Understanding Culture,

Society and Politics

Quarter 1 – Module 3: Week 5-6

Significance of Cultural,
Social, Political and
Economic Symbols and
Practices

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 PRE-TEST

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of
paper.
1. The cultural evolution of man has three remarkable Era. Which of the
following has the correct order of era?
a. Age of Metal, Neolithic Period, Paleolithic Period
b. Neolithic Period, Paleolithic Period, Age of Metal
c. Paleolithic Period, Age of Metal, Neolithic Period
d. Palaeolithic Period, Neolithic Period, Age of Metal

2. In the early stage, human move from one place to another. As they transform
and adapt their environment, they learn to have permanent settlement. What
period did the permanent settlement of human occur?
A. Age of Bronze
B. Age of Copper
C. Neolithic Period
D. Palaeolithic Period

3. Each era has a significant cultural development such as the use of fire in
Paleolithic period, the domestication of plants and animals in the Neolithic
Period, and the use of metal in the age of Metal. What is the other term for
the Age of Metal?
A. Agricultural Revolution
B. Metal Civilization
C. Stone Revolution
D. Rise of Civilization

4. In the Neolithic period, the Cro Magnon disappeared and the new people who
were considered the modern men appeared, which of the following were the
accomplishments of human during this period?
A. Live in a cave
B. Used unpolished stone tools
C. Used metals to upgrade tools
D. Domesticated plants and animals

5. There were three metals distinguished in the Age of Metals. Which of the
following was the first known metal in this period?
A. Aluminum
B. Bronze
C. Copper
D. Iron

6. Which of the following events DOES NOT occur during Neolithic Revolution?

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 A. Way of living changed from hunting and gathering to agriculture
B. Increase in population
C. Fishing is the only way to live
D. Learned to create crafts as pottery and weaving

7. The most obvious material symbols of ancient state societies is ________.

A. Stone tablets
B. Monumental works
C. Pyramids
D. Irrigation canals

8. What is the earliest writing form in the world which was developed in
Mesopotamia 6,000 years ago?
A. Cuneiform
B. Hieroglyphics
C. Clay-tablet symbology
D. Runes

9. In the type of political ruling, it refers to the series of rulers descending from
a single-family line.
A. dynasty
B. monarchy
C. democracy
D. oligarchy

10. In Mesopotamian culture, the ancient Egypt is one of the most important
civilizations in history. When it is said to have emerged?
A. 2,000 years old
B. 3,000 years old
C. 4, 000 years old
D. 5, 000 years old

11. In the history of European exploration, when was the Spanish global power
started?
A. 1492
B. 1500
C. 1896
D. 1345

12. Which treaty ends the World War I and breaks several multi-rational
empires?
A. Treaty of Saint-Germain en Laye
B. Treaty of Versailles
C. Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine
D. Faisal-Weizmann agreement

13. What form of democracy do the Philippines have?

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 A. Representative democracy
B. Constitutional democracy
C. Direct democracy
D. a and b

14. In the types on government, which of the following does not describe
democracy?
A. Transition from an authoritarian regime to a full democracy
B. From an authoritarian political system to a semi democracy
C. From semi authoritarian political system to a democratic political system
D. From semi authoritarian political system to a semi democratic political
system

15. Democracy is the generally known as the government of the people; moreover,
the Participatory democracy is best defined as__________________.
A. Direct individual participation by citizen in political decisions that affect
their daily living
B. Limited political participation by a small group that make and influence
political decision
C. Non-government interest groups influence political decision through
lobbying and donations
D. A system where citizens choose government representatives among their
citizens

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 LESSON 1

Analyze the images below and Identify which shows ethnocentrism or cultural
relativism. Write your answers on your paper.

1. In the Philippines, it is said that a person came from

the northern part of Luzon (Ilocano) are stingy.

2. Filipinos are known for being

hospitable.

3. Some say rich people are snobby.

4. Philippines are known for having variety of delicacies which used different
cooking techniques but all native food are tasty and delicious.

