The Stone Age The Early Hominids Early Civilizations

The Stone Age The Early Hominids Early Civilizations The Neolithic Period

The Question of Evolution • The origins of humankind are strongly debated today by scientists and theologians • Scientists agree evolution is strongly supported by fossil evidence • Theologians look to written word in Bible

The Question of Evolution • Archaeologist, study ancient cultures through the recovery of artifacts and human remains • Culture, is a people’s way of life based on their customs, art, and ideas • Artifacts are ancient human made tools or goods • Anthropologists study human cultures

The Early Hominids • Australopithecus, a ground dwelling ape believed to be earliest ancestor of man • Homo habilis believed to have lived 2. 5 million years ago fossils were discovered in Tanzania, Africa • Habilis walked like man and had a developed and usable thumb

The Early Hominids • Homo erectus appeared in Africa around 1. 8 million years ago • Erectus used fire and were first to migrate to areas in Europe, Asia and Middle East • Homo sapiens, birth of the thinking man • Adapted to his climate by wearing fur clothes and using fire

The Paleolithic Period 600, 000 -10, 000 B. C. • Hunter-gatherer culture clans (clans typically had 20 -30 members) • Diet consisted mostly of plants • Moved to regions seasonally and traded with other clans as they traveled

The Paleolithic Period 600, 000 -10, 000 B. C. • Sewed animal skins into clothes and shelter • Used stone tools like stone axes and stone spears • In time made specialized items like: flints, needles, spear launchers and ritual items • Gender roles not specific

The Paleolithic Period 600, 000 -10, 000 B. C. • Introduced cave paintings that reinforced rituals • Warfare was over territory and short termed • Did not suffer diseases because of small populations and movement • Were not materialistic because they constantly moved

The Neolithic Period 10, 0003, 000 B. C. • The Middle East was the natural home of wheat and barely which were easy to grow • Animals in this region were easy to domesticate (sheep, goats, horses, pigs and cows) • Animals provided a food source and labor source • This leads to sedimentary living

The Neolithic Period 10, 0003, 000 B. C. • Living in a fixed settlements lead to the beginning of ownership of belongings • This leads to an established social order • Emergence of slavery

The Neolithic Period 10, 0003, 000 B. C. • Various ways to become a slave in Middle East – Parents sell children – Sold themselves into slavery – Born into slavery • Slaves could buy their freedom • Child could be free if father was free • Being a slave was based on bad luck or parents status. It was not based on race.

The Neolithic Period 10, 0003, 000 B. C. • Because villages had more people warfare changed • Fighting was now worth while because losers became slaves and their goods and property went to the victors • Build of walls to protect villages

The Neolithic Period 10, 0003, 000 B. C. • Neolithic Revolution (agriculture revolution) was the transition from a hunter-gather society to a food producing society • Humans settled down to cultivate crops and domesticate animals • Slash and burn farming is the practice of clearing forest areas of trees and then burning the area to make a clear field for crops (ash acted as a fertilizer)

The Neolithic Period 10, 0003, 000 B. C. • As families grew around each other they formed a clan • Groups of clans formed a tribe • Tribes were unified based on common speech, culture, religion and occupied land

The Neolithic Period 10, 0003, 000 B. C. • Wonder of world around them led to belief that spirits inhabited animals, plants and weather (animisms) • This led to the worshipping of spirits and belief in afterlife • Spirits or gods of fertility emerge (female) • Emergence of shamans to heal and ward off evil spirits

The Neolithic Period 10, 0003, 000 B. C. • Emergence of bronze (copper and tin) • Simple science is seen through emergence of inventions (pottery and weaving) and domestication and husbandry of animals • Specialized skills emerge like weavers, and metal workers

The Neolithic Period 10, 0003, 000 B. C. • Emergence of government was based on beliefs of clan or tribe • Enforcement of behavior was to maintain order and protection of tribe • Incest, rape, threat to peace of tribe and witchcraft were punishable by death • Elders determined rulings

The Neolithic Period 10, 0003, 000 B. C. • The family was the basic socialization unit • Marriage is monogamous • Extended families supported each other • Men and women develop roles within the family