After you've read Part I: From Eden to Cajamarca, identify one point or issue with which you agree, disagree, or about which you would like to learn more. Use the SVHS databases or the Internet to find out more.
Your comment to this post should include the author, title, source, link or database title, and a summary of the source. In your summary, please explain why you choice this particular topic for further exploration.
Christopher Minster, Ten Facts About the Conquest of the Inca Empire, http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/theconquestofperu/tp/Ten-Facts-About-The-Conquest-Of-The-Inca-Empire.htm
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 3, Diamond discusses the conquest of the Inca empire and he explains why the Spanish were able to defeat them. Overall, Diamond says that the Spanish had the right weapons and army, while the Inca were at their weak point. The article agrees with all of Diamond's reasoning, but also adds that Spanish got lucky. The article says that the Spanish got lucky because they were a united force while the Inca empire had two brothers fighting for power. Also, Diamond mentions that the Spanish had writing skills which allowed them to communicate with each other even if they were separated by distance. Lastly, the article mentions that the Spanish had powerful leaders, the Pizarro brothers, and they were able to come up with a strategic plan to defeat the Incas. I would like to further study this topic because it is interesting to learn how Spanish slowly began to gain all of the power.
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ReplyDeleteRobbie Whitmore, New Zealand in History: The Moriori
ReplyDeletehttp://www.history-nz.org/moriori.html
Diamond informs readers about the collision of the Maori and the Moriori in 1835 in chapter 2. Personally, the information interested me and made me want to learn more about the different tribes and how their cultures were similar and different. The article explains that both tribes experienced inter-tribal warring, which led to decline in the populations of both tribes. When the decline became too much of a problem to the Moriori, their chief banned physical arguments between the people, making them learn to withdraw from the argument at the first draw of blood. As the tribe became accustomed to this, they became a peaceful tribe. Before the Maori collided with the Moriori, the Moriori tribe was taken advantage of by some incoming Europeans wanting to explore the Chatham Islands. This topic is interesting because it seems like one of the main reasons the Moriori fell to outside sources was due to the fact that they were a peaceful group, a sad reason for their violent fall.
"Latin America." Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (2014): 1p. 1. Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. Web. 10 Jan. 2015. http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=9&sid=50ba47c0-0203-43e4-a2ae-9c54bc290ada%40sessionmgr4001&hid=4201&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=funk&AN=LA023300
ReplyDeleteChapter 3 talks about the collision between the Spanish and South America. This story is about the capture of King Atahuallpa and his tribe of people, this made me wonder about the history of Latin America and how they were conquered by people like the Spanish. This article talks about the Spanish and Portuguese invading Latin America and taking over. The invaders brought with them diseases that killed the majority of the population. More Europeans came to Latin America in search of valuables, and other trade goods. It explains that near the 19th Century that Latin America recovered from the collision of foreigners and is now much more stable. In all, this article described to me how the Spanish and other invaders impacted Latin America, as well as what it did to become what it is today.
This is a general encyclopedia - good for finding background/ introductory information. However, for formal research (not this assignment) you will need to use more specialized sources.
DeleteJohn Rubin, The gap between humans and ape, NOVA, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/what-makes-us-human.html
ReplyDeleteIn chapter one DIamond discusses how our closest living relatives are the three surviving species of great ape: the gorilla, the common chimpanzee, and the pygmy chimpanzee. I chose to research father about this topic because I find it interesting how us humans must have developed from other organisms. After doing further research on this topic I was able to learn that Chimps and humans share a skill of mind-reading. Scientists found that in our brain we have a special section for mind reading. After finding this out scientists decided to do the same scan on apes. They were able to find out that they too have a section for mind reading. Also, scientists have discovered that humans hold a section in the brain for the "triangle skill" and "impulse control". When scientists found this out they were able to conclude that humans have much more neural connections in their frontal lobes than do other apes. Frontal lobes meaning where we get our impulse control. Yet the question of "what makes us humans" still has yet to be figured out.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/25/science/25diam.html?pagewanted=2
ReplyDeleteA Question of Blame When Societies Fall
One interesting topic in part one of “Guns, Germs, and Steel” is Yali’s question and how it is interpreted. Yali asked, “Why is it that you white people developed so much cargo and brought it to New Guinea, but we black people had little cargo of our own?”. Diamond interpreted this very literally and responded with geopolitical reasons as to why people brought so much cargo to New Guinea. However, the article discusses other ways that the question could have been interpreted. Dr. Gewertz suggests that instead of talking about, “nifty western stuff,” Yali was asking why the Europeans did not respect them. In Gewertz’s argument, cargo represents treatment. Altogether, Yali’s question can be interpreted in different ways.
