Digital History Scrapbook #5 - India

Trevor Jones 

12/12/14

Links: 

Karma: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/karma.htm

Criminal Record: http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/features/criminal-record-chris-huhne-vicky-pryce

Actions Have Consequences 

In ancient India, and in some cases modern day India, the people believed in a concept known as Karma. This concept was introduced by Buddhism and essentially means that ones actions correlate with their status in their next life or even their present life. In other words, it is the result of our own past actions and our own present doings. If you have bad karma in your present life, then it will negatively affect you for eternity or until you reach moksha. This ancient concept of karma, and more specifically, bad karma, introduced and taught by the Buddha himself is very similar to modern day criminal records, not just in the United States but in most organized communities, states or countries. If you do something illegal in this modern day, that crime can be recorded and placed on what is called a criminal record. This document can be retrieved at any time by anybody making a financial or official deal with you, such as a job or a loan. Bad karma and living with a criminal record can harm you and potentially ruin your life or next life (Buddhism).  

Of course, like with most things, there are consequences for doing the wrong thing. In this aspect, bad karma and possessing a criminal record are very similar. If you do not follow your dharma during your life, you will be reborn as a lesser being. This could mean being born into a lower class or even being born as a non-human animal. However there are also ways for bad karma to affect you in your present life. If the crime that you have committed it so severe, you could possibly be exiled from your community or even given the short way to samsara, the death penalty. Similar consequences apply to criminal record-holders. If you have committed a (usually major) crime in your life, it can restrict access to everything from jobs to insurance, loans and travel. Even though you are allowed equal rights after you have served your punishment, business owners or higher ranking officials will take that into consideration and most likely deny your request for work, loans, insurance and many other things. In some cases, having a criminal record for certain things can be a complete bar for exchanging business, such as applying for a job, adopting a child, or even working with adults or children in general. Having a criminal record generally only affects your present life (Unless of course your religion has rules against it) but there is a big similarity connection between the two subjects. 

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/jobapplications/a/reapply-after-rejection.htm 

These consequences may seem dire to you at the time, but think in the long run how it may affect your family. If you have bad karma in your lifetime and don't fulfill your dharma, in the lower classes, nobody would have given you a job which would greatly affect your ability to raise a family. If you have no job, you cannot buy for for your family or pay taxes which would get you into even more trouble, but in this case it would be with the government which could eventually get you killed. Obviously it does not affect your family in your next lifetime, but if you serve the death penalty or even go to prison, you are leaving them alone to fend for themselves. With a criminal record, the result for your family is the same, they have nobody to support them if you cannot find a job and your backup money slowly fades away until suddenly, you are in debt. Also, your social aspect would certainly be crushed in both situations, if businesses reject your offer, then acquaintances would certainly not be there to take your back. 

http://nitaaiyoga.smugmug.com/Miscellaneous/Charts/i-CDbLJbn

Dharma is a concept that Buddhists must follow in order to have good karma and move up in the caste system, if not then their will be consequences.this idea of bad karma very similarly relates to possessing a criminal record in this modern day. Karma can have consequences in your present life as well as your next life, compared to possessing a criminal record which greatly affects you in your present life, but not your afterlife (unless you are a Buddhist of course). Having bad karma or having a criminal record can also have a great affect on your family and your social life, and may even ruin them. Just remember, your actions have consequences. 

My Silk Road Video

http://youtu.be/ARuv1w3u9q8

T&R on "Women in Ancient China"

Trevor Jones

Thoughts and Reflection on "Women in Ancient China"                                                     12/2/14

Source: Unknown

T&R on "Women in Ancient China"

In Taoism, women were given equal rights to men and some even carried out important jobs such as philosophers. Although, with the reign of Hsi Huang Mu, fear was brought to the people for having a women ruler and the derogatory term' "like a hen crowing", was bestowed upon China's only female emperor, Wu Zetian. The same applies to Buddhism, women were given equal rights under Wu Zetian and in some cases, high status and freedom. This being said, Confucianism did not empower women because it did not put women on a higher or even equal status to the male population. Confucianism did not degrade women, however, it did place them at a lower end of the patriarchal family structure. Some Confucian writings said for women to "yield to others", by putting others first and herself last. NeoConfucianism is a reinterpretation of Confucian teaching that was written in the Song Dynasty. These teachings enforced the position of women in society even more and pressured women to carry out egregious practices such as footbinding, widow chastity, and the selling of unwanted daughters. Not all women practiced these, such as women of ethnic minorities, but those who did severely limited female mobility.

  http://www.i-china.org/news.asp?type=8&id=859

China/ India Writing Assignment

Dear Editor,  

I am addressing you on the Matter of sewage cleaners, or manual scavenging, which as you know, is the cleaning of human waste by communities considered "low caste", which unfortunately, I happen to fall under. I have never been to school, but I want my kids to be educated. Therefore, I have to do various small jobs and this happens to be one of them. In fact, the only way that I am able to send you this letter is because of my dear family friend, who has kindly agreed to write down my opinion, in which I would like to share with you. Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful to have this job. This job supplies my family and I with food, shelter, and education, as well as this job benefits my community, in which I am entitled to serve. However, I don't believe you have heard all of the negative aspects of the sewer cleaning business and I believe you deserve to know what horrors it actually consists of. 

