IN THE BEGINNING Early Humans and the Neolithic

IN THE BEGINNING… Early Humans and the Neolithic Revolution

OUT OF AFRICA � Modern humans evolved in eastern Africa between 50, 000 and 100, 000 years ago � Modern? � Physically modern bodies, like ours � Behaviorally modern too, they had: � Technology (tools of stone, bone and horn) � Art (painting, sculpture) � Religion (burial customs)

EARLY SCULPTURE Found in Austria, age 25, 000 years, size 4” tall

ON THE MOVE – EARLY HUMAN MIGRATION � Groups divide, mix, reunite, sharing genes, languages, customs, technology = STRONGER � 60, 000 ya: spread to SW Asia (Mid. East) � 50, 000 ya: South Asia (India) � 40, 000 ya: Australia � 15 -30, 000 ya: the Americas � How do we know this? DNA Mapping

This map shows both physically modern humans as well as pre-human ancestors like Neanderthals. The last of these died less than 24, 000 years ago. Early modern humans probably met them, and even competed for resources with them. Mated? “OUT OF AFRICA”

AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED? � These modern humans were like us in many ways, but 1 very important thing made their lives very different from ours. What do you think it was? � Need a hint? � They had to keep moving around… � Looking for something… � FOOD!

HUNTER-GATHERERS � They were nomadic hunter-gatherers, moving around, hunting animals, gathering plants… why? � Then � “If came the big discovery: you put seeds in the ground, they turn into plants! Plants we can eat!!!” � THIS WAS REVOLUTIONARY!!!

VIVA LA REVOLUCION! � The nomads stopped moving around… why? � They started farming, this was a big change � THE NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION � (aka the Agricultural Revolution)

FACTS OF THE REVOLUTION � WHAT: the change to farming � WHEN: beginning about 13, 000 ya � WHY: to produce food instead of hunt-gather � WHERE: first the Fertile Crescent, then China, India and (later) North and South America � HOW: Domestication of plants and animals

THE ORIGINAL AGGIES This map shows places where agriculture was developed. Places with a question mark are unsure if farming developed independently or if it was copied from another area.

This is where the Agricultural Revolution began. The first people to stop nomadic hunting and gathering and grow their own food started farming here, about 13, 000 years ago. Fertile Crescent farmers domesticated the grains wheat and barley, together with some kinds of peas and beans. These first farmers and herders domesticated animals, too. They began with dogs and then goats, sheep, pigs and cows. THE FERTILE CRESCENT

DOMESTIC LIFE � The key to the Revolution was DOMESTICATION, making a wild plant or animal more useful to humans. � How? Controlled breeding. More useful? � Plants: bigger edible parts (fruit, leaves or seeds) � Animals: more products or useful services � Must have wild stock to begin with, some places do, some don’t. Advantage? Effects?

CARE FOR A BANANA?

HOW ABOUT SOME CORN?

Examples of Early Crops around the Ancient World Area Crop Type Cereals, Grasses Pulses Fertile Crescent wheat, barley pea, lentil, chickpea China millet, rice Mesoamerica corn soybean, adzuki bean, mung bean common bean, tepary bean, scarlet runner bean Andes, Amazonia Corn West Africa and Sahel sorghum, millet, African rice cowpea, groundnut India [wheat, barley, rice, sorghum, hyacinth bean, black millets] gram, green gram Ethiopia teff, finger millet, [wheat, barley] maygrass, little barley, knotweed, goosefoot [pea, lentil] sugar cane — Eastern United States New Guinea lima bean, common bean, peanut

Dates of Domestication of Large Mammal Species Date (B. C. ) Place Dog 10, 000 Southwest Asia, China, North America Sheep Goat Pig Cow 8, 000 6, 000 Southwest Asia China, Southwest Asia, India, (? )North Africa Horse Donkey Water buffalo 4, 000 Ukraine Egypt China? Llama / alpaca 3, 500 Andes Bactrian camel 2, 500 Central Asia Arabian camel 2, 500 Arabia

AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED? � This was a BIG change, a revolution � What effects do you think this had on the lives of these early people, the first farmers? � Think about food, homes, population, society, health, work, the environment…