NEW SS: Section 2 Flashcards
When did the Holocene begin?
11,700 years ago
When did the oldest fossil record of Homo sapiens date to?
300,000 years ago
When did the Homo sapiens become the last surviving members of the Homo genus?
40,000 years ago
What genus did the Homo sapiens become the last surviving members of 40,000 years ago?
the Homo genus
What is the current global human population?
over 8 billion
What was the population cap of the Pleistocene?
10 million people
When was the end of the last ice age?
11,700 years ago
When did the Pleistocene epoch start and end?
2.6 million to 11,700 years ago
What does LGM stand for?
Last Glacial Maximum
When was the LGM?
20,000 years ago
During the LGM, what parts of Earth were covered by ice?
Europe, most of North America, and partially Asia
What is permafrost?
perenially frozen ground, or land that is frozen all year
The conclusion of what event marked the beginning of the Holocene?
the Younger Dryas period
When was the Younger Dryas period?
12,900 to 11,700 years ago
What caused the major glacial meltwater event 14,000 years ago?
warming caused by solar cycles
The meltwater event 14,000 years ago caused what?
a cold millennium known as the Younger Dryas period
What was the Younger Dryas period?
a cold millennium that reversed warming trends, with its ending signaling the start of the Holocene
How many periods are in the Holocene?
3
What is the 1st period of the Holocene?
the Early Holocene Subseries or Greendlandian Stage/Age
What is the 2nd period of the Holocene?
the Middle Holocene Subseries or Northgrippian Stage/Age
What is the 3rd period of the Holocene?
the Late Holocene Subseries or Meghalayan Stage/Age
The dates that mark how long ago events occurred, like the starting of the Holocene 11,700 years ago, used what year as the present?
2000 CE, and sometimes 1950 CE
When did the Early Holocene occur?
11,700 to 8,236 years ago
What years did the Early Holocene occur?
9700 to 6200 BCE
When did the Middle Holocene occur?
8,236 to 4,250 years ago
What years did the Middle Holocene occur?
6200 to 2250 BCE
When did the Late Holocene occur?
4,250 years ago to present day
What years did the Late Holocene occur?
2250 BCE to present day
What was the warmest period of the Holocene?
the Early Holocene
What period of the Holocene occurred during the Holocene thermal maximum?
the Early Holocene
When was the Holocene thermal maximum?
11,000 to 7,000 years ago
What is the warmest part of the Holocene called?
the Holocene thermal maximum
What was the Holocene thermal maximum?
the warmest period of the Holocene
Why is the Early Holocene nicknamed the Greenlandian Stage?
because of an ice core in Greenland, NGRIP2, that shows evidence of the start of the Holocene at 1,492 meters
What does the end date of the Early Holocene coincide with?
a meltwater event in Canada, when a glacial ice sheet collapsed
Where were humans after the Pleistocene?
all over the globe
Where is the Iberian Peninsula?
the western edge of Europe
What does the nickname for the Middle Holocene, the Northgrippian Stage, refer to?
an ice core from Greenland that shows evidence of cooler temperatures
What does the beginning date of the Middle Holocene coincide with?
a meltwater event, with the collapse of the Laurentide Ice Sheet in Canada, the same one as what ended the Early Holocene
What is a meltwater event?
the melting or collapsing of a glacial sheet that accelerates the flow of icy water into the ocean
When during the Holocene did temperatures start to decline?
7,300 years ago, between 5300 and 3700 BCE
Why did temperatures in the Holocene begin to decline?
because of weakened solar energy
The period of time when temperatures in the Holocene started to decline is known as what?
the Mid-Holocene Transition
When was the Mid-Holocene Transition?
between 5300 and 3700 BCE
Which ages was the Middle Holocene seen as the transition between?
the Stone Age to the Bronze Age
What date did the Mesopotamian civilization start to emerge?
3500 BCE
How many years ago did the Mesopotamian civilization start to emerge?
5,500 years ago
What does the nickname for the Late Holocene, Meghalayan Stage, refer to?
a cave in northeast India where mineral deposits contain evidence of the new period
When was the Holocene Turnover?
4,250 years ago
What period of the Holocene did the Holocene Turnover occur in?
the Late Holocene
What was the Holocene Turnover?
abrupt changes in atmospheric and oceanic conditions that led to changes in weather
The Holocene began 11,700 years ago using what years as a marker for the present?