On a daily basis, I wake up at 6 a.m. and eat whatever is leftover from the day before, while making sure to leave enough for my wife and children. After this, I journey to any manhole or sewer that the city assigns me to, and crawl through tight spaces for multiple hours until I am allowed to return home. Every day, me and the people of my caste crawl around sewers without any protective gear. Filth and human excrement are a given, but sometimes we come across a dead dog or a dead rat as well. Broken bottles lurk in the pitch-black sewer system too which cover our legs with scars and cuts. Hundreds die each year because of this, when people hear this, many say they do it because they have no alternative. Even though we suffer from health problems and hear stories of workers dying in manholes, we cannot do anything other than carry on with our work. We have no choice. There are very minimal safety regulations with this work. About the only thing I've ever seen supplied to people of my caste is a harness, and thats only for manholes that are deeper than 20 feet. It is said that medical help is available to people at every site, but I have been doing this since I was a kid, and I've never seen any safety precautions other than a harness, not even a first aid kit. 

As a result of these poor conditions, the statistics of deaths and injuries for low-caste people are continuously rising. On average, 20 sewer workers die each month from accidents, suffocation or exposure to toxic gas. Out of the workers that remain alive, 80% die before they reach 60 years old due to work related health problems, and 95% of the people in the sewage cleaning caste are Dalits. I am about one week shy of turning 55, and since I have been working in the sewers since childhood, Im surprised I've lived this long. After hearing all of this evidence, i hope you consider taking my story to an official of higher power in order to remove the caste from society for once and for all. On top of all the health issues, this job is humiliating. How would you feel about yourself if you had to support your family by cleaning sewers with garbage and human excrement? How would you feel about not even being able to go into a store without people discriminating against you because of your caste, or trying to pity you because you have a terrible life. On top of all of this, what about human rights? Its not natural to treat beings of the same species this way, even the slaves of ancient Egypt got better treatment than me and my fellow kind. I hope you take this into serious consideration and do what you think is right for society. Thank you for your time sir. 

Sincerely, 

Amir Gupta  

Digital Scrapbook #4 - Egypt

Trevor Jones

10/21/14

Per. 7 

Halls of the Dead 

Heaven, the religious abode of the Christian god, and the afterlife of the deceased; The Egyptian afterlife, eternal resting place of the people of Egypt. Both places sound similar right? Well in theory, these "places" are just ideas in the heads of all those who want to believe it is true, rather than physical locations. It is true, there are records of such places in ancient documentations such as the Bible or Egyptian Hieroglyphics/tomb writings, but there is no physical evidence that any one of these places existed. Aside from that fact, even though these places have the same outcome, they both mean very different things to the people that desire to reach it, while at the same time, sharing similarities and greatly relating to each other. 

Heaven, is founded upon the teaching, crucifixion, and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whose birth marks the beginning of the common ear (CE). As it says in the bible, the two original humans were the only humans to be granted free of sin at birth. Because of Adams disobedience to the word of god, all humans were born as a sinner and must work to be again seen in God's image. Sin is freely chosen, so as an individual, the stairway to heaven requires a virtuous life of making the right decisions and worshiping the one and only god, in Christianity that is. Christians believe that in order to get to heaven, they must live a good life, and not fall under the temptation of the Devil. Christianity differs from the Egyptian afterlife firstly because the Christian afterlife consists of two levels: Heaven and Hell. Your actions in your lifetime reflect on which one you will go to. Also, Christian morals are different from that of the Egyptians regarding afterlife. In Egypt, death is just a phase. A phase that comes in between life and death, but does not disturb its continuation. On other words the afterlife is a continuation of your life. In Egypt, the afterlife is focused on material things rather than the Heaven, which is more focused on reuniting with deceased friends and family. This may also show that the Egyptians didn't value family and friendship as much as the Christians did, and were more superficial with their live and afterlife.

