THE PEOPLING OF THE WORLD PREHISTORY 2500 BC

THE PEOPLING OF THE WORLD, PREHISTORY – 2500 BC Chapter 1

Question: If all 102 stories of the Empire State Building represented the entire span of the earth’s history (every story representing about 40 million years), where on the building would the existence of modern human beings begin?

ANSWER: The very top of the Empire State Building is where modern humans would be in comparison to the dawn of time. What does this tell us about the existence of modern humans?

PEOPLE CAN LEARN ABOUT THE PAST BY USING WRITTEN RECORDS. HOWEVER, THESE RECORDS COVER ONLY THE LAST 5, 000 YEARS OR SO OF HUMAN LIFE. What does this cave marking tell us about the people who drew it?

The period of time before written records. PREHISTORY

Are the scientists that try to solve the mystery of history by searching the earth for tools, jewelry, or other man made items, and bones or fossils. ARCHEOLOGISTS

IN THE EARLY 1970’S, SCIENTISTS MADE SOME IMPORTANT FINDS IN AFRICA. IN EAST AFRICA (THE GREAT RIFT VALLEY), THEY FOUND THE FOOTPRINTS OF HUMANLIKE BEINGS WHO HAD LIVED ABOUT 3. 6 MILLION YEARS AGO.

THE FIRST HUMANS The first humans faced a struggle for survival – the primary activity of early humans was obtaining food. People in the earliest human species were huntersgatherers. They relied on hunting, fishing, and gathering wild plants for food.

At this time people migrated (moved) to areas where food was available. The search for food led people to migrate from Africa to other parts of the world. What continent was the point of origin for a majority of the worlds migration?

NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION The introduction of agriculture & the domestication of animals along with a more permanent lifestyle during the later part of the Stone Age.

WITH THE BEGINNING OF THE NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION, PEOPLE BEGAN TO LIVE IN FARMING VILLAGES. A SETTLED VILLAGE LIFE ALLOWED OR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO CREATE A UNIQUE CULTURE!!

However, the settled way of life had drawbacks that the nomads did NOT have to face such as: 1. FLOODS 2. FIRE 3. DROUGHT 4. NATURAL DISASTER 5. DISEASE 6. ATTACK / WAR

WHAT MAKES UP A CIVILIZATION? ? ?

Advanced Cities Technology Religion & Government Specialized Workers Record Keeping

ADVANCED CITIES Birthplace of the 1 st civilizations Acted as centers for trade Variety of good are produced for exchange

What are some EXAMPLES of specialized workers in ancient cultures? SPECIALIZED WORKERS Food surpluses allowed people to stop farming and become “specialized” in a skill (specific kind of work)

RELIGION & GOVERNMENT Rising populations made government a necessity Institution – a long-lasting pattern of organization in a community Complex institutions such as government & religions are characteristics of a civilization

New tools and technology were created to solve the problems of the time Artisans relied on technology to make work easier TECHNOLOGY