• A system of writing or recordkeeping
Not all peoples on the earth live in cultural groups that meet these five criteria. Yet inhabitants of
societies (cultural groups that do not satisfy all five characteristics of a civilization) also have made
significant contributions to the course of world history. One example is that of the highland people of
Papua New Guinea, many of whom lack a written language even today, yet who count among the
earliest farmers in the world.
Independent Invention Versus Diffusion
Still another consideration in the Advanced Placement World History course is the question of
whether cultural diffusion or independent invention is the more significant method of exchange.
For example, in Chapter 6 of this study guide, you will read of the spread of agriculture throughout
the globe. In this case, it is the task of the historian to investigate where agriculture arose
independently, in addition to tracing its diffusion, or spread, through the migration of agricultural
peoples. Also, contact of migratory peoples with one another was responsible for the exchange of
ideas and technological inventions in addition to the knowledge of agriculture. Patterns of
independent invention compared to those of cultural diffusion will remain a thread woven throughout
the story of humankind.
Rapid Review
The Advanced Placement World History course is unique in its inclusion of both civilizations and
societies in its narrative of global history. The division of the course into periods assists you in
analyzing global events and trends throughout a specific era by considering comparison, changes,
and continuities.
Review Questions
1 . Interactions between Muslims and Europeans during the seventeenth century are most commonly
found in the
(A) Atlantic Ocean
(B) Arctic Ocean
(C) Indian Ocean
(D) Pacific Ocean
2 . An Advanced Placement World History region that can be classified as a cultural region is
(A) South Asia
(B) North America
(C) Latin America
(D) Southeast Asia
3 . The study of oceans in world history
(A) focuses on trans-Atlantic themes