Celts

The Celts were one of the many groups of people that lived in parts of Western Europe during the Iron Age.

As Romans expanded into the continent they entered in contact with this group of "barbarians", and eventually came to dominate them.

There were other groups, such as for example the Germanic tribes, that in time would be partially responsible for the fall of the Roman Empire.


This is a link to the Time Compass episode that deals with the Celts. It is only about 11 minutes, so go ahead and watch it. It will give you a better idea of what other peoples occupied the continent, besides the Romans.

This other interesting link will take you to a BBC site with animations and interactive activities/games. There you can learn about the life and culture of the Celts in Ancient Wales: from the mundane to the mystical. It is kind of goofy but fun.

As stated above, the Romans entered in battle with the Celts (and other peoples of Europe) as the Romans expanded and assimilated them into their Empire. The video below is a very short clay-mation rendition of what normally ensued: conflict followed by conquest.

VIDEO: Romans and Celts Battle




The video below is another depiction of a battle between the Gauls and the Roman based on the famous Franco-Belgian comic. The liquid you see the Gauls drinking is a "magic potion" brewed by the village's druid (shaman or spiritual leader) supposed to make them strong and invincible. For those of you who have read the comics once our heroes have had their "potion" the Romans stand no chance against them, no matter how organized or mighty their armies may be. Remember that this is just a comic, so no, it is not real, but it is fun to watch, all the same, just to see the contrast between the two armies :)

VIDEO: Asterix and Obelix Roman Attack

Rome

Some videos you may want to watch to get a better understanding of politics, art and life in Ancient Rome

I MYTHICAL ORIGINS

Two videos on the mythical origins of Rome and the role played by twins Romulus and Remus, raised by a wolf.

VIDEO: The Tale of Romulus and Remus. Short version




VIDEO: The Story of Romulus and Remus. Longer version





II RISE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

VIDEO: Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire
For this exercise you may want to have a map of Europe and North Africa in front of you. It may help you identify some of the modern states where the Roman Empire thrived. A little bit long but helpful.

In this animation the Roman Empire grows from a small nucleus in central Italy to control most of Europe, Norther Africa and parts of Asia Minor. Several notable episodes: control of Iberia (Spain and Portugal) and Western North Africa (Carthage), control of Gaul (France) and parts of Great Britain, split into Western and Eastern halves, fall of Rome in the West, rise of Byzantium, expansion of Islam, and fall of Constantinople, the capital of Byzantium in 1453. Notice that although the Roman Empire collapsed in the West, the Eastern half survived for another ten centuries into Modern History.

VIDEO: The great conspiracy against Julius Caesar. 
Julius Caesar was of paramount importance in the History of Rome, since it is around this time that Rome went from being a Republic to becoming an Empire.


III ART

VIDEO: TICE ART - Greek and Roman Art
Segment on Roman Art starts at 4:40.




IV A DAY IN THE LIFE...

A Day in the Life: The following two videos give you a glimpse of life in Ancient Rome. While the first is short and goofy, the other one is more involved. Watch the two of them to get a better understanding of what the role of children and young adults was in Ancient Rome.

VIDEO: A Day in The Life




VIDEO: Ted Ed - A glimpse of teenage life in ancient Rome




See you on Friday!

Greece

Ancient Greece:

In preparation for class, please watch the following four videos dealing with art and mythology in Ancient Greece:

VIDEO: The Greek Gods



VIDEO: TICE ART 1010 Greek and Roman Art
Please, watch just the first half as it pertains to Greek art  (ends at 4:40)


Ever heard of Odysseus (Ulysses in Latin), Helen or the Trojan Horse?

VIDEO: The Trojan Horse



VIDEO: TED Ed Tim Hansen - Music and Creativity in Ancient Greece

Egypt

Below you will find some videos that may help you better understand ancient Egypt and its society. Please watch them in preparation for class next Friday. Watch them as often as you need to understand the basics of the political structure, the art and the concept of afterlife in Ancient Egypt.


I PHARAOHS
Pharaohs were the supreme rulers of Egypt. Most pharaohs were male, but did you know that there were several that were female? Learn about their role in the two videos below.

VIDEO: BrainPOP - Pharaohs




VIDEO: TedEd - Kate Narev -The pharaoh that wouldn't be forgotten

II ART
Ancient Egyptian art is easily recognizable, but what is it that makes it so? Below there are two videos that will help you understand Ancient Egyptian Art. The relevant info in the first one starts at 2.02. You can see actual photos of the art drawn int he video at the end, during the credits, so watch the end also.