http://www.playbuzz.com/scotto/are-you-going-to-heaven-or-hell

On the other hand, the pathway and preparation to go to Heaven vs. the  Egyptian's afterlife greatly differs from each other. In Christianity, the entrance to Heaven is often described as "The Gateway to Heaven". Often before you reach a gateway, you must have had to travel on a journey. This journey is following the light of God and living a virtuous life. In Egypt, the gateway to the afterlife is similar to that of Heaven, for they must fullil a long and strenuous journey as well. After a person has dies, their soul is taken to Osiris, the god of the after life for the weighing of the heart, where essentially, the persons heart is placed on a balance and is weighed against the principals of truth and justice (maat) which is represented by a feather. Basically if the persons heart weighs the same as the feather, then they may move along to the afterlife, but if the heart exceeded the weight of the feather, the heart was then eaten by the god with the crocodile head, Ammit, and the person was not permitted into the afterlife and simple, ceased to exist. Obviously, the Egyptian system was much more in-depth than that of the Christians and in a way, so were their preparations for the afterlife.  In Egypt, the internal organs were taken out of the body (except for the heart) in order to preserve it, and the body was wrapped in several layers of cloth. In addition to this, Egyptians were placed in Sarcophagi, and in some cases, enclosed around a mighty pyramid (but this was mostly for Pharaohs). Compared to that of the Christians who either cremate their deceased, or bury them underground, usually in a coffin. Overall, the Egyptians pathway and preparation for the afterlife is far more complicated than that of the Christians and shows just how highly Egyptians held the afterlife. 

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_religion

In conclusion, Heaven and the Egyptian afterlife are similar ideas that have major differences at the same time. Like the Egyptians, Christians must live a virtuous life in order to reach Heaven, so their spirits will be granted life for eternity. However, the methods and preparation to reach the afterlife is very different, and much more strenuous in Egypt. Even though these ways were separated by several millennia, they share similar ideas and themes that must be followed, as well as traditions used to contain deceased bodies. Multiple religions have adopted these traditions which shows that the idea of afterlife is an important aspect to humanity. 

Works Cited: 

Christian Heaven: 

http://www.sptimmortalityproject.com/background/christianity-and-the-afterlife/ 

http://www.christianity.org.uk/index.php/views-on-heaven-and-hell.php 

Egyptian Afterlife: 

  http://www.crystalinks.com/egyptafterlife.html

Chinese Philosophers

Buddhism (Buddha) 

1. Earrings and long earlobes to show renounce ment of all possessions 

2. Topknot to represent extension of brain 

3. Short curly hair represents getting rid of all vanity

4. Lotus roses represent purity and beauity beauty 

5. Hand position represent meditation 

6. Slim fingers represent ability to survive on little resources (food) 

7. Smile represents a gentile figure 

Confucianism (Confucius) 

1. Hands and posture represent him teaching (teaching posture) 

2. Sorrow expression represents his thoughts of his failure 

3. Humble form represents his gentlemanly conduct 

Daoism (Lao-Tzu) 

1. Coat fades away at the bottom which represents no end (no means of creation/distraction) 

2. White and black colors to represent ying and yang (heaven and earth) 

3. Shown as a gentile elderly man to represent purity 

Legalism (Han fei-tzu) 

1. Inquisitive/pondering looks to symbolize his level of education 

2. Has a harsh tone in his facial features showing his enforcement of his law code and keeping people discipline 

Questions: 

1. A religion is a belief in a supernatural being in power while a philosophy is a study of fundamental existence. These two are somewhat similar but religion requires a higher level of devotion of oneself while a philosophy is more of a personal devotion, or hobby in a way. 

2. I would say Daoism is the only true religion out of these four practices: Buddhism, Confucanism, Legalism, and Daoism. I make this conclusion based off of our most recent reading, The Indifference of Confucius, which said that Daoism was used to fill in the gaps that the philosophy Confucanism left, in the form of a religion. The other three philosophies do not revolve around a deity or any higher being and are more of social practices by which one or ones family chooses to live by.  

The Indifference of Confucius T&R

Trevor Jones                                      11/16

Thoughts and Reflections on The Indifference of Confucius 

Source: Unknown Author

T&R on The Indifference of Confucius 

"We do not yet know how to serve man, how can we know about serving spirits? (...) We do not yet know about life, how can we know about death?" -Confucius 孔夫子.

          Above, I show a quote by Confucius himself showing his indifference towards the mystery of creation. He describes the mysteries of creation as a way to save people's energy from the work of this world, meaning this life means little in the big picture and their spirit will be carried on to the next life. This is Confucius' infifference. Confucius believes in the here and the now, not the creation of humanity and where we go when we die. Confucius has been deemed the great spokesman of ethical ideas because of his ways and teachings. Above all else, Confucius believed that people have a role in society and they should obey people of a higher rank to them (eg. Father> son). This is based off of the 5 relationships and is now the traditional belief of the Chinese family. In my opinion, Confucianism is a social practice not a religion. This is so because Confucians does not have a god or any rules, it is more of a way of life in which you can escape from. Confucianism is like a hobby, you can chose to continue it but it is not a set of rules which you are forced to abide by. 

http://www.chicagonow.com/an-agnostic-in-wheaton/2013/06/the-analects-of-confucius-46-greatest-secular-quotes/ 

Map of China

Answer to Big Q: Several aspects of China's Geography have an effect on its early development. First of all, the major mountain ranges, such as the Himalayas can have an impact on trade intake and output which forces the Chinese to trade over sea or through other countries. Also the multiple bodies of water around China increases the likelihood of storms and other natural disasters, as well as provide another method of trading, by boat. 