Very interesting take on the premise of Diamond's book.
Deletehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1341973/Did-humans-come-Middle-East-Africa-Scientists-forced-write-evolution-modern-man.html
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 1 I found the topic of the modern human starting off in Africa to be very interesting and strange. What I find strange about it is how an early human with no understanding of creating tools and reproducing could survive in the harsh landscapes of Africa. The article I found would more clarity upon me for this topic. The article states how the human remains they found on the Mediterranean Coast of the Middle East were tested to be far older than any of the remains found in Africa. This would make more sense to me as to how humans originated and continued to survive. Due to the fact that the coastal areas of the Mediterranean are much less harsh than the central areas of Africa. The remains found in the Middle East also had stone tools and stone blades which suggests that the humans in the Middle East had utilized many of the resources that the Middle East had to offer at the time.
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ReplyDeleteJosh Clark Where the Clovis the First Americans?
ReplyDeletehttp://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/clovis.htm
I chapter one Diamond asks the question "Whether Clovis hunters really were the first Americans." I found this statement interesting because we had previously been taught that Columbus was the first to find America. Diamond uses some facts such as the tool shapes and radiocarbon dates as proof of who existed in America first. I wanted to learn more about radiocarbon dating and the Clovis hunters so I could better understand. The article helped me because it goes more in depth about radio carbon dating. The radiocarbon dates in the article state that the Clovis people lived for a short period of time. And it showed how the radiocarbon dates found that the Clovis people showed up around 9200 B.C. This helped me understand how the Clovis people were the first Americans.
"Pizarro Traps Incan Emperor Atahuallpa"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pizarro-traps-incan-emperor-atahualpa
In chapter three, Diamond discusses the Battle of Cajamarca and the situation between Francisco Pizarro and Inca Emperor Atahuallpa. I wanted to research more about this because I was so shocked that the spanish army was able to defeat such improbable odds. In the article, it makes it more clear how Pizarro was able to capture Atahuallpa so easily. It says that Pizarro invited Atahuallpa to a feast in his honor and he accepted the invitation and brought 5,000 unarmed men with him. As discussions got heated at the feast, Pizarro's men opened fire and slaughtered all 5,000 of the Incan men, excluding Atahuallpa. It was beneficial to research this topic because it really helped me clarify what happened at the Battle of Cajamarca.
Frequently Asked Questions About Evolution
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/faq/cat02.html
In chapter one Diamond talks about how the ancestors of human beings broke off from other animals about 7 million years ago. I found this bit of information to be quite curious because I feel it would be less than that. I went and did some further research on this topic and found that Diamond's data is very close to accurate. According to this article humans diverged from the common ancestor, which evolved into chimps and apes, about 5 to 8 million years ago. This source proves the fact that about 7 million years ago is accurate. The thing that evolved 6 million years was a neanderthal and not a so called "modern-human" but they are the first form of human.
Believe it or not, this is an area of study that is under seemingly constant revision. It seems that about every decade or so, anthropologists find a new hominid fossil that adds to the story of hominid & human history.
DeleteAfter reading the part of Guns, Germs, and Steel where it went on to explain the European Conquest of the two major Native American tribes, the Incas and Aztecs, I became interested in the Aztecs’ fall because I knew that they were known to be a more warlike tribe than the Incas. Diamond also did not fully explain what happened in the fall of the Aztecs, so I was left with a curiosity as to what happened with the Aztecs. It really is interesting and amazing that such large and established empires were so easily brought down. Before the Spaniards arrived, the Aztecs were unhappy with their ruler because the ruler was not fair and they were hoping that a god would soon come and make their situation right. They thought that was who the Spaniards were when they arrived so they did not have a problem with them at first. Without the public’s knowledge, the Spaniards then proceeded to take their ruler under their control for several months before the public realized what was beginning to realize that the Spaniards were in control. Mentezuma was giving a speech when a rock from a spectator hit his head which knocked him out. Then the Spaniards strangled him to death secretly and charged the people with their guns and took over. This conquest is actually quite different than the conquest of the Inca because the Spanish did not arrive as a cavalry and they had been inhabitants of the city for months. My source is an article from Cricket Magazine that I found on Ebsco, which is a reputable database and provides trustworthy information. Hartop, Brigit. "Tenochtitlán ISLAND OF THE AZTECS." Cricket 32.9 (2005): 22. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 23 Aug. 2014.
