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Historical Notes

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Black Death. Spread of the Black Death in Europe (1346–53) The Black Death is thought to have originated in the arid plains of central Asia, where it then travelled along the Silk Road, reaching the Crimea by 1343.[6] From there, it was most likely carried by Oriental rat fleas living on the black rats that were regular passengers on merchant ships.

Black Death

Spreading throughout the Mediterranean and Europe, the Black Death is estimated to have killed 30–60% of Europe's total population.[7] In total, the plague reduced the world population from an estimated 450 million down to 350–375 million in the 14th century. The aftermath of the plague created a series of religious, social, and economic upheavals, which had profound effects on the course of European history. It took 150 years for Europe's population to recover. [citation needed] The plague recurred occasionally in Europe until the 19th century. Chronology Origins of the disease European outbreak There appear to have been several introductions into Europe. Inquisition. The Inquisition was a group of institutions within the judicial system of the Roman Catholic Church whose aim was to combat heresy.

Inquisition

It started in 12th-century France to combat the spread of religious sectarianism, in particular the Cathars and the Waldensians. This Medieval Inquisition persisted into the 14th century, and from the 1250s was associated with the Dominican Order. In the early 14th century, two other movements attracted the attention of the Inquisition, the Knights Templar and the Beguines. The institution of the Inquisition persisted after the end of the witch-trial period in the 18th century, but in the Age of Reason was abolished outside of the Papal States after the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th century. The institution survives as part of the Roman Curia, renamed to Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office in 1904. Definition and purpose[edit] Historical background[edit] Medieval Inquisition[edit] Early Modern history[edit] Emblem of the Inquisition (1571) Cradle of civilization. The cradle of civilization is a term referring to locations identified as the sites of the emergence of civilization.

Cradle of civilization

In Western European and Middle Eastern cultures, it has frequently been applied to the Ancient Near Eastern Chalcolithic (Ubaid period, Naqada culture), especially in the Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia and Levant) and Egypt, but also extended to sites in Asia Minor (Anatolia), Armenia[1] and the Iranian Plateau (Elam). Other civilizations arose in Asia, among cultures situated along large river valleys, notably the Indus River in the Indian Subcontinent[2] and the Yellow River in China.[3] Civilizations also arose independently in Egypt, Norte Chico in present-day Peru,[4] the Andes and in Mesoamerica.

If writing is considered an indicator of civilization, the earliest "cradle" to have writing was Sumer (Jemdet Nasr) in Mesopotamia. Scholars have defined civilization using various criteria. The use of writing is a common one. History of the idea[edit] Old World[edit] Ancient History. 4.5 billion B.C.

Ancient History

Planet Earth formed. 3 billion B.C. First signs of primeval life (bacteria and blue-green algae) appear in oceans. 600 million B.C. Earliest date to which fossils can be traced. 4.4 million B.C. Earliest known hominid fossils (Ardipithecus ramidus) found in Aramis, Ethiopia, 1994. 4.2 million B.C. Australopithecus anamensis found in Lake Turkana, Kenya, 1995. 3.2 million B.C. Australopithecus afarenis (nicknamed “Lucy”) found in Ethiopia, 1974. 2.5 million B.C. Homo habilis (“Skillful Man”). 1.8 million B.C. Homo erectus (“Upright Man”). 1.7 million B.C. Homo erectus leaves Africa. First modern Homo sapiens in South Africa. Neanderthal man (use of fire and advanced tools). Neanderthal man replaced by later groups of Homo sapiens (i.e., Cro-Magnon man, etc.).

Cro-Magnons replaced by later cultures. Migrations across Bering Straits into the Americas. Semi-permanent agricultural settlements in Old World. USMC Motto.