THE WORLDS HISTORY Fourth Edition Chapter 1 The

The Dry Bones Speak • Human Origins in Myth and History – Early Myths

The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson

The Dry Bones Speak • Human Origins in Myth and History – The Evolutionary

The Dry Bones Speak • The Evolutionary Explanation – The New Challenges § Changes

The Dry Bones Speak • Fossils and Fossil Hunters – The Puzzling Neanderthals §

The Dry Bones Speak • Fossils and Fossil Hunters – Homo Erectus: A Worldwide

The Dry Bones Speak • Fossils and Fossil Hunters – The Search Shifts to

The Dry Bones Speak • Fossils and Fossil Hunters – Homo habilis § Name

The Dry Bones Speak • Fossils and Fossil Hunters – Australopithecus afarensis was discovered

The Dry Bones Speak • Fossils and Fossil Hunters – Debate Over African Origins

The Dry Bones Speak • Fossils and Fossil Hunters – Reading the Genetic Record

The Dry Bones Speak • Fossils and Fossil Hunters – Theory of Scientific Revolution

The Dry Bones Speak • Humans Create Culture – Biological Evolution and Cultural Creativity

The Dry Bones Speak • Humans Create Culture – How Did Humans Survive? §

The Dry Bones Speak • Humans Create Culture – Global Migration § Modern humans

The Dry Bones Speak • Humans Create Culture – Increased Population and New Settlements

The Dry Bones Speak • Humans Create Culture – Language and Communication § No

The Dry Bones Speak • Humans Create Culture – Agriculture: From Hunter-Gatherer to Farmer

The Dry Bones Speak • Prehistory: What Difference Does It Make? – Myth and

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The Dry Bones Speak • Human Origins in Myth and History – Early Myths § “Myth” is an interpretative story with a moral message that cannot be verified historically § One of earliest myths is Enuma Elish (Mesopotamia), dating to approximately 2000 B. C. E. § Rigveda (India) dates to 1000 B. C. E. § Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible § All define creation and the role of people The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dry Bones Speak • Human Origins in Myth and History – The Evolutionary Explanation § Drawn from direct observations from the 18 th century § Relied on the scientific method § The most influential theorists were Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace § Rejected the simultaneous creation of all species in favor of the cumulative creation of species, which reflected natural selection The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dry Bones Speak • The Evolutionary Explanation – The New Challenges § Changes in species not the result of a grand teleological design with ethical goals but that reflected improved ability to survive and reproduce § Newer organisms that were simply “fit” to survive § These organisms evolved from earlier forms of life rather than as the result of a separate creation § Darwin’s The Descent of Man cements evolutionary explanation in 1871 The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dry Bones Speak • Fossils and Fossil Hunters – The Puzzling Neanderthals § Found in 1856, they were identified as the missing link between humans and ape ancestors § Research suggests Neanderthals made tools and adapted to changing climates § May also have been cannibals § More discoveries showed that Neanderthals were not the missing link The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dry Bones Speak • Fossils and Fossil Hunters – Homo Erectus: A Worldwide Wanderer § Earliest discoveries of this species were in Java and China § Similarities among archaeological finds led to the designation of homo erectus § Few initial ideas of the relationship among the finds led early experts to regard each find as a separate species The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dry Bones Speak • Fossils and Fossil Hunters – The Search Shifts to Africa § Louis Leakey made a major breakthrough in understanding based on skeletal findings in the Olduvai Gorge in East Africa (after 1959) § Studies now involve paleoanthropology, the study of the tools, species and plants included in the locale of each find The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dry Bones Speak • Fossils and Fossil Hunters – Homo habilis § Name means “handy person” § Existed 1. 5 million to 2. 5 million years ago § Possessed opposable thumbs § Walked in upright position The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dry Bones Speak • Fossils and Fossil Hunters – Australopithecus afarensis was discovered in 1974 by Donald Johnson; the first find was named “Lucy” and dates to 3. 2 million years ago – Ardipithecus ramidus was discovered in 1994; the skeleton dates to 4. 4 million years ago – Recent discovery of “Toumai” moves date of earliest hominid to 6 -7 million years ago. The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dry Bones Speak • Fossils and Fossil Hunters – Debate Over African Origins § Multiregionalists argue that Homo sapiens evolved after emigration of Homo erectus out of Africa § Out-of-Africa proponents believe Homo sapiens evolved in Africa and then migrated to rest of world § Both sides agree that racial differences are simply adaptations to climate and are superficial The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dry Bones Speak • Fossils and Fossil Hunters – Reading the Genetic Record § Study of genetics rather than fossils largely supports Out-of-Africa theorists § Genetic dating suggests that humans, gorillas and chimpanzees shared common ancestors until 5 -7 million years ago The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dry Bones Speak • Fossils and Fossil Hunters – Theory of Scientific Revolution § Thomas Kuhn’s theory of normal science and paradigm shift fits well with developing understanding of evolution § The paradigm shift was Darwin’s theory of evolution § Subsequent paleoanthropological findings represent additions achieved through “normal science” The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dry Bones Speak • Humans Create Culture – Biological Evolution and Cultural Creativity § Homo habilis began cultural adaptations by developing simple tools § Additional developments of tools, rituals, art, language, settlements and concepts mean that today culture is more important than biology in determining how humans cope with nature § Cultural evolution may have been encouraged by biology due to brain development The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dry Bones Speak • Humans Create Culture – Biological Evolution and Cultural Creativity § Cultural transmission tied to infant need for longterm nurturing § Burst of creativity 100, 000 years ago has led scientists to identify today’s people as Homo sapiens § This new subspecies is distinctive for its symbolic expression that is spiritual and cultural in nature The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dry Bones Speak • Humans Create Culture – How Did Humans Survive? § Three explanations for success of Homo sapiens success over other hominids • Aggression, warfare and murder • Mating and reproduction • Success in competition for ecological niches The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dry Bones Speak • Humans Create Culture – Global Migration § Modern humans spread out from Africa to Europe and Asia between 90, 000 and 120, 000 years ago § Migrations were stimulated by climate change § Ice ages lowered water levels and made migration easier The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dry Bones Speak • Humans Create Culture – Increased Population and New Settlements § Early groups competed with one another for ecological niches § Hunter-gatherer tribes probably averaged five hundred, divided into nineteen bands § Each band needed 7 -8 square miles of fertile or 77 square miles of unfertile land § Movement to small settlements took advantage of water resources The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dry Bones Speak • Humans Create Culture – Language and Communication § No physical evidence for language development § Language began as soon as brain was large enough? § Brain had to be reorganized for language? § Language is both a biological and cultural development § Language promoted development of concepts and reflective thought The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dry Bones Speak • Humans Create Culture – Agriculture: From Hunter-Gatherer to Farmer § Began as experimentation with plants near settlements § Humans had ability to farm 12, 000 -17, 000 years ago § Permanent sources of food were crucial to decision to farm § Population pressure may have added to impetus § Actual use of extensive agriculture began 10, 000 years ago The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dry Bones Speak • Prehistory: What Difference Does It Make? – Myth and Science are partners in this analysis – Analysis is an example of “normal science” in action – Legacies of this period include a) migration; b) tools; c) formation of ever larger groups; d) communication through language; e) selfexpression through art; and f) shifting between acceptance and attempted control of nature The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright © 2010, © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.