World History Chapter One The First Humans Prehistory

World History Chapter One The First Humans (Prehistory - 3500 B. C. )

The Impact Today • Scientists continue to search for the remains of early humans, and their discoveries are changing the way we view the first humans. • Paleolithic peoples used technological inventions to change their physical environment, just as humans do today.

Objectives • 1. Explain the methods scientists use to uncover early human existence • 2. Describe the nature of human life during the Old Stone Age • 3. Identify the important developments of the New Stone Age • 4. Define civilization & identify the characteristics of a civilization

A Story That Matters • Louis B. Leakey & his wife Mary Nicol Leakey discovered the world’s earliest known human bones in the Olduvai Gorge in East Africa

Mary Leakey Louis Leakey

Section One Early Humans

I. Before History • Prehistory – the period before writing was developed (p. 19)

A. Archaeology & Anthropology • Archaeology – the study of past societies through an analysis of the items people left behind them • Artifacts – tools, pottery, paintings, weapons, buildings & household items left behind by early people (p. 20)

A. Archaeology & Anthropology • Anthropology – the study of human life & culture based on artifacts & human fossils (p. 20)

A. Archaeology & Anthropology • Fossils – A remnant or impression of an organism from a past geologic age that has been preserved in the earth’s crust (p. 20)

B. Dating Artifacts & Fossils • Radiocarbon dating measures the amount of C-14 left in an object

B. Dating Artifacts & Fossils • Thermoluminescence dating measures the light given off by electrons trapped in the soil surrounding fossils & artifacts • Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

II. Early Stages of Development • Understanding still depends on guesswork • New discoveries

A. From Hominids to Homo Sapiens • 1. Australopithecine – “southern apes”, the earliest humanlike creatures that flourished in eastern & southern Africa 3 to 4 million years ago (p. 20) • Discovered by David Johanson

Australopithecus First upright hominid

• Hominids – humans & other humanlike creatures that walk upright (p. 21) • New discoveries, Kenyanthropus

• 2. Homo erectus – “upright human being”, a species that emerged around 1. 5 million years ago & marked a second stage of early human development (p. 21) • Learned to use fire to keep warm in colder areas

• 3. Homo sapiens – “wise human being”, a species that emerged around 250, 000 years ago & marked a third stage in human development (p. 21)

Two subgroups • a. Neanderthals – type of Homo sapiens that lived in Europe & the Middle East between 100, 000 & 30, 000 B. C. (p. 21) • Burial of dead indicates a belief in an afterlife • Made cloths from the skins of animals

Homo Erectus Homo Sapiens Neanderthal

• b. Homo sapiens – “wise, wise human being”, a species that appeared in Africa between 150, 000 & 200, 000 years ago; they were the first anatomically modern humans (p. 22) • People who looked like us

B. The Spread of Homo Sapiens • Moved beyond their old hunting grounds at a rate of only 2 to 3 miles per generation • In search of food

The Human Race

III. The Hunter-Gathers of the Old Stone Age • Paleolithic Age – from the Greek for “Old Stone”, the early period of human history, from approximately 2. 5 million to 10, 000 B. C. , during which humans used simple stone tools; sometimes called the Old Stone Age (p. 22)

A. The Paleolithic Way of Life • Gathered wild nuts, berries, fruits, wild grains & green plants • Hunted buffalo, horses, bison & reindeer

• Developed better tools • Spear, bow & arrow, harpoons & fishhooks

B and D A and C A

Tools The word technology refers to the ability of human beings to make things that sustain them and give them some control over their environment. The technology available at the beginning of human history was quite simple. It consisted primarily of the ability to make stone tools. Read the excerpt on page 23 of your textbook and answer the questions on the following slides.

• Nomads – a person who moves from place to place (p 23) • Followed animal migrations & vegetation cycles • Lived in small groups of 20 to 30 • Group effort

B. The Roles of Men & Women • Women - Bore & raised children • Gathered berries, nuts & grains • Men - Did most of the hunting of large animals

C. Adapting to Survive • Paleolithic peoples, found shelter in caves • Over time, created new types of shelters • Wood poles or sticks covered with animal hides • Bones of large animals to build frames

D. The Use of Fire • Homo erectus first learned to make fires deliberately • Gave warmth & fostered a sense of community • Scared away animals

D. The Use of Fire • Flush animals out of wooded areas or caves • Food could be cooked making it taste better, last longer & easier to chew & digest

• Started fires based on friction • Later stone (iron pyrites)

• Reminds us that early humans sometimes adapted not by changing themselves to better fit their environment but by changing the environment

E. The Ice Ages • Most recent began about 10, 000 B. C. & ended about 8000 B. C. • Thick ice covered large parts of Europe, Asia & North America

F. Creating Art • Existed even in prehistory • Cave paintings of large animals found at Lascaux, in southwestern France • Painted lions, oxen, owls, panthers • Done between 25, 000 & 12, 000 B. C.

