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All about Ancient World History. From Early-man to the Renaissance. Covering the VA WH1 SOLs 1-15

Jon Shank

  • Oct 7, 2020 LATEST EPISODE
  • monthly NEW EPISODES
  • 57m AVG DURATION
  • 17 EPISODES


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Latest episodes from In the Backroom

Episode 5 - India

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2020 77:49


Hinduism · Belief in many forms of one God · Reincarnation: Rebirth based upon karma · Karma: Knowledge that all thoughts and actions result in future consequences · Vedas and Upanishads: Sacred writings · Spread along major trade routes Buddhism · Founder: Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) · Four Noble Truths · Eightfold Path to Enlightenment

Episode 4 - Mesopotamia

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2020 110:19


Mesopotamian civilization: Tigris and Euphrates River Valleys (Southwest Asia) River valleys were the “cradles of civilization.” Early civilizations made major contributions to social, political, and economic development. · Cuneiform: Sumer · Alphabet: Phoenicia · Use of metal (e.g., bronze, iron) tools and weapons · Increasing agricultural surplus: Better tools, plows, irrigation · Increasing trade along rivers and by the sea (Phoenicians) · Development of the world’s first cities · Development of the practice of slavery within most cultures in the ancient world, taking various forms

Episode 3 -The Hebrews

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2020 67:35


• Hebrews settled between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River Valley (part of the Fertile Crescent in Southwest Asia). Origins of Judaism • Abraham • Moses Beliefs, traditions, and customs of Judaism • Belief in one God (monotheism) • Torah, which contains the written records and beliefs of the Jews • Ten Commandments, which state moral and religious conduct • Covenant Spread of Judaism • Exile • Diaspora

Episode 2 - Egypt

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2020 73:42


River valleys were the “cradles of civilization.” Early civilizations made major contributions to social, political, and economic development. Old Kingdom - New Kingdom

Episode 1 - Early-Man

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2020 42:56


Life in early hunter-gatherer societies was shaped by the physical environment. Homo sapiens emerged in East Africa between 100,000 and 400,000 years ago. Early human societies, through the development of culture, began the process of overcoming the limits set by the physical environment. The beginning of agriculture, including permanent settlements, was a major step in the advancement of human social organization. Archaeologists continue to find and interpret evidence of early humans and their lives.

Episode 12 - The Middle East, Islam, and Africa

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2020 67:33


The revelations of Muhammad form the basis of the Islamic religion, a monotheistic faith. Muhammad and his followers spread Islam. Islamic traditions and practices developed over centuries and created a distinctive culture. Major historical turning points marked the spread and influence of Islamic civilization. In the first three centuries after Muhammad’s death, Muslim rule expanded rapidly, overcoming geographic barriers, facilitated by weakened political empires. Political unity and the Arabic language facilitated trade and stimulated intellectual activity. Early Islamic civilization was characterized by achievements in science and the arts that transformed the Islamic world and had a major global impact.

Episode 11 - Byzantines and Russia

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2019 30:49


The capital of the Eastern Roman Empire was established at Constantinople to provide political, economic, and military advantages. We also discuss the connection to Russia.

Episode 10 - Roman Empire

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2019 38:01


The Roman Republic, in the face of changing social and economic conditions, succumbed to civil war and was replaced by an imperial regime, the Roman Empire. Over a 300-year period, the western part of the Roman Empire steadily declined because of internal and external problems.

Episode 9 - Roman Republic

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2019 45:38


Although women, most aliens (non-Romans living in the Republic), and slaves were excluded from the governing process, the Roman Republic made major strides in the development of representative democracy, which became a model for modern democracy.

Episode 8 - Early Christianity

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2019 32:47


The followers of Jesus spread Christianity throughout the Roman Empire, presenting a powerful challenge to Roman polytheism.

Episode 7 - Greek/Roman Gods

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2018 25:25


WH1 SOL 5b and 6b -Greek mythology was based on a polytheistic religion that was integral to culture, politics, and art in ancient Greece. -Many of Western civilization’s symbols, metaphors, words, and idealized images come from ancient Greek mythology. -Men, women, and slaves all had clearly defined roles in Greek society.

Episode 6 - Golden Age, Alexander the Great, and Hellenistic Age

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2018 78:20


SOL 5.e and f -Pericles extended democracy; most adult males had an equal voice. Pericles had Athens rebuilt after destruction in the Persian Wars; the Parthenon is an example of this reconstruction during the Golden Age. -Alexander the Great’s conquests, which stretched to western India, spread Greek influence in Egypt and the Near East. -Athenian culture during the classical era became one of the foundation stones of Western civilization.

Episode 5 - Persian War, Golden Age, and Peloponnesian War

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2018 44:22


-The Greeks defeated the Persian empire and preserved their political independence. -Competition between Sparta and Athens for control of Greece helped cause the Peloponnesian War. -The expansion of Greek civilization through trade and colonization led to the spread of Hellenic culture across the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

Episode 4 - Athens and Sparta

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2018 50:46


This episode we will be talking about SOL WH1 5.c -Classical Athens developed the most democratic system of government the world had ever seen, although not everyone could participate in decision making. It became an inspiration for modern democracies. -Contrasting philosophies of government divided the Greek city-states of Athens (democracy) and Sparta (oligarchy).

Episode 3 - Ancient Greece's Geography

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2018 49:54


This episode we will be talking about SOL WH1 5.a -The physical geography of the Aegean Basin shaped the economic, social, and political development of Greek civilization. -Classical Greek civilizations emerged after the river valley civilizations. -Greece became the first major civilization of Europe. -We also discuss governments of Athens and Sparta. -Mr. Shank shares some of his experiences in Greece.

Episode 2 - Ancient Mongolia and Japan

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2018 95:37


Virginia SOL WH1 (11c and 11d) Genghis Khan, Golden Horde, Archipelago, Shinto, and Samurai.

Episode 1 - Ancient China

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2018 49:45


River valleys were the “cradles of civilization.” Early civilizations made major contributions to social, political, and economic development. Language and writing were important cultural innovations because they facilitated the preservation and spread of knowledge.

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