and 22% of Nile course going through Egypt. I am heading down; I see the sun, with its luminous and glaring light, pointing at my golden ring. On the right it’s the farming lands, on the left it’s the pyramids; I’m between them. That is the beauty of the nature, Nile the longest river letting me goes through, fishing, touring, trading. Oh my I say, there is a goat grazing, there is a servant wearing some cloth I know from ancient times, I see the kids doing their laundries, oh I see, the lifestyles of along the Nile. Wait, the sun shines again, the energy of the sun warms my face. I feel different, is it because of the exceeding temperature or the beauty of Nile.

The New Words from the Article

The New Words from the Article

Kyle C.

• Define the word Mummy

A dead body of a human (usually kings), which was prepared as a burial, according to ancient Egyptians. The oldest known mummies, which date back to 7,000 years ago, were found in northern Chile near Arica, a port town of 160,000 at the edge of the Atacama desert.

Experts define a mummy as any ancient cadaver whose soft tissue has partially or wholly resisted decay.

• According to current scientific beliefs, what are some reasons people were intentionally mummified?

Ancient Egyptians mummified dead people to preserve the human remains; they had believed in an afterlife, they thought that the spirit would live for eternity in the after life. The dead bodies were buried next to the belongings since ancient Egyptians believed that they need them after life as well.

• What features of the natural environment can cause bodies to be mummified unintentionally?

Features of the natural environment, which cause bodies to be mummified are surgery.

• In what parts of the world have mummies been found?

Mummies have been discovered all parts of the world however the excavations and the traditions we all know are Egyptians.

• In what types of places (physical geography&climate) have mummies been found?

Ancient Egyptian mummies were found in the pyramids, located in the Sahara Desert is to be known as the hottest place. The physical geography of the pyramid is located at the ancient Giza, the tremendous pyramids consists of traps in-order for invaders to abduct the goods.

• How did Ancient Egyptians preserve their dead?

As I mentioned before, ancient Egyptians had preserved their cadavers in the pyramid. Throughout the century, many traders had failed to steal the goods in the pyramids due to fatal traps; however as more traders became to be interested in ancient goods, the goods and mummies had been stolen.

• Why do you think ancient Egyptians took such care to embalm their dead if the desert could do the job for them?

Ancient Egyptians had to take care of the dead in-order for the cadaver to be jubilant when they are dead; also it could had been a possibility that Ancient Egyptians cared so much due to security.

• List a least FIVE questions that you would ask about a place to determine whether it might be a promising location to find human mummies. Your questions should relate to climate, culture, religion and other factors that you think are important. Include images...

Which Pharaoh of Egypt was the first mummy and why?

How many traps against invaders were installed/made?

In the weather and climate condition, would've the mummy been in a bad position?

Why did you locate the mummy in the pyramid and how was the pyramid built?

How did Egyptian religion/beliefs influence their culture and lives.

Ancient Civilization Poster

Ancient Hittites

Hittite Empire

Kyle C.

3/8/2011

Adrian, Sophia, and I had created a poster based on an ancient civilization Hittites. Hittite Empire was famous for its inventions; some are sophisticated wheels and iron. As said that, Hittites economy and food crops were based on conquer and invasion, which provided solution to them.

Unit 3 Reflection - Mesopotamia and Fertile Crescent

Unit 3 Reflection - Mesopotamia and Fertile Crescent

Kyle C.

2/10/2011

1. In 2-3 sentences for each topic, summarize what you learned about the following:

a) The domestication of plants and animals

b) The transition from hunter-gatherer communities to the first civilizations

c) Early religion and beliefs

A) Domestication of Plants and Animals:

From the past, Domestication and farming lives had influenced the early civilizations; plant, animal domestication made possible for agriculture. Evidences show that by 11,000 – 8,000 B.C, people from Middle East knew how to farm. Domestication had been started when nomads had settled and became group of people who wanted to dwell in the region. By farming crops, people in the region could raise much more food (surplus of food meaning agricultural revolution) than Hunters and Gatherers; this could show that people had slowly adapted in an advance way or becoming civilized.

