Things to consider when watchingGuns, Germs, and SteelThings to consider when watching Guns, Germs, and SteelI. Main ThemesA. Why such divergent courses of Economic Development around the world?B. The Role of GeographyII. What was happening outside the Mediterranean Region prior to 1500?A. Africa1. North African and Egyptian history intertwined with Mediterranean Empires.2. Hunter-gather populations persisted in most of sub-Saharan Africa. 3. The Bantu people in tropical West African were settled agriculturists.4. The Bantu populations grew, and they spread out and drove out the Khoisan tribes. These tribes had not established agriculture, and domesticated animals had just filtered down slowly via Egypt.5. Diffusion of agriculture was slow due tothe North-South Axis.6. Agriculture had not reached South Africa when it was colonized by Europeans.7. Colonization kept in check by insect-born diseases.B. The Americas1. Primarily Hunter-Gathers in North and South America.2. In the fertile soil of Central America, settled agriculture developed and urbanization followed.3. The Mayan Populations were highly urbanized, developed writing and a calendar.4. Highly developed cultures also in Mexican highlands.5. Some limited agriculture in eastern Woodlands and Southwestern U.S. (Pueblos). 6. Metallurgy present where ore was easily extracted.7. Diamond’s theory: “rate of human invention is faster, and cultural loss slower, in areas occupied by many competing societies with many individuals and in contact with societies elsewhere.”C. China1. Cradle of Civilization in the Yantze RiverBasin about 5000 BC, cultivation of millet, using slash and burn techniques,semi-nomadic. 2. By 4000 B.C., rice cultivation took over,using intensive irrigation systems, led to settlement.3. Large extensive growth and the rise of governments and military. Irrigation systems were massive public works projects requiring maintenance and protection. This gave rise to military and bureaucratic elite which was funded by taxing the population. Taxes were in the form of both grain and labor.4. Very creative period during the period of Warring States (475-225 B.C.) Great Wall was built durin the Ch’in Dynasty (256-207 BC)5. Chinese advancements: paper, money (many cycles of inflation and monetary collapse before West discovered paper money), silk cloth, abacus, magnetic compass, iron tools and plows. A. During the Ch’in dynasty there was extensive use of iron farm tools ( esp. Plows). One ironmaster was reported tohave had 1000 workers- large scale production. B. Blast furnaces also used in China by 200 BC, allowing Chinese to produce cast iron, not present in Europe until the 14th century. C. China had many important advancesbefore Europe but experience a technological retrogression and fell waybehind as Western nation industrialized.D. Australia1. Much longer persistence of hunter gatherer societies.2. Native Australia had no farmers or herders, no writing, no metal tools and no governments other than tribes whenvisited by Europeans in the 17th Century.3. By contrast New Guinea had bows and arrows, agriculture, pigs, chickens, and pottery via Indonesia.4. Tasmania was even more primitive, no fire starting technology, no bone tools, no specialized stone tools, no sewing, nets, traps, or ropes, very poor watercraft and did not even fish!5. Even smaller societies on even smaller island died out.6. Remember Diamond’s theory….Viedo:iNTERNAL SOCIALCONTROL THEIR LEADER#GET ALONG WITH