5. Some cultures include eating of dog meat.

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 In 1991, hikers in the Alps found a dead body and notified the authorities. They
thought that person might have died on a recent hike, but extensive scientific testing
revealed the body to be around 5,000 years old! Since the “Iceman” was frozen for all
this time, his body clothing, and tools were all preserved intact, giving us a rare glimpse
of what it must have been like to live in the Neolithic Era.

The discovery of the Iceman has also given us a mystery to solve. The autopsy’
revealed many signs of violent death. When archaeologists inquire about the past, the
examined evidence and put it together to tell their story. What story does it tell?

Artifacts
• Copper Axe
• Flint knife
• Unfinished longbows
• Flints (stones used for tools
and fire)
• Mushrooms
• 14 bone-tipped arrows
o Two finished
o Twelve unfinished
Autopsy
• Cerebral Trauma to the
head
• Cuts and bruises on hands
• Arrow
Process wound in shoulder
Question Your assignment:
(arrow probably removed) By yourself, use at least 6 pieces of
• Blood from 4 people (DNA) evidence to tell a story about the events
• 57 Carbon Tattoos (dots and leading to the Iceman’s death. Remember
HUMAN CULTURAL EVOLUTION
lines on lower spine. Back of that the only wrong answer in history is an
knees and right ankle) answer thatAslack
It is a saying that “human has no contentment”. theevidence. Be creative
environment andwe
changes,
• About 5000years old have fun with this.
continuously grow and find ways to make maximize our effort as we live. It is very
evident in the different stages of human cultural evolution: Palaeolithic Period, Neolithic
Period, and Age of Metal.

The term “Palaeolithic” was coined by archaeologist John Lubbock in 1865. It is derived
the from Greek word, palaios, which means "old"; and, lithos, "stone", In short, the
Palaeolithic Period, which happened 2.5 million years ago, is also known as "Old Stone
Age".

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In the Palaeolithic period, the Earth was extremely cold and ocean levels were much
lower than they are now. Due to the cold climate, much of the Stone Age is also called
the Ice Age.

During these years, people were nomads and able to use simple tools and weapons made
of unpolished stone. The caves served as their shelter.

Similarly, this was the time when people discovered to use the fire, through the use of
stone, for their protection against cold temperature and to cook their own food.

Human beings in this time were grouped together in small societies such as bands, and
subsisted by gathering plants and fishing, hunting or scavenging wild animals. Also in
this era, according to study of Dr. Jesus T. Peralta of NCCA, respect is given to age, and
individual prowess and ability are recognized. There are no leaders that could be said
to be above everybody else and whose commands are obeyed without question. In some
cases, one who is known for good decisions is consulted when a problem arises; or well-
known hunter will be asked to lead a hunting group.

Likewise, the term “Neolithic” also comes from the same archaeologist and from the
Greek word “neo” which means new and “lithos” meaning stone or in short, the “New
Stone Age” which was happened for about 10,000 B.C. In this period, the Cro Magnon
disappeared and the new people who are considered the modern man appeared.

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The Neolithic Revolution is also called as the First Agricultural Revolution. During this
period, there was a wide-scale transition of many human cultures from a lifestyle
of hunting and gathering to of agriculture and settlement kind of society which
eventually led to population increase. People depend on domesticated plants and
animals. They learned to create such crafts as pottery and weaving. They likewise
developed boat as means of transportation and for fishing as well.

From being nomads during the early stage, human began

to develop a sedentary type of society of which they built-
up villages and towns.

Furthermore, they were never contented of their

accomplishments. They kept on discovering things for
their own convenience. So, they discovered metals, and
they gradually abandoned stone as the basic element for
their instrument and tools

This period was known as Age of Metals (4000 B.C – 1500

B.C). The used of metal such as bronze, copper, and iron produced a new historical
development from the cradle civilization of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia including the
India, and China which later spread throughout Asia.