VIDEO:  TICE ART 1010 Ancient Near Eastern and Ancient Egyptian Art

In the video below, a segment of the animated film the Prince of Egypt, you can watch the story of baby Moses imagined as mural art. Notice how the Ancient Egyptians represented the body as two dimensional, combining different perspectives, and emphasizing recognizable features. Most of the action in this short is constrained by clearly delineated pictorial "bands" or "strips", a common way to organize narratives in mural art.

VIDEO: The Prince of Egypt - Moses Nightmare

III THE AFTERLIFE: RELIGION, PYRAMIDS AND BURIAL PRACTICES

Like most cultures, Egyptians were concerned with the afterlife. The following videos will explain some of their main deities (notice how some, like Anubis, have animal heads), the importance of the pyramid as a funerary building, and the process of mummification as a means to preserve the body for posterity.

VIDEO: Major Egyptian Gods and Goddesses




VIDEO: Amazing Facts About Ancient Egypt




VIDEO: Timothy Fruik - Claymation of the mummification process




VIDEO:  How to make a mummy.

Mesopotamia

I. MESOPOTAMIA: Sumer, Akkad, and Babylon

Mesopotamia is a cultural/geographic enclave located between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers; hence the name, mesos (middle, in between) - potamos (rivers).  Many civilizations, city states and empires developed in this area throughout history. The two videos below explain the rise of the Sumerians, one of the first cultures to develop in the area as well as the Akkadians and Babylonians.


VIDEO 1: Mesopotamian Civilization




Video 2: Early Dynastic Period and Hammurabi.





II. TECHNOLOGICAL and CULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS.

You can learn more about the history, inventions and discoveries of the civilizations that rose this area by watching these two videos (the narrator takes a little bit to get used to). You will also learn some basics about Hammurabi's Code of Laws.

VIDEO 3. Inventions and Discoveries in Ancient Mesopotamia (Part 1).




VIDEO 4. : Inventions and Discoveries in Ancient Mesopotamia (Part 2)




III. ART, WRITING, BELIEFS and LITERATURE.

You can learn some more about Mesopotamian Art by watching these last two videos. The first one deals with the art of both Mesopotamia and Egypt. Just watch the first half (up to 2:01). The second one is a great summary of all that you have learned above and explain in some detail the development of writing in the area as well as some creation myths and the Epic of Gilgamesh.

VIDEO 5: TICE ART - Mesopotamian and Ancient Egyptian Art




VIDEO 6. : Discovery - Mesopotamia The Development of Written Language

Hunter-gatherers and Early Farmers

1. PALEOLITHIC: Hunter-gatherers

This silly animated short gives you an idea on the subsistence food patterns of Prehistoric hunters and gatherers during the Paleolithic (early or "old" stone age).

VIDEO: BBC- A Day in the Life of A 10-Year-Old in Ancient Britain
 


2. NEOLITHIC/AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION: New food technologies

The following two videos deal with the Neolithic (later or "new" stone age) also known as the Agricultural Revolution. This revolution consisted in the adoption of agriculture (domesticated plants) and husbandry (domesticated animals), as well as other technological achievements by different societies, sometimes independently in many parts of the planet.

VIDEO: BrainPOP-Agricultural Revolution



VIDEO: Human Prehistory-Agriculture Rocks Our World.



3. PREHISTORIC ART: paintings, carvings, and ceramics

Finally, the last two videos deal with Prehistoric art in Europe. The fist one is a short video interpreting some cave art and bone carvings from Portugal and France in the form of simple animations. The Second one shows an old Neolithic village in the Balkans (Southeastern Europe). One of its dwellers mixes clay and some grog to create ceramic sculptures that then are hardened and/or fired in a hearth, oven or primitive kiln.

VIDEO: Prehistoric animations emerge from cave walls New Scientist



VIDEO: Life in prehistoric European Vinča culture

Welcome

BBC 

Welcome to History Toons.

In this blog you will find resources that will allow you to expand on material covered in class.

For our winter session, we will explore the early civilizations of the Fertile Crescent (Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia), The Mediterranean (Classical Greece and Imperial Rome) and Celtic Europe.

We will achieve this by watching and discussing TED-Ed, BBC, BrainPOP and The Time Compass animated shorts.

I hope you enjoy it.