ReplyDeleteSkull Fossil Suggests Simpler Human Lineage
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/18/science/fossil-skull-may-rewrite-humans-evolutionary-story.html
In chapter 1, Diamond discusses the progression of the human bone structure and how brain size contributed to the migration out of Africa. He states that by the time humans had left Africa, their bodies had developed into what we call "Homo Erectus". In this article, archaeologists found a skull fossil in the Republic of Georgia that isn't quite like any other type of skull. This skull however is even more special because this human made it to Europe with a bone structure similar to that of the earliest humans. This article makes me question how much brain size actually bolstered the human migration to Europe.
Interesting! Jake was also interested in this lineage (see my comment above).
Delete"The Moriori and the Dangers of Pacifism"
ReplyDeletehttp://robertlindsay.wordpress.com/2009/02/28/the-moriori-and-the-dangers-of-pacifism)
Chapter 2 of Part 1, Diamond talks about the brutal end of the Moriori tribe. The tribe was wiped out by the Maori. Although, Diamond did briefly tallj about the massacre, I wanted to get a further understanding of the massacre. The article written by Robert Lindsay, goes in depth about the tribes and the actual event. Based off of the article, Moriori was a branch of the Maori group. "The Maori have long been known as ferocious headhunters and cannibals who had one of the cruelest and evillest cultures on Earth." The Maori people loaded ships and armed themselves and invaded the Chatham Islands where the Moriori had settled for over 300 years. The Maori wanting to expand their culture invaded the islands. Since the Moriori believed in settling things peacefully, didn't want to fight. The article stated, that some men wanted to fight back. Anyone who didn't fight back were killed or enslaved. The people were forbidden to marry each other. Women were required to marry the Maori men. Many did try to hide and escape the danger, but they were found, usually killed. By 1862, only 100 of then men were still alive. The population declined from around 1600 to 100 in matter of 28 years. Supporting what Diamond proposed about dominance and strength, the strong Maori was able to gain access and dominance of the Chatham Islands.
Be careful of the information you find on blogs. Always double check the credentials and purpose of the blogger.
DeleteThroughout Guns, Germs and Steel, Diamond discusses the conquest of the Incas and Aztecs. I became especially interested with the Aztecs and how they formed as a civilization. I had already previously learned that the Aztecs had several gods to explain the wonders of the world, but I am very curious as to how they survived that long. Therefore, I researched as to whether or not the Aztecs had specific tactics to eliminate there foes. In this article called "Aztec Dynasty of Latin America," I found that they used several different fear tactics to ward off foes. If a foe was captured, they would be sacrificed in a ritual to the gods. Continuing, I also learned that their civilization was not only fortified, but successful, as they had very good economic skills and means, and were able to ward off the Spainyards attempts to wipe them out. Their strong reliance on religion and prophecies seems to be what helped them become strong, and their power to fight for the gods was their motivation and success.
ReplyDeletehttp://apworldhistory101.com/history-of-latin-america/aztec/
“Neanderthals and the Dead”
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/science/neanderthals-and-the-dead.html?_r=1&gwh=9F6ADAEB7A044B41BC5ABA1AFF0E586B&gwt=pay&
In the first chapter of “Guns, Germs, and Steel”, Diamond discusses the similarities and differences between Africans from years ago, modern humans, and Neanderthals. He says, “Although Africans of 100,000 years ago had more modern skeletons than their Neanderthal contemporaries, they made essentially the same crude stone tools as Neanderthals, still lacking standardized shapes.” Diamond states that the Africans from many years ago are more similar to modern humans than to Neanderthals. However, in this article, it says that Neanderthals had intentionally buried their loved ones that have died. It states, “The discovery raised the possibility that these evolutionary relatives of ours intentionally buried their dead at least 50,000 years ago, before the arrival of anatomically modern humans in Europe.” It also says that Neanderthals had complex funeral practices, based on the way that they found the skeletal structures in the ground.