There were three stages distinguished within this Age

due to the different types of metals that were used: The
Copper Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age; copper was
the first known metal, it is of a low hardness and it was used
to make ornaments; bronze is an alloy of copper and tin and
it is harder and stronger than copper. Several eastern
Mediterranean peoples discovered this metallurgy
and progressed rapidly.

During this age, agricultural tools were developed with

bronze, such as plows and sickles, military weapons like
swords, spears and shields, as well as household utensils like jars, bowls and cups.
Likewise, a more developed social, cultural, political, and economic system were
improved. Tribes, empires, and state were recognized at this point.

EARLY CIVILIZATION and RISE of the STATE

Ancient State and Civilization

One of the earliest states and civilizations was found in the Fertile Crescent which is
known as the Mesopotamian civilization. The word Mesopotamia is a Greek word for
“Land between two rivers” which is often referred to as the cradle of civilization. It is the
region of the Western Asia located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. It is known
as the Fertile Crescent where the first evidence of agriculture was also found. Here the

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first human civilizations were taking the earliest steps from hunter-gatherer society into
settled community.

Moreover, it is in Mesopotamia that the history writing appeared as early as over 5,000
years ago. This invention was so important that it marks the end of the Prehistory, and
the beginning of history. One of the first writing systems, the Cuneiform, is one of the
most important civilizations in the history of Mesopotamian culture.

Every city in Mesopotamia had its own government, rulers, warriors, patron god, and
functioned like an independent country. Mesopotamian cities were Ur, Uruk, Kish,
Lagesh. There is a temple at the center of each city called a ziggurat (a massive, tiered,
pyramid-shaped structure).

There was also what we called Mesopotamian warrior-gods (2.400-2.500 B.C.) who
govern and protect the people under its government. Military commanders eventually
became monarch creating a new structure of government called a Dynasty. It is a series
of rulers descending from a single-family line. The Akkadian Empire lasted about 200
years. In the year 2350–2150 B.C, Babylonian Empire overtook Sumerians around 2000
B.C., and they built capital, the Babylon, on Euphrates River.

Another ancient states and civilizations was the Egyptian civilization. It emerged more
than 5,000 years ago along the River Nile in the north-east of Africa. The Ancient
Egyptians lived near the River Nile because of its fertile land suitable for growing crops
and domestication of animals. Each year, water from the Nile rose and flooded the area.
When the water went back, it left mud that made the fields fertile.

Egyptians called their king a pharaoh. The pharaoh was all- powerful: He passed laws,
He ruled the country, He owned most of the land, and He controlled trade and led the
armies. Egyptians believed that the pharaohs were gods.

Modern State and Civilization

In the European continent, several states and civilization grew tremendously over
centuries. In England, around 1500s, most of the people lived in small villages. They
paid tithes to their feudal landlords. Henry VII won the War of the Roses in England,
which led into what is known as the Tudor dynasty, and begun the development of the
English nation-state.

In Spain in the year 1492, Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella took Spain back
from the Muslim. It became the era of Spain as a global power.

In France, Louis XIV of France created an absolute monarchy. France became the
dominant power in Europe. When The French Revolution broke out, it created the
modern French nation-state, which sparked nationalism around Europe.

In 1914, when various nation-states started to claim their power and superiority over
all the nations in the world, the World War I begun until 1918. In 1919, Treaty of
Versailles ended the World War I. It divided several multinational empires that led to
the creation of several new nation-states.

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In 1939, the World War II started until 1945. The end of World War II led to the formation
of United Nations in 1945.

The State of the People: Democratic State

In the recent decade after the two World Wars, people are becoming more active in their
government and state affairs, in which people become the source of political power and
government rules. This evolution in the government is known as the process of
democratization, or simply democracy – the rule of the people.

Democratization is the transition to a more democratic political regime, including

substantive political changes moving in a democratic direction. It may be the transition
from an authoritarian regime to a full democracy, a transition from an authoritarian
political system to a semi-democracy or transition from a semi-authoritarian political
system to a democratic political system. What is a democracy?