T&R on Mother Cow

Trevor Jones 5/11/14

T&R on Mother Cow

Source: Marvin Harris

Cow Love in India

The cow has a very sensitive history in India. In most places, the cow is tabooed and regarded as a sacred animal. In some places, cow slaughtering is forbidden and has a worse punishment than murder. The cow is not just useful for being sacred though, the cow serves multiple purposes to Indians. The cow is used as a primary milk source, other than oxen and water buffalo, for the people of India and also serves as a farm tool. Even though these cows only produce around 500 pounds of milk a year, compared to American cow's 5,000-20,000, they are very useful for breeding male traction animals. Indians also use cow manure as a fertilizer or burn it in order to provide heat for cooking. The author of 'Mother Cow' believes that the real reason cows are sacred to india is because of their ability to breed oxen and water buffaloes. Water buffaloes are used primarily for milking but are also superior animals for plowing in flooded rice patties. On the other hand, oxen are much more useful for for dried field farming and road transport. The main reason why cows are bred and not slaughtered is to produce more water buffalo and oxen because Indians believed the more cows they had, the more water buffaloes and oxen they would have too. 

In America, cows are used as our primary milk source, so naturally, we would need another way to produce the services that cows give in India. This is why we have tractors and other farm equipment. There are advantages and disadvantages to using farm equipment in America rather than cows. First of all, farm equipment is far more expensive than cows. You have to buy a new piece of equipment for every job on the farm where as cows breed other animals to do those functions for them. Now it is true that you have to take care of cows, milk them, water them, feed them, etc., but it is seen in some parts of India,that cows are mistreated and have to scavenge for food. In fact, only 20% of the food eaten by cows is safe to eat by human standards which means most of the 'food' they eat are very harmful and can cause disease. After hearing about both of these ways, I believe that America's wag of using farm equipment rather than cows is far more environmentally friendly because it is perfectly humane to animals and there is not as much waste product as what you would have with a cow, ox, or water buffalo. The Americans might have the more environmentally friendly substitution but there is no arguing that the Indian's way is far more efficient. With so many people in the cities in India in poverty, India cannot afford these industrialized farm machines that we have in the U.S. so with cows, you get a lot more out of it for only a little bit of money put in. Indians might misuse these animals but they are far more efficient with farming and other things they use cows for. 

http://freespeechdebate.com/en/case/whats-your-beef-with-my-freedom-to-eat-it/ 

T&R on Caste

Trevor Jones                                                                                                                           11/3

Thoughts and Reflections on Caste

Source: Jonas Blank 

                                                                Caste System in India

             The caste system was a system of social status originally based off of a person's characteristics that unified and divided india. The caste system consists of five social classes from highest ranking to lowest: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, and Harijans (Untouchables). These four groupe defined india and gave people something to work for in the struggle to folllow your dharma. These five castes united India as a country and ultimately brought people together. As a citizen, it was your goal to climb higher up in the caste system but each caste served a purpose to society, whether they be Brahmins or Shudras. As a Cho Ramaswamy said: "An unworthy Brahmin could find himself demoted to the rank of Shudra, and a Kshatria or even a Vaishya could become a Brahman by earnest devotion. The caste system divided India into these social classes in which people could not marry or sometimes even socalize out of. 

            The word caste is applied to the several thousand specialized subclans within the four classes (called Varnas) know as Jatis. There are several theories as to how we think the caste system came to be. The more religious theorie suggests that the Hindu's believed that the entire human race descended from a single man named Manu. People who came from his mouth are known as Brahmins, people from his arms are the Kshatriyas, those from his thighs are Vaishyas, and those from his feet are Shudras.Because of this, people believed that caste is eternal. Additionally, the caste system was forced on the Indians because of the Aryan invasion that occured about 3000 years ago. A giant barrier wall was formed in order to keep the Aryans out. This was a solid wall of ideas, unbreakable by any weapons because it existed in people's minds. The Aryan men-at-arms became the Kshatriyas, the priests brought with them became the Brahmins, the people who served them became Shudras, and once trade and farming joined war, the merchants and shopkeepers became the Vaishyas. The caste system still exists because life in India without a caste system would be a very dangerous thing. Each subclan looks after its own and takes care of its members, without it, life would lead to sheer chaos and possibly a civil war in India.  

            

http://frontiers-of-anthropology.blogspot.com/2011/04/caste-systems-of-ancient-india-and.html 

Map of India

Digital Scrapbook #3 - Mesopotamia

Trevor Jones

10/31/14

Per. 7 

Beers Course Throughout History

Beer is one of the world's oldest prepared beverages that originated in Mesopotamia at the Goldin Tepe in as early as 10000 BCE, when agriculture first developed, but we first see evidence of beer in paintings in Mesopotamia around 3500-3100 BCE, where cereal grains were first farmed. Beer was most likely discovered on accident through grains used for bread making that fermented. In early Mesopotamia, Beer was not just a drink, but a way of life to the people. Beer served a religious, social and monetary value to the people of Mesopotamia which majorly differed from the purpose and meaning of beer today. Today, beer is used as a social drink and a luxury, that not everybody has to have. Beer has had a major impact on history for over 5000 years and continues to be a major part in some people's life. 

