WW- Chapters 1-3

I have always had a hard time with History classes, especially when talking about how we first came about. This is because I was raised and still believe that the Bible is the only History book that we need to look at when talking about how humans first appeared on Earth.  I don’t believe that we were made from a “chimpanzee” and from Africa.  Our bodies are too complex to just “happen”. I believe that we were created in the image of God, and were from Israel, not Africa.

While reading Ways of the World: A Brief Global History, Strayer points out that “Paleolithic societies were small, consisting of bands of twenty-five or fifty people, in which all relationships were intensely personal and thought of normally in terms of kinship”(Strayer, Page 20).  As I was reading that I instantly thought about family. They were a family and everyone had a special part, no one could be left out. Respect is key, which goes for both men and woman, they were considered almost equal, not like it is today. A “family” is easier to move from one destination to another, than it is to move a town or small village. If I was reading Ways of the World without any spiritual input or thought, I would be amazed that even people back then were concerned about the spiritual well being of themselves and others.  I took an Art History class last Fall, and many of the information I learned then, is listed in the first chapter. Shamans were spiritual leaders that were looked upon to help guide the group to the “spiritual realm”, and having spiritual ceremonies were important to the people.

Growing up in Northwest Ohio and just moving out to California last June, I have been raised around corn fields and would consider myself a country girl, I will admit, I do miss it now that I live in the city.  Agriculture has come a long way since it has started, and not just in America but all over the world. While reading Ways of the World, I always find myself comparing things to the United States, when really its just a small portion of the “world”. Now with agriculture people had to settle down more, which is logical, a group can’t be on the move when they are waiting for corn to grow. I even believe today that we need to grow most of our food, and not eat so much processed food. I believe that technology had helped the world in certain ways, but one thing that is has not helped is the way the people eat.

Now that small villages were being formed, there was now “civilization”.  Unlike earlier in the book, there is now separation of class and gender. “Upper classes everywhere enjoyed great wealth in the land or salaries, were able to avoid physical labor, had the finest of everything, and occupied the top positions in political, military and religious beliefs” (Strayer, Page 64).  This kind of sounds like how society is now, I guess not much had changed. Writing played a major role in civilization. At first it was only for the wealthy and the spiritual because back then it was “prestige to those who possessed it” (Strayer, Page 72).  Writing produced many advantages, learning to read and write, being able to document law, religious and for land. Which also meant, that banks could appear and people would have to "pay taxes and start a calendar"(Strayer,Page 72); produce a time line just like Strayer says. Writing was a development that changed the world forever, and for the better.