B) Transition from Hunter- Gatherer communities to Civilizations

As larger communities were formed, more advantages were made. By turning to Civilizations, the lives of the civilization became more advanced; trade relationships were created, larger communities were formed, and Division of labor had to be a deal. This tells us that, people who lived in communities instead of Hunter – Gatherers formed greater lives than others.

C) Early Religion and Beliefs

People from the past had been to known to believe in many Gods/Goddesses. Each God/Goddesses had symbolized each region or state; People believed that each God who symbolized the region gave protection; God/Goddesses supported others against the forces of nature such as flood or lack of crops. God/Goddesses sat at the highest level, they were the protection of the regions from the past and we still acknowledge that our Gods can protect us as well.

Learning about the Sumerians isn't very important since they're long gone! Let’s change their minds

Sumerians were successful in many ways; they had formed a well-balanced civilization. They maintained trading relationships, technology, Government etc. However the principal contribution of the Sumerians that we should know is the technology and inventions. Sumerians had invented the Wheel (science power), plowing techniques (animal power), and sailing (wind power). By inventing all of these followings above, Sumerians were an advanced civilization in trading, lifestyles.

2 Photos to show I identified and learned:

Mesopotamia, the region along the 2 Rivers, Euphrates and Tigris, this region was divided into Empires and the whole region was ruled by the greatest kings of Mesopotamia Sargon.

Fertile Crescent (Green) is the area which maintains “lush” in vegetation. This area was a huge support to regions located at this area.

Enheduanna of Sumer

Enheduanna of Sumer Summarizations & Questions

Kyle C.

Due 1/28/2011

Summary of Enheduanna of Sumer:

Enheduanna was the daughter and the Akkadian princess of the ruler around 2300 B.C, the greatest Mesopotamian King "Sargon of Akkad." She has been known for the first person to reveal or the first person to use their name in writing. She was actually appointed to the rule by her family; especially her Father. In additional around 2000 B.C, few of the entire women population knew how to write or read. Her poems and literary works written around 2300B.C are the first creations anywhere in the world credited to an individual person.

Enheduanna was also the priestess of the temple Nanna where they worshiped the Moon God of Akkad; this worship was an important role for the royal family.

Questions to answer:

1. The ancient books more than 4000 years ago were, written on soft clay with pointed tool called a stylus. It also looked like small clay pillows, not paperbacks.

2. Her royal family dwelled in a palace located at city-state Akkad, Mesopotamia; her father was the wise ruler of Mesopotamia.

3. Enheduanna had worked and worshiped as a high priestess in the Temple of Nanna where she offered and gave prayers to god/goddess. She had lost her job when her nephew "Naram Suem of Akkad the new king" sent her out of the palace.

4. The author mentions that 50 tablets with her poem written evidences tell her poems were bestsellers at the time.

5. At one stage, Enheduanna had written about the account of her father; the city-states that Sargon had taken united in revolt against him. They besieged the city of Akkad and exiled the goddess Inanna from her temples.

Enheduanna and the worshiping

Blog Post: Environment

From earliest times, people have changed their environments.

How have people today changed their environment?

Discuss both the good and the bad.

1/15/2011

From the past, early settlers had utilized natural products provided by nature to maintain their lives; early ancestors developed to create achievements however some turn out to be abominable (ex. Some populations of predators had been verge of extinct). As said that, we today had utilized our environments to produce sustainable lives (connection). People today had developed and altered the environment to perform better such as a thought that could preserve and save the world. However it was not always on the positive side, by trying to upgrade to a higher level, we had damaged/caused difficulties. Some of the difficulties we caused are pollution and mainly damaging the nature. It is significant to say that, people today are the cause of disruptions since minorities of the population abides by the rule to save earth. To be said, people have to acknowledge and appreciate the importance of environment; in conclusion, I believe that the earth would be sustainable, if we try to think about the effects.

The Cause of Pollution (Cars): The most useful/most used transportation we see every day is car. This transportation had devastated and damaged the environment nevertheless; it’s a resource that is essential for our life.