As I mentioned in my introduction to beer, beer in early Mesopotamia was a way of life, not just a luxury like it is today. People in ancient Mesopotamia enjoyed beer so much, that it was drank with every meal and was consumed by men, women and children alike. Beer was also used somewhat as a currency. Beer was used for barter and people were given a daily ration of beer depending on their social status. People also traded beer, especially with the Egyptians who traded beer for certain technological advancements of their own. Most importantly, beer was used as a social aspect. Sharing a beer in ancient Mesopotamia symbolized friendship and trust, and ultimately brought people closer together as neighbors and a community. Today, beer still serves as a social aspect in communities but not a religious or monetary aspect. We still see aspects if mesopotamian culture today, such as sharing a beer with somebody still symbolizes a level of friendship and trust. 

 http://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/heroic-scientists-create-beer-that-wont-give-you-a-hangover  

Originally, beer was discovered by grains used to make bread that was left out, probably on accident, and fermented. The process of making, or brewing, beer in ancient Mesopotamia was taking grains like barley and putting them in a mash tub where the grains can mix with hot water before yeast is added for the fermentation process. Eventually, the solution is given flavor given flavor with bappir, which is essentially flattened grains, and mixed together to make beer. The Mesopotamia's used straws to drink the beer for two reasons. The first reason was so the leftover grains floating on the top of the water would not be ingested by the drinker. Secondly so a person can share their beer with another for a social or religious reason. Beer brewing today has a similar approach, but is more complex. The basic ingredient of beer, wort, is made of a mixture of grains and water, which is then heated until enzymes break down starches into sugars. Wort is what gives beer its basic flavor. The grains are washed away from the wort in a process called wort separation where the grain bed is used as the filter medium. Wort must then be cooled witch leads to dissolved oxygen acting as a catalyst or fermentation and yeast production. There is also a great deal of science behind this process and is much more complex than the ancient Mesopotamia's way of brewing. 

http://members.bib-arch.org/publication.asp?Volume=36&ArticleID=4&Issue=5 

In conclusion, beer has had a tremendous impact on history and continues to make history every day with new development of private breweries. Beer was used as a monetary, religious and social aspect that overall made Mesopotamia's legacy. Today beer still lives on as a social aspect and traditions originally seen in Mesopotamia are still used today. Even though beer was most likely discovered on accident, the Mesopotamia's pursued and perfected beer brewing until it was a focus in each and every individual's life. That same idea lived on today, more complex obviously, but still shows the basic ideas of beer brewing. I believe that beer has a very prominent future and will continue to serve as a way to bring people together. Without the creation of beer, Mesopotamia's legacy would not be remembered as it is now, and who knows what society would be like today without the social aspect of beer? 

Citations:

1. https://www.msu.edu/~kellywil/beer/Science/Science.html

2.  http://www.ancient.eu/article/223/

Ancient India Activity

Trevor Jones

10/30/14

Per. 7

Hinduism: 

Hinduism is the dominant religion in India. It is the oldest religion in the world, it is referred to as the "eternal law". The code of behavior followed by Hindus is called Dharma. The religion started in 2600 BC.

http://www.thinkabouteternity.org/Hinduism/Hinduism%20Index.htm

Ganges River: 

The most sacred river to the Hindus is the Ganges River. It is the life line to all Indians living on it and around it. The Ganges River is worshipped as the goddess Ganga. 

http://indiainfo-online.com/major-city-rivers/ganga-river/

Shiva: 

Shiva is one of the primary gods of Hinduism. Shiva is called "The Destroyer". Shiva is the god of yoga and arts.

http://mythology.wikia.com/wiki/Shiva

Krisna: 

Krishna is the "Supreme Being", portrayed as a young boy playing the flute. Arts and regional tradition of devotion developed for Krishna in the 10th century. 

http://alittleadrift.com/2011/12/ethics-riding-elephants-in-asia/ganesh-ganesha-picture-mythology/

Ganesha: 

Ganesha is the god of wisdom, knowledge, and new begginnings, also the patron of Art sciences. Ganesha is honored at the begginning of Hindu rituals and ceremonies. 

http://alittleadrift.com/2011/12/ethics-riding-elephants-in-asia/ganesh-ganesha-picture-mythology/

My Egyptian Sarcophagus

Trevor Jones

10/23/14

Per. 7

Egyptian Sarcophagus: 

This sarcophagus will lead me to a successful afterlife because it has all the major Egyptian symbols and modern symbols that describe me and that I will need in the afterlife. I included Egyptian symbols that signify protection, the spirit, eternity, royalty, and many more that will allow me to have a successful afterlife. I also included aspects that define me, such as a soccer ball or the a Arizona A, and items that I will need in the afterlife such as food, drinks and a door to get in and out of the sarcophagus. I believe that the ancient Egyptians saw death as an extension of life. And being an extension of life, every great ruler should have personal belongings that make it more enjoyable for them. In Egyptian culture, there are three different kinds of being, the dead, the living, and the gods. I believe that this attitude towards death is derived from the attempt at preserving the Pharaohs, so that they may live forever in the afterlife.   