2000 CE
What is one pitfall of scholarly fields in climatology?
they typically date past events
What do scholars use as the reference date for the year 0?
the birth of Christ
What does BC stand for?
Before Christ
What does AD stand for?
Anno Domini
What is Anno Domini Latin for?
“In the year of our Lord”
What is the term that equates to AD?
CE
What is the term that equates to BC?
BCE
What does CE stand for?
Common Era
What does BCE stand for?
Before Common Era
How long did the Pleistocene Epoch last?
2.6 million years ago
How long does Earth’s history span?
4 billion years
What is a pitfall of trying to synchronize climate history and human history?
the different scales of historical timelines, human history lasted a minuscule amount of time compared to nature’s vast existence
What 2 dates are commonly used when dating events that occurred thousands of years ago?
1950 CE and 2000 CE
Does it matter if sources use 1950 CE or 2000 CE to date past events from thousands of years ago?
No, 50 years is hardly a margin of error given the amount of time that has passed since it occurred
Why were humans largely unaware of any climatic change that might have happened in their lifetime?
because of the slow rate climate changes at
When did large, agricultural societies begin to emerge?
3500 BCE
What was different about the large, agricultural societies that emerged in 3500 BCE and after?
they were much larger, agriculturally based, and people stayed there for their entire lives
What consisted in the complex social structure of early agricultural societies?
groups called classes, which showed status
What is another word for agrarian?
farming
How were early agrarian communities closely linked with nature?
through their crops and animals they had
Where was Mesopotamia?
present-day Iraq
Mesopotamian water supply came from where?
the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
What enhanced the Mesopotamian water supply?
human-built irrigation systems
When did the Sumerians rule Mesopotamia?
3600 to 3000 BCE
Who was ruling Mesopotamia in 2250 BCE?
the Akkadians, with the Akkadian Empire
2250 BCE marks the boundary between what periods of the Holocene?
the Middle Holocene and Late Holocene
What notable climate-related event happened in 2250 BCE in Mesopotamia?
Abrupt climate changes resulted in cooler and dryer conditions, could possibly be linked to the fall of the Akkadian Empire in 2218 BCE
When was the Akkadian Empire?
2334 to 2218 BCE
What country is the Nile Delta in?
Egypt
What body of water did the Egyptians live near?
the Nile Delta
When did the Egyptians start their form of writing?
3200 BCE
When did the Egyptians build the pyramids by?
2500 BCE
When was the Old Kingdom of Egypt?
2700 to 2200 BCE
How were the Egyptian records on water usage and farming?
very good
Why do many experts look at Egypt to try to learn more about how people in ancient civilizations protected their farming conditions?
because of their highly detailed records of how they used water and the Nile River for farming and other uses
Where was the Indus Civilization?
the Indus Valley
Where is the Indus Valley?
modern-day Pakistan
When was the Indus Civilization?
3200 to 1000 BCE
How many parts can the Indus Civilization be split into?
3
What are the 3 phases of the Indus Civilization?
the Early Harappan phase, Mature Harappan phase, and Late Harappan phase
What was the 1st phase of the Indus Civilization
the Early Harappan phase
What was the 2nd phase of the Indus Valley
the Mature Harappan phase
What was the 3rd phase of the Indus Valley
the Late Harappan phase
When did the Early Harappan phase occur?
3200 to 2600 BCE
What happened during the Early Harappan phase?
people moved there and cities were starting to form
When did the Mature Harappan phase occur?
2600 to 1900 BCE
What happened during the Mature Harappan phase?
Society became advanced, with social groups, clean and neat cities, and good trade and drainage systems
When did the Late Harappan phase occur?
1900 to 1000 BCE
What happened during the Late Harappan phase?
People left big cities to live in smaller villages and the civilization overall started to decline
What date is considered a key turning point in the Indus Civilization?
2250 BCE
What does Mesoamerica consist of?
Central America and most of Mexico
The Andes Mountains are located in what country?
Peru
What is one of the earliest cultures in the Andes Mountains?
the Chavin
When did the Chavin live?
