Global History and culture assignment

Read chapters 2 & 3, as well as the two short texts in Handout 2, “Some Modern Critiques of Early Urbanization” and “Hammurabi’s Law Code,” then follow the same process as before: Select 5 (five) of the Study Terms below, locate them in the text, and post brief definitions of each (2-3 sentences explaining the historical significance of each, including relevant information such as dates and related names etc.) in the Blog section on Blackboard. You may also include additional information not in the textbook Select 1 (one) of the Study Questions below and post your answer (5-10 sentences, min. 100 words) in the weekly Discussion Threads on Blackboard. Answer the question in your own words and provide as much relevant and detailed information as possible. Study Terms a) Civilization b) Ecology of civilization c) Harappan society d) Sumer e) ziggurat f) specialization g) city states h) Pharaoh i) Hammurabi j) Epic of Gilgamesh k) caste system l) Sargon m) Hittites n) Minoan o) Mycenaean p) Shang q) Zhou Study Questions: How did the Yellow River civilization differ from Mesopotamia, Harappa, and Egypt in terms of trade or interaction with one another? Did towns and cities in the 4 great river civilizations have labor specialization or gender equality? How was the political state of Egypt different from that of Mesopotamia? What roles or powers did the ruler in China perform? Why did Chinese civilization along the Yellow River expand south to the Yangtze River valley? From the examination of the 4 river valley civilizations, what were the two reasons for cultural divergence? What are the criticisms of early urbanization made by Karl Marx, Lewis Mumford, and Gerda Lerner? Do you agree with their arguments? How do Hammurabi’s laws compare to the modern concepts of law and justice? How did the empire of the Hittites differ from the River Valley states? How were they similar? What factors led to a “General Crisis” in the Eastern Mediterranean World c. 2000-1000 B.C.E.? What were the reasons for a state’s success or failure during the period of 2000-1000 B.C.E.? How did the Shang and Zhou dynasties shape China? How did states develop in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica? important information: the book name is "The World: A History by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto (Combined Volume, 3rd Edition, Pearson 2016) ISBN# 978-0-13-393020-7".