Thumbnail Sketches:

My Name in Hieroglyphics:

T&R on A Light that Did Not Fail

Trevor Jones 15/14

T&R on Ancient Mesopotamia: A Light that Did Not Fail

Source: E. A. Speiser

T&R on A Light that Did Not Fail

The reason that Mesopotamia was so ethnically diverse than other civilizations is because of the diverse cultures and ideas that flowed into Mesopotamia with its many rulers. Since other civilizations conquered Mesopotamia, their civilizations ideas and cultures mixed with Mesopotamia's cultural values and beliefs which lead to a somewhat mutated-ethnically diverse culture. Some of Mesopotamia's basic features and cultural values changed from ruler to the next ruler and some ideas remained the same throughout history. Since the Sumerians created the first writing system and later an alphabet, Mesopotamia's used that as a means of communication for millennia to come, and was modified over time based on efficiency and usage. Other aspects such as metallurgy or law code evolved with the times and evolved to fit the peoples needs. One aspect of Mesopotamian justice that is very unlike other civilizations of its time is its equality between people of different status. Even though the king is of a much higher status than the rest of the people, he still much respect and honor his people wishes and ideas. The reason that Mesopotamia's built their cities over and over in the same place was because of their location. The land in the Fertile Crescent is very rich and is perfect for farming and supporting life. Also, the people believed that the gods were displeased at abandoned temples, so that made the Mesopotamia's more sedentary to one location. 

http://www.britishmuseum.org/learning/schools_and_teachers/resources/cultures/ancient_mesopotamia.aspx 

Digital Scrapbook Entry #2 - Agrarian Era

Trevor Jones

World History Per. 7

September 15, 2014 

Taxation Throughout the Ages

The earliest forms of taxation recorded was around 6000-2500 BC, from the ancient Mesopotamian city-state of Lagash in modern day Iraq, and is still around in society today. This is arguably one of the most important advancements of the agrarian era and has been a tradition for well over four thousand years. Since the invention of taxation, people have been taking liberties at improving/modifying taxation in societies so that it is barely recognizable compared to that of the agrarian era. 

Throughout history, taxes have become more and more complex. We start out in the early to mid agrarian era with taxes as simple as people giving a small percentage of resources to their government. Most often, taxes would be payed by a portion of the crop yield or some other food. These portions would increase in times of crisis or war to about 10% of all goods. These early taxes were used to supply the defense of the city or to trade with other communities. Today, taxes are more involved around reimbursement to the government so they can put our tax-dollars to use with projects and other beneficial things. This being said, it is not the only form of taxation, there are several different types of taxation that each and every adult individual need to pay. Some examples are estate tax, federal tax, luxury tax, and many many more. Each type of taxation has a specific importance that focuses on one area.  

http://www.adsgsoftware.com/Taxation-E-Book,Excise,VAT,Service-Tax,Exim,Adsg-Software-pune.html 

Early taxes were paid on a much more laid back schedule than taxes of today. Because people didn't have coined money back in the agrarian era, ancient households had to pay in kind and payed different taxes throughout the year. Poll taxes required each man to deliver a cow or sheep to the authorities. Almost all of the taxes that we see today are required to be paid with each purchase we make, whether it be food or other material items, a small portion of the money you pay for them goes to the government. Taxes are also payed much more often nowadays. Instead of being paid annually, today they are payed daily, or even more often than that. This being said, today's forms of taxes are still more efficient with paper currency than walking a cow down to the authorities. 

http://factsanddetails.com/world/cat56/sub365/item1926.html

Now that most people had to pay taxes, this also lead to the creation of tax exemptions. The early form of government in Mesopotamia kept track of who has payed their taxes by putting a mark next to their name on a clay tablet. The experts of early Sumerian civilization have recently figured out that the government can exempt certain people (people of their choosing) from paying taxes by simple etching three signs next to the name of an individual or group. These specific three signs mean "freedom from taxes". We still see similar forms of tax exemption today. Our government can give out taxes to specific businesses or groups (charities, churches, etc.) so they don't have to take away from the small amount of money that they make. 

http://bftaxhelp.wordpress.com/about-property-taxes/history-of-property-taxes/ancient-mesopotamia/

In conclusion, taxation has a very large history and was/is very important for the development of cities and city to city relationships. Having lasted well over four thousand years, taxation was a huge advancement in society and helped make cities what they are today. Taxation has changed a lot over time, but the general idea still stands and will continue to used in different ways for the better. 