900 to 200 BCE
Where did the Chavin live?
the Andes Mountains
What group took over the Andes Mountains in the 1400s?
the Inca Empire
When did the Inca Empire take over the Andes Mountains?
the 1400s
Where did the Olmec rule?
Mesoamerica
When did the Olmec rule Mesoamerica?
1200 to 500 BCE
What civilizations came after the Olmec?
civilizations like the Maya and the Aztec
When did Alexander the Great live?
356 to 323 BCE
Where was Alexander the Great from?
Macedonia, though he was a Greek king
Who conquered Egypt and Persia for the Greek Empire?
Alexander the Great
How did Alexander the Great spread his language and culture across various regions?
Across all the areas he visited, cultural elements were shared and Greek became a common language
How was the Roman Empire during 117 CE?
Very strong and large, ruling over a vast amount of land
How was the weather during the 8th to 5th centuries in the Mediterranean?
colder and wetter
How did the weather in the Mediterranean during the 8th to 5th centuries affect the area?
it helped farming and people to live and grow, which may have caused Greek city-states to become more powerful
When was the Roman Empire at its peak power?
150 BCE to 250 CE
What were the weather conditions in the Roman Empire during 150 BCE to 250 CE, its peak power?
this time featured stable conditions and rainfall across the empire
Where did Alexander the Great’s conquering hold extend to?
as far as the Indus Valley
When did the fall of the Roman Empire occur?
476 CE
What does the fall of the Roman Empire mark?
the end of ancient times and the start of the Middle Ages
What is another name for the Middle Ages?
the Medieval Period
When did the Middle Ages start?
the year the Roman Empire fell, 476 CE
When did the Middle Ages end?
1450 or 1500 CE
What is the time span of the Middle Ages?
476 to 1450 or 1500 CE
What did the end of the Middle Ages mark?
the start of the early modern period, which included the Renaissance
When was the Renaissance?
1300 to 1600 CE
What was the Renaissance?
a big cultural movement that was the start of the early modern period, spanned from 1300 to 1600 CE
How was the Renaissance significant?
it helped move society from the Middle Ages to the modern era
Why was the Renaissance called the
“Dark Ages”?
because they thought culture and technology didn’t progress
How was the weather in 536 CE?
extremely cold, with it often being called the year without summer
536 CE is often called the year without ___________.
summer
What caused the weather conditions in 536 CE?
huge volcano eruptions
How were the summers after 536 CE?
they were also some of the coldest summers in the Northern Hemisphere for 15 years afterward
How long did the volcanic eruptions in 536 CE last?
15 years
What is 536 CE known as?
the worst year to be alive
Who nicknamed 536 CE as the worst year to be alive?
Michael McCormick
What dynasty does China’s collection of human records date back to?
the Shang dynasty, 1600 to 1050 BCE
When was the Shang dynasty?
1600 to 1050 BCE
In China’s history, what have warming periods coincided with?
population growth
In 2000 to 1600 BCE, how did China withstand the stress of a dry spell?
through their agricultural practices and complex society
When was China’s biggest dry spell?
2000 to 1600 BCE
What is the Mandate of Heaven?
the cultural belief in ancient China that suggests an emperor has a mandate to rule ordered by the universe
In what dynasty did the Mandate of Heaven originate?
the Zhou dynasty, 1046 to 256 BCE
When was the Zhou dynasty?
1046 to 256 BCE
When did the Xia dynasty rule China?
2070 to 1600 BCE
When was the “Spring and Autumn” period in China?
770 to 476 BCE
When was the Warring States period in China?
475 to 221 BCE
When did the Qin dynasty rule China?
221 to 207 BCE
When did the Han dynasty rule China?
207 BCE to 220 CE
When did the Three Kingdoms dynasty rule China?
220 to 280 CE
When did the Jin dynasty rule China?
265 to 420 CE
When did the Northern and Southern dynasties rule China?
420 to 589 CE
When did the Sui dynasty rule China?
581 to 618 CE
When did the Tang dynasty rule China?
Remember: JTSYMQ
618 to 907 CE
When was the “Five Dynasties and Ten States” period in China?
907 to 960 CE
When did the Song dynasty rule China?
Remember: JTSYMQ
960 to 1279 CE
When did the Yuan dynasty rule China?
Remember: JTSYMQ
1271 to 1368 CE
When did the Ming dynasty rule China?