Moreover, a democracy is a form of government where the citizens of the nation have
the power to vote. There are several different types of democracies; (1) a representative
democracy is a system where citizens choose government representatives among their
citizens, (2) direct democracy is when the citizens form a governing body and vote
directly on issues, (3) constitutional democracy limits the powers of government through

Learning Activity 1.

the nation’s constitution.

ARTICLE READING 101

Read the article entitled “A Settled Life”. Analyze how the ancient cultural and
socio-political features developed and impact our present period. Then, be able to
answer the succeeding guide questions.

A Settled Life
(By: Dr. Senta German)

When people think of the Neolithic era, they often think of Stonehenge, the iconic
image of this early era. Dating to approximately 3000 B.C.E. and set on Salisbury Plain
in England, it is a structure larger and more complex than anything built before it in
Europe. Stonehenge is an example of the cultural advances brought about by the
Neolithic revolution—the most important development in human history. The way we
live today, settled in homes, close to other people in towns and cities, protected by laws,
eating food grown on farms, and with leisure time to learn, explore and invent is all a

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result of the Neolithic revolution, which occurred approximately 11,500-5,000 years
ago. The revolution which led to our way of life was the development of the technology
needed to plant and harvest crops and to domesticate animals.

Before the Neolithic revolution, it's likely you would have lived with your extended
family as a nomad, never staying anywhere for more than a few months, always living
in temporary shelters,
always searching for food
and never owning anything
you couldn’t easily pack in a
pocket or a sack. The change
to the Neolithic way of life
was huge and led to many of
the pleasures (lots of food,
friends and a comfortable
home) that we still enjoy
today.(Stonehenge, c. 3,000
B.C.E., Salisbury Plain, England)

Neolithic Art. The massive changes in the way people lived also changed the types of
art they made. Neolithic sculpture became bigger, in part, because people didn’t have to
carry it around anymore; pottery became more widespread and was used to store food
harvested from farms. This is when alcohol was first produced and when architecture,
and its vivid interior and exterior decoration, first appears. In short, people settle down
and begin to live in one place, year after year.

It seems very unlikely that Stonehenge could have been made by earlier,
Paleolithic, nomads. It would have been a waste to invest so much time and energy
building a monument in a place to which they might never return or might only
return infrequently. After all, the effort to build it was extraordinary. Stonehenge
is approximately 320 feet in circumference and the stones which compose the outer
ring weigh as much as 50 tons; the small stones, weighing as much as 6 tons, were
quarried from as far away as 450 miles. The use or meaning of Stonehenge is not clear,
but the design, planning and execution could have only been carried out by a culture
in which authority was unquestioned. Here is a culture that was able to rally hundreds
of people to perform very hard work for extended periods of time. This is another
characteristic of the Neolithic era.

Source: Dr. Senta German, A Settled Life: https://www.khanacademy.org 2020

I have analyzed…
Guide Questions: I think that…

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 Example: Example
The Stonehenge tries to showcase that even before
What does the Stonehenge
they had already their cultural advancement,
is trying to tell this modern
which, in this modern age can further develop such
era?
as the technologies.

a. Vividly envision the

Stonehenge. Imagine
how they built it. Could
you say that early
people were physically
fit and prepared as we
are today?
b. How did ancient
humans end their
“being nomads”?
c. Looking at the “lens” of
Stonehenge, how will
you describe the kind
of sociopolitical way?
d. Why Neolithic
Revolution is is
considered as the most
important development
in human history?

Learning Activity 2.- The teacher able to send documentary

video in your group messenger in the subject of Understanding
of Culture title of video “Philippines noon at ngayon” after you
watch answers the following questions write your answers at
the separate paper.

1. What are the hidden message of the video?

2. How would you differentiate the Pilipinas 1980 and
Pilipinas 2018?
3. There correlation of Culture innovation to Culture
adaptation?
4. Enumerate and discuss Positive and negative impact of
cultural adaptation

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Assessment
Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet
of paper.

