Teresa

From The Epic of Gilgamesh (abbreviated version)   In the wildness she created valiant Enkidu, born of Silence, endowed with strength by Ninurta.   His whole body was shaggy with hair, he had a full head of hair like a woman, his locks billowed in profusion like Ashnan.   He knew neither people nor settled living, .   He ate grasses with the gazelles, and jostled at the watering hole with the animals; as with animals, his thirst was slaked with mere water.   A notorious trappe r came face-to-face with him opposite the watering hole. 
 On seeing him the trapper's face went stark with fear, 
 and he and his animals drew back home.
    The trapper was rigid with fear ;  though stock-still
 his heart pounded and his face drained of color.
 He addressed his father saying:         "Father, a certain fellow has come from the mountains.       He is the mightiest in the land,   ...

     The article is about the collapse of Ugarit and Mycenae which dominated the eastern Mediterranean Sea during what historians call the Bronze Age. Based on the article, we might think and / or assume that a collapse is imminent and that we cannot change it, much less prevent it. History repeats, there are many empires that disappeared in the same way. Regardless of their size, regardless of the time of existence, much less the power they had. In this particular story there are no exact records of what really happened and caused these countries to collapse. There are many theories, but nothing concrete. According to Sarah Murray, a professor at the University of Toronto the collapse could be due to a combination of war, drought and migration.  It is difficult to think otherwise since the combination of these can truly lead anywhere to disappear.  I was struck by the theory that the same people, oppressed, were the ones who rose up against the empire and manag...

How did Africa’s proximity to Eurasia shape its history? And how did America separation from the Eastern Hemisphere  affects its development? The Africans have had access to more productive crops and domesticated animals from interaction with Eurasia. Trade with Eurasian peoples caused civilizations like Meroë and Axum to flourish. There were also some African societies that practiced Eurasian religions like Islam and Christianity. American separation from the Eastern Hemisphere meant that they had no access to Eurasia 's productive crops, so less civilization was formed in America. There were no agricultural communities because there were no domesticated animals. When North Africa became completely incorporated into the Mediterranean world, African proximity to Eurasia shaped its history and thus encouraged the trade in ideas & technology. Camel introduction created the possibility of a nomadic, pastoral lifestyle  which eventually facilitated trans-Saharan commerce....

Why do you think slavery was so much more prominent in Greco-Roman civilization than in India or China? Slaves in China and India were minor elements. They came from debtors, prison, or were criminals. Some were children of very poor families who could not pay a debt and had to sell them to serve as slaves. In China only 1% of the population was a slave while in India religion offered protection to slaves. Slavery was most prominent in Greco-Roman Civilization because it was a society based on slavery. Slavery in Greco-Roman civilization confirmed position, social status, and express their ability to exercise power. In addition slaves were very necessary for the creation of the empire. Slaves provided much of the labor force on the huge states which produced goods to transport. Slaves work as entertainers, actors, and also served as gladiators in the violent spectacles of Roman public life. They needed slaves for everything! Ways of the World, Robert W. Strayer, Chapter 5

Is a secular outlook on the world an essentially modern phenomenon, or does it have precedents in the second-wave era? I would say a secular outlook is not a modern phenomenon. It has it precedents in the second-wave era. With the goal of changing china’s disorder, legalism focused on rules and laws enforced with a system of rewards and punishments. There were no believes in a religion, only those in a layout of the law. Confucianism is another example of this secular view. Confucianism made no use of any gods. Instead, it taught superiority and morale in the family. He wanted to change China, paying no attention to the gods but putting strong emphasis on schooling and social development with no religious context. In confucian thinking the family was the model for political life. of course, while still honoring our ancestors, parents. This was for the purpose of teaching to venerate people who hold important positions, such as the emperor. In other words, all teaching started from home...

What common features can you identify in the empires described in this chapter?  Their political regime imposed power and authority. They contained a wide number of people and cultures within a single political structure. They were linked to political and cultural oppression. They were big, violent, and were oppressive. Empires brought together people from different traditions and religions. They stimulated the exchange of ideas, cultures and values.  They imposed peace and security which fostered economic and artistic development, comercial change, and cultural meaning.  They left environmental marks in their establishments They controlled large areas and populations. They were brought together by conquest and funded in part by extracting wealth form conquered people.  They wanted to transcend. They ultimately collapse.  In what ways did they differ from one another? Expansion the amount of time they had been around In their political system Cultural values The...

Ways of the World  It was surprising to learn… there is no exact record of how civilizations began. Many details of each civilization are known, such as the writing, the type of life, location, etc. But there is no exact data on when all this started or ended. I am exactly from Yucatán, Mexico. My husband speaks the Mayan dialect fluently. My family still continue to believe in past ideas which this Mayan civilization left years behind. The curious case is that we do not know how, where, or when all this ended. It is surprising, even more, when technology has evolved in an incredible way. In the present there are more people looking for answers about this subject, but nothing is concrete.  It is interesting to know that everything we are and do today is the result of people and civilizations that really existed. We are part of those footprints that our ancestors left. I'm also surprised to know about the origins of patriarchy. It is believed that one of the reasons was the deg...

Ways of the World I was sad / disappointed / angry to read that… Inequality began to be seen in the communities. It made me sad to see that as the era progressed, people became less free. In order to maintain a society, whether large or small, people began to be chosen to organize the way each person performed their job responsibilities. This was a way to supervise that everybody was bringing something to society. The power that was given to some people, began to create hierarchies, and the use of power of authority. It is well recognized that, whether due to intellectual, physical or simply luck, many people manage to excel more than others. And what about those that do not have the same capacity? They are the ones that end up being oppressed and with less benefits. This is what began to happen at that time. Social Inequality.  Another finding that made feel sad was the fact that Earth began to be exploited. With progress communities began to grow. With that, a lot of food began ...

Ways of the World I found it interesting to read that… The life of paleolithic was more limited by nature than by human society. That is, Paleolithics needed nature to in order to survive. Is from nature that they obtained food, shelter, clothing, all the sustenance necessary to survive during that time. This is all opposite of what we are experiencing now. In the present, human beings are more tied to tyranny and human oppression. If we don't work, we don't eat. In Chapter 1 we had the opportunity to see how agriculture brought with it many positive things, but it also brought inequality and injustice. A clear example is the fact of having to work hard and receive few benefits. Many people are exploited by having to work during long hours in the sun. Others have to work two shifts a day. In the end, labor is very cheap, poorly paid. Another fact that caught my attention is gender equality during that time. Scientist Richard Lee described this equality as "Relative equali...

Cosmic - this era describes how the universe was created from the bing bang until today. Gaiac - I did not find this one. Paleolithic - Early phase of the stone age.  Neolithic -  Later part of the stone age.  Ancient - 6,000 BCE – 650 CE. Classical - the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 6th century AD. Modern -  1500 – present.   Ecozoic - It describes the geologic era in which Earth is entering. It is a reconciliation that exists between living beings on Earth in order to improve the treatment we have given our planet from the beginning of our existence. Creating awareness. Cosmic -  Gaiac- Paleolithic - Neolithic - Ancient - Classical - Modern  - Ecozoic  Cosmic should be at the beginning because that teaches us what space we occupy on Earth and that way we would know how to act in it. If it had been like this from the beginning we would have known how to respect our resources and perhaps ac...