• Used stone lamps filled with animal fat • Crushed mineral ores & combined them with animal fat • Red, yellow & black

• Used fingertips, crushed twigs, & even brushes made from animal hairs • Hollow reeds to blow thin lines

• Show animals in remarkably realistic forms • Few humans appear (sticklike figures) • Painted as part of a magical or religious ritual intended to ensure success in hunting

Section Two: The Neolithic Revolution & The Rise of Civilization

• Cities emerged in the river valleys of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India & China giving rise to civilizations

I. The Neolithic Revolution • Neolithic Revolution – the shift from hunting of animals & gathering of food to the keeping of animals & the growing of food on a regular basis that occurred around 8, 000 B. C. (p. 27) “New Stone Age”

• Shift from the hunting of animals & the gathering of food to systematic agriculture • Systematic agriculture – the keeping of animals & the growing of food on a regular basis (p. 28)

• Domestication – adaptation for human use (p. 28) • Animals also used to do work • Agricultural revolution

• The ability to acquire food on a regular basis gave humans greater control over their environment • Gave up their nomadic ways of life & began to live in settled communities

A. The Growing of Crops • Between 8000 & 5000 B. C. • Different areas throughout the world • By 5000 B. C. , rice was being grown in Southeast Asia

The Growing of Crops • In the Western Hemisphere, Mesoamericans, inhabitants of present-day Mexico & Central America grew beans, squash, & maize (corn) between 7000 & 5000 B. C.

B. Neolithic Farming Villages • Growing of crops gave rise to more permanent settlements • Oldest & biggest were in Southwest Asia • Jericho, in Palestine near the Dead Sea, was in existence by 8000 B. C.

Neolithic Farming Villages • Catal Huyuk, located in modern-day Turkey, high point from 6700 to 5700 B. C. • Mud brick houses

Neolithic Village

no ground level entrances climb the ladder to the rooftop, and then enter through the entrance on the roof for protection from enemies

Neolithic Farming Villages • Food surpluses made it possible for people to do things other than farming • Artisans – a skilled craftsperson who makes products such as weapons & jewelry (p. 29)

• Special buildings • Shrines & statues • “earth mothers” http: //www. vroma. org/images/mcmanus_images/primordial 2. gif

C. Consequences of the Neolithic Revolution • Led to further changes • Need to build houses for protection • Structures for storage of goods

Consequences of the Neolithic Revolution • Encourage the development of trade • People began to specialize in certain crafts, & a division of labor developed • Stone tools became more refined

D. Relationship between men & women • Men became more active in farming & herding animals • Jobs that took them away from the home settlement • Obtaining food & protecting the settlement • More dominant role

Relationship between men & women • Women remained behind, caring for children • Weaving cloth, turning milk into cheese • Tasks that require much labor in one place

E. The End of the Neolithic Age • Between 4000 & 3000 B. C. • The use of metals marked a new level of human control over the environment & its resources

End of the Neolithic Age • Copper was the first metal to be used in making tools • Combination of copper & tin created bronze

Bronze sickle Bronze Age Sickle Neolithic Tools and Pottery

End of the Neolithic Age • Bronze Age – the period from around 3, 000 to 1, 200 B. C. characterized by the widespread use of bronze for tools & weapons (p. 30)

Bronze Sword

End of the Neolithic Age • More than villages (cities) • Mastered the art of farming • Developed more complex societies • Created armies & built walled cities

II. The Emergence of Civilization • Culture – the way of life a people follow (p. 30) • Civilization – a complex culture in which large numbers of people share a number of common elements such as social structure, religion & art (p. 30)

Six basic characteristics of civilizations • 1. Cities • 2. Government • 3. Religion • 4. Social structure • 5. Art • 6. Writing

A. The Rise of Cities • Developed in river valleys • Large-scale farming

B. The Growth of Governments • Organize & regulate human activity • Need to maintain the food supply, & to build walls for defense • Provide for smooth interaction between individuals & groups

B. The Growth of Governments • In the first civilizations, governments were monarchs – king or queen who rule a kingdom (p. 30) • Organized armies to protect their populations & made laws

C. The Role of Religion • Explain the working of the forces of nature & the fact of their own existence • Gods & goddesses were crucial to a community’s success

The Role of Religion • To win favor, priests supervised rituals aimed at pleasing them (Gods & goddesses) • This gave the priests special power & made them very important people

D. A New Social Structure • 1. Rulers & an upper class of priests, government officials & warriors • 2. Free people – farmers, artisans & craftspeople • 3. Slaves

E. The Use of Writing • To keep accurate records • Creative expression

F. Artistic Activity • Temples & pyramids • Places of worship or sacrifice or for burial • Paintings & sculpture

Chapter Summary

Understanding Map The map below is a. Projections Cylindrical Projection (Mercator). Imagine wrapping a paper cylinder around the globe. A light from within the globe projects its surface onto the paper. The resulting conformal projection makes Alaska appear larger than Mexico. Distortion is greatest near the North and South Poles.