Citations

1. Earliest forms of taxation: http://bftaxhelp.wordpress.com/about-property-taxes/history-of-property-taxes/ancient-mesopotamia/  

2. Modern day taxation and examples of them: http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Kinds+of+Taxes 

T&R on Irrigation Project

Trevor Jones  9/24

Thoughts & Reflections on Irrigation Project 

Source: Project Developed by Ms. Mitchell 

Reflection on Irrigation Project

I really enjoyed working on this project with a group for a few reasons. I enjoyed this project primarily because it was a break from book work and/or lectures and it gave us a fun way to understand the material. I also enjoyed this project because it showed us the hardships the people of the early agrarian era had with channeling water for their civilizations (even though we only had 15 minutes). This was a great way to test our knowledge on not just history but also our teamwork skills and what we can bring our brains together to create. Overall this was a great project and I hope we can do more like it in the future.   

http://academic.emporia.edu/aberjame/wetland/canal/canals.htm

T&R on Pig Lovers and Pig Haters

Trevor Jones        9/22/14

Thoughts & Reflections on Pig Lovers & Pig Haters

Source: Marvin Harris 

What are four explanations as to why pork is not eaten in the Middle East? What is the real reason pork is not eaten in the Middle East? How is this an environmental issue?

There are several reasons as to why pork is not eaten in the Middle East. The first reason is that pigs are dirty and can cause disease. Some do not think that this is true because many other animals eaten in the Middle East can cause health problems due to their cleanliness. The second reason is the difficulty of raising them. Pigs like to live in a cool and shady habitat where they can keep their body cool. It is proven that adult pigs can die in direct sunlight and temperatures over 98 degrees so the Jordan Vally is not the ideal place to raise pigs. Thirdly, pigs were sacred and were once totemic symbols of various tribal clans. At first,the reasons for not eating them was many were originally divine, but was no help because other animals worshiped in the Middle East (such as cows and sheep) were still domesticated for their meat. The final reason as to why pork was not eaten in the Middle East was the temptation for more. Since pork was already incredibly hard to produce, and was a luxury to have even a little, people decided it wasn't worth it to have the temptation and "interdicted the consumption of pork entirely".

All this being said, the real reason that people didn't eat pork in the Middle East was the pigs inconvenience. Pigs are slaughtered only for the use of their meat, not for any secondhand products or uses. The only things pigs were good for was luxury. It was already a hassle raising and slaughtering a pig for its meat, but on top of that it cant produce any wool, milk, cheese or any secondhand product. This also forced people to compete with pigs, because pigs eat berries, grains and nuts like humans would, we have to compete with them for food and all we get from them is a determined amount of meat. This is an environmental issue because they can't give back to the environment, they take in large amounts of our food, and we get a determined amount of meat in return and nothing else.   

     

http://www.kimballstock.com/results.asp?image=PIG%2002%20LS0032%2001 

Digital Scrapbook Entry #1- Hunters & Gatherers

Trevor Jones

World History Per. 7

September 15, 2014 

Aboriginal Fire Stick Farming

-August 1, 2008 - The National Academy of Sciences of the USA

By Kent V. Flannery- University of Michigan

 http://www.pnas.org/content/105/39/14796.full

Modern Day Controlled Burnings

-No Date - USDA Forest Service

By Members of Daniel Boone National Forest 

 http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/dbnf/home/?cid=stelprdb5281464

In the Days of hunting and gathering, the Aborigines had controlled burnings in the forests and jungles to better suit the land to their needs. This was called fire stick farming. Naturally, as a forest grows, trees and grasses die off. But without a controlled fire to rid of the debris, it piles up and acts like a kindling for when a dry part of the year comes to set fire to it. This could be very destructive to the habitat of the animals the Aborigines hunted and the Aborigines themselves. Fire stick farmers would go to areas that were not accessible to animals they were hunting and burn them in order for those animals to be able to graze there. This might have seemed unnatural at the time but when the Aborigines moved and the fires stopped, it killed off several small mammals that lived there and lead to a second major trophic collapse.  

 

 

Even in the modern day, people still fire stick farm but it is know by a different name: Controlled burnings. People no longer need to burn places to better suit the animals they want to hunt because there are such a wide variety of habitats available to us that we do not need to shape our environment. However, we still use fire as a tool in forests or grasslands to keep nature in check. As I said before, dead trees and grasses can take up to 100 years to decompose on their own and the mean time they just build up like logs on a campfire, then when a fire does come, it erupts and is a hazard to the environment around it. When we light controlled fires, we eliminate the possibility for major forest fires and also controls the air quality for the people and wildlife in the area. Controlled fires can also be scheduled around the weather conditions so when they do schedule a controlled fire, they will be sure that every aspect is optimal. 