Many argue that this also suggests that Neanderthals may have developed a type of religious ideology.
DeleteAfter reading the section 1 of Guns Germs and Steel - From Eden to Cajamarca. After reading the first part of the book Jared Diamond discusses that evolution and the spread of human beings , argued by some people had head starts over other in history because of there timing of existence and shows how the environment that the peoples lived in were the key factor in shaping the history of the civilizations. I became more interested in this key topic because I wanted to know whether this theory could be applied to our modern day society , and what I researched was a huge shock to me. In the article "The Curse of the oil" it states that a natural resource can support a nations finances such that if a poor country were to be able to find oil it could then use the profit of the resource to shoot them up the ladder of economy. This helped me understand the overall idea of the section by showing me that because of a environments natural resources it can give that country an advantage and money which ultimately equals power.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.economist.com/node/5323394 -
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ancient.eu/Fertile_Crescent/
ReplyDeleteIn part one chapter two of “Guns, Germs, and Steel” Diamond discusses how there was adequate irrigation provided by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. These rivers tended to flood the nearby land frequently, When this happened, the nutrients from the silt fertilized the land. These two rivers provided transportation. People living in Fertile Crescent could ship their good to other communities, and also buy the good they needed to prosper. As I did more research I found out that the Fertile Crescent is regarded as the birthplace of agriculture,urbanization, writing, trade, science, history and organized religion and was first populated in 10,000 BCE.
"Modern Technology is Changing the Way Our Brains Work, Says Neuroscientist"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-565207/Modern-technology-changing-way-brains-work-says-neuroscientist.html
In chapter one of "Guns Germs and Steel" Diamond explains how unbelievable it is that humans conquered the whole Earth, and inhabited all of it, without modern technology. This article discusses the fact that modern-day 21st century technology is terrible for the human race, and the technology could over take us and be detrimental to our society. The article claims that all the updates in technology are leading us into a "sleepwalk" into a future where devices completely control our lives, and we will not be able to advance as a society. This is a bit ironic because Diamond believes that it is truly remarkable that humans took over the Earth without modern technology, when now modern technology could hinder the human race in any large movements for the improvement of mankind.
Interesting! I've read other articles that argue that technology may have a positive impact on brain development.
DeleteI agree with Diamonds argument that environmental factors has an impact on the development of populations on different continents. In chapter 2, Diamond talks about how environment factors caused different populations to advance at different rates. To prove this, he look at it on a small scale with the Maori and Moriori example. Maori became an dense population of farmers. The Moroiroi have become a small, isolated population of hunters-gathers. The maori ended up slaughtering the Mororiori and taking over the land, even though at one point in time they were both Polynesian people. Diaomdn claims that the reason the Maori was able to advance much faster was because environmental factors. The maori environmental benefits include; being in a warmer climate and larger area(which is more suitable for agriculture), this could hold a larger population. They lived in a dense population which caused many wars with neighboring populations (so they become more combative). This environment required a production of more advanced technology, tools for crops, and advanced weapons. In contrast, Moriori had unsuitable land for agriculture, with a cold climate. This forced them to stay hunter-gathners, because they did not have the environment to advanced (like the maori did) as farmers.
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ReplyDelete"Polynesian History and Origin"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pbs.org/wayfinders/polynesian3.html
In chapter 2 of part 1, Diamond discusses how environmental differences among Pacific Islands on the Ancestral Polynesian colonies had affected the different variations of societies. Examples of these environmental differences are geological, resources, terrain, etc.). I agree with this thought because I feel the environment can affect the way people adapt and develop ideas. This article discusses the Polynesian history and and origin, and discusses how their resources affected their society. Their resources were based on their environment and what they had access to. I decided to further research about this because I found it interesting and wanted more information about the subject.
We'll actually be using this website when we get to unit 7!
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