1. During the earliest stage of human cultural evolution, people were nomadic, so
they hunt and gather foods. As they learn to make a sedentary lifestyle in the
Neolithic period. Which statement tells the accomplishment of human in the
Neolithic period?
A. Live in a cave
B. Used unpolished stone tools
C. Used metals to upgrade tools
D. Domesticate plants and animals
2. The Age of Metal produced a new historical development from the cradle
civilization of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia including the India, and China which
later on spread throughout Asia. Which type of metal were the earliest known by
human?
A. Aluminum
B. Bronze
C. Copper
D. Iron
3. There are three notable stages in the human cultural evolution. Which statement
tells the correct timeline of these evolutions?
A. Age of Metal, Neolithic Period, Paleolithic Period
B. Neolithic Period, Paleolithic Period, Age of Metal
C. Paleolithic Period, Age of Metal, Neolithic Period
D. Paleolithic Period, Neolithic Period, Age of Metal
4. From being nomads during the early stage, human began to developed a
sedentary type of society of which they built-up villages and towns. In which era
has these evolutions happens?
A. Age of Bronze
B. Age of Copper
C. Neolithic Period
D. Paleolithic Period
5. The most significant evolution in Paleolithic period is when people discovered the
use of fire. In the Neolithic period is when human learned to domesticate plants
and animals, which is known to be the First Agricultural Revolution. In the Age
of Metal is the discovery of people in using metal as their tools, thus, the Age of
Metal is identified as:
A. Agricultural Revolution
B. Metal Civilization
C. Stone Revolution
D. Rise of Civilization

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6. How were the first modern humans (Homo sapiens) different from any other
hominid species?
A. They lived outside of Africa
B. They had large brains
C. They used and controlled fire
D. They used symbolic thought
7. In the history of human social evolution, what group of people was skillful at
hunting and butchering animals?
A. Australopithecus
B. Home erectus
C. Homo habilis
D. Homo sapien
8. In the history of human civilization in which people started to develop their
society, where did the world’s first Civilization develop?
A. Mesopotamia
B. Crete
C. Egypt
D. Eastern China
9. From the different kind of government in various societies, what is a form of
government where the citizens of the nation have the power to vote?
A. Aristocracy
B. Bureaucracy
C. Democracy
D. Capitalism
10. In the context of European historical society, which of the following DOES NOT
happened during pre -1500’s?
A. Henry VII wins the War of the Roses in England, begins the Tudor dynasty,
and starts the development of the English nation-state.
B. The era of Spain as a global power begins.
C. The hundred year’s war started.
D. The French Revolution
11. In the history of war, the nations started to claim their power and supremacy
over the nations. Which treaty ends the World War I and breaks several multi-
rational empires?
A. Treaty of Saint-Germain en Laye
B. Treaty of Versailles
C. Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine
D. Faisal-Weizmann agreement
12. Democracy is a type of government in which the people elect their leader in the
government position. Direct democracy is the system in which...
A. Citizens choose their representatives in free and fair elections.
B. Citizens are allowed to debate with their representatives in open public
meetings.

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 C. Citizens represent themselves in the decision-making process.
D. Senior political leaders are known as 'Directors'.

13. Which statement most accurately describes how geography affected the growth
of the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia?
A. River valleys provided rich soil to grow plentiful crops.
B. Large deserts provided many mineral deposits.
C. Access to the Atlantic Ocean provided trade routes.
D. Lage Savannah areas provided protection from invaders.
14. Which geographic feature was common to the development of civilizations in
ancient Egypt, China, India, and Mesopotamia?
A. river valleys
B. rain forests
C. deserts
D. mountains
15. In the context of ancient civilization, which factor led to the development of
civilizations in ancient Mesopotamia?
A. political harmony
B. favorable geography
C. religious differences
D. universal education

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