Remember: JTSYMQ
1368 to 1644
When did the Qing dynasty rule China?
Remember: JTSYMQ
1644 to 1911
What does LIA stand for?
Little Ice Age
When was the LIA?
1300 to 1850
What was the LIA?
a time when the world a was a little cooler, though wasn’t the same everywhere
Who first made contact with the Western Hemisphere?
Christopher Columbus in 1492
When did Columbus first make contact with the Western Hemisphere?
1492
What did Columbus do when he made contact with the Western Hemisphere?
He set up a program of conquering land and people under the colonial system
What caused the LIA?
volcanic eruptions and lack of solar activity
What are time periods of low sun activity called?
solar minima
How many minima occurred during the LIA?
3
What were the 3 minima during the LIA?
the Wolf minimum, Maunder Minimum, and Dalton minimum
What was the 1st minimum of the LIA?
the Wolf Minimum
What was the 2nd minimum of the LIA?
remember WMD
the Maunder Minimum
What was the 3rd minimum of the LIA?
the Dalton Minimum
When was the Wolf Minimum?
1280 to 1350 CE
When was the Maunder Minimum?
Remember WMD
1654 to 1715 CE
When was the Dalton Minimum?
remember WMD
1790 to 1820 CE
Where was most of the cooling during the LIA seen?
the Northern Hemisphere
What did minima during the LIA match up with?
times when the glaciers in the European Alps grew
What did Europeans think of the global climate during the LIA?
they assumed the climate they had was the same around the world
What were empires that were common during the 1500s?
the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, British, and French
How fast were the Europeans to replace old, incorrect ideas of geography and climate worldwide?
they were very slow to do this
In the 1590s, Spain and England interacted in ways that encouraged what?
impoverished Spanish residents to stay in Spain, and English residents to move overseas and participate in colonialism
What blocked the Dutch from finding maritime routes to China during the 1590s?
frozen seas up north
What did climate influence in European empires during the LIA?
it influenced how they developed
How did the LIA affect Africa?
it decreased rainfall and caused a rise in drought conditions
What region of Africa in particular received worse conditions due to the LIA?
the Sahel region, as it experienced less rain, leading to droughts around 1600 CE and 1800 to 1850 CE
When during the LIA did the Sahel region of Africa have worse-than-normal droughts?
1600 CE and 1800 to 1850 CE
How did the climate of China and South Asia as a whole get influenced during the LIA?
the LIA brought cooler temperatures to the region
How did China develop during the LIA?
they managed to diversify their crops and stabilize food prices, despite social unrest
When did China suffer social unrest during the LIA?
the 17th century
Was the LIA easier or harder for the Europeans compared to the Native Americans?
The LIA was much easier for the Native Americans, as they had special ways to survive the tough weather
When did the Europeans start coming into Florida?
the 1400s to 1600s
What were the navies of various European empires stopped by during the 1400s to 1600s?
the unusual climate in the area
How did the struggle to get to the New World during the LIA affect the colonizers’ behaviors?
They acted violently toward the Indigenous people there due to the struggle they had
How did colonists get food in the New World during times of limited resources?
They would use force to take food supplies from the native people of the area
How were the people in Europe during the Middle Ages?
very superstitious and blindly followed religion
How did the Renaissance change the people in Europe?
They began to focus more on themselves and their place in the world
What happened after the Renaissance in Europe?
The Scientific Revolution
How did the Scientific Revolution change the people in Europe?
They began to think and understand the world in a modern, scientific way, leaving beliefs like superstition behind
What happened after the Scientific Revolution in Europe?
the Enlightenment period
What did the Enlightenment period bring?
It brought modern societies and democratic governments
When was the coldest part of the LIA?
1560 to 1630
What helped start Enlightenment?
Chaos and bad weather during the 1600s in Europe
When during the LIA did people start to get very superstitious about weather and religion?
the coldest part, from 1560 to 1630
Why were people in Europe during 1560 to 1630 so superstitious?
because the weather was confusing and scary
How did Enlightenment change people’s perspectives on superstitions?
It lead to people relying on actual observations and experiments instead of old beliefs
Toward the end of the LIA, how did countries improve?
They got better at building and organizing things, allowing them to better handle weather changes