Even though we no longer fire stick farm for hunting purposes as the Aborigines did, we still use fire to control the area so we can prevent the fire from starting naturally and going out if control. As the aboriginal tribes did, we use fire to manage our land and control the quality of our environment. Today, as in the past, controlled fires still make the land optimal for wildlife to live and thrive, therefore allowing nature to take its course, with a little guidance from humanity. Times have changed since the hunter gatherer time but some traditions still last. I believe that fire stick farming was and still is a brilliant idea and has contributed to the development of history greatly because it influenced the evolution of small mammals and aided the forest to thrive and regrow faster than it would with decaying logs and trunks. There are no negatives that stand out with controlled burning and I cannot foresee an end to this long lasting tradition anytime soon.  

T&R on How Man Invented Cities

Trevor Jones, Period 7                                                                                              9/8/14

Thoughts and Reflections on How Man Invented Cities

Source: John Pfeiffer

How Did Man Invent Cities? Where Did He Invent Them? Why Did He Invent Them? 

    Some historians used to think that people only lived as hunters and gatherers until a better alternative became available. This is in fact false. Hunter-gatherers only had to spend an average of 20 hours per week searching for food and necessities to keeping themselves alive, thats the equivalent to a part time job in society today. This means that the hunter-gatherers had a lot of time for leisure. The reason man settled down was because he found out that he could forage food in a much more reliable way and he wouldn't have to work as hard to get it. 

    This was around the time that mile-high glaciers began to melt therefore extending bodies of water out to a more accessible area for man to catch fish and other water animals. Once man discovered that everything he needed could be found around him, there was no purpose to travel long distances for recourses. Now that people didn't have to spend their days in search of food, they could build more things and reproduce faster. People became more dependent on plants and animals around them and pretty soon, populations doubled, tripled, and soon man was building civilizations. 

    It is argued that civilizations first arouse in the valleys of the Tigris, Euphrates and the Nile Rivers and from there spread to the rest of the world. This is a very possible theory because near those rivers was very promising land in the sense of farming, water sources and climate. There are many other theories as to where cities first arouse such as in the Near East. To be more specific Mesoamerica and Southeast Asia. Any of these theories as to where man created cities is possible because they are prime locations in the way that they have resources necessary for life and the climate was preferable for life. 

How Man Invented Cities Discussion Questions

Trevor Jones
9/4/2014
Period 7

How Man Invented Cities Discussion Questions

1. If keeping on the move causes forgers to meet other people, then how would it serve as a natural birth control?
2. Did climate play as big of a part in foragers settling down as food and water supply did?
3. What defines "good territory"? Is it just the location including water, food, and shelter source or was it also the terrain of the land?

Pgs 9-16 Discussion Questions

Trevor Jones
9/3/2014
Period 7

Pgs 9-16 Discussion Questions

1. Once a family member leaves to intermarry with another family, does that member ever return to his/her birth family?
2. How does the average adult forager get enough calories if they are "running for their lives" all day?
3. Was it necessarily better to have more material possessions and be prepared, or to have less material possessions and not have to carry everything with you?
4. If you were experiencing more leisure, and less disease as a forager, then what would motivate you to settle down and start a civilization?
5. What would happen to humanity if a more advanced species took over? Could we possibly go into extinction?

T&R on Big Question #3

Trevor Jones, Period 7                                                          9/3/14
Thoughts and Reflections on Big Question #3
Source: This Fleeting Worlds (Pgs 9-16)

What Was Man Doing for 99% of History? Why Was He Doing This Instead of Something Else?

Before man settled down and built civilizations, we were busy hunting and gathering our next meal. For 99% of human history, we were foragers, constantly on the move with the small amount of possessions we can carry. Man most likely did this because by doing this, he got all the necessities he needs to live. Man could forage water, food, find shelter, and defend himself with extra time to relax and enjoy life. Until we had a way of communicating with other foragers, we would never have the need to settle down in one place. Now that we could communicate to other foragers, it lead to many more opportunities in getting more accomplished quicker and more enjoyment.

Cultural Conflicts

Muslim vs. Hindu cultural conflict URL: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2002/05/24/may-24-2002-hindu-muslim-conflict-in-india/12044/

Ukraine vs. Russia cultural conflict URL: http://www.summer.harvard.edu/blog-news-events/conflict-ukraine-historical-perspective

T&R on Location, Location, Location...

Trevor Jones, Period 7                                            8/26/14
Thoughts and Reflections on Location, Location, Location...
Source: Sharon Begley

                                                      T&R on Location, Location, Location...

Geography is key to the development of history because if you are not located in a good geographical spot, you cannot harvest crops or raise livestock. Every major civilization that ever prospered had a good geographical location. Think about it, if your city didn't have some sort of wetlands/ river area, you couldn't grow crops, your couldn't raise livestock, and you couldn't build a civilization without a source of water. Living in a location with good geography is also important for wars and advancement. Having fertile lands means you have citizens with better health resulting in more able bodies men to produce food, trade, and necessities for the common family. You would also have more time to work on technological advancement and less problems to worry about.