Paleolithic and Neolithic Periods World History Mr. Zilz

Prehistory Prehistory-period with no written records Knowledge comes from Archaeology and Anthropology Dating methods Radiocarbon dating – dates up to 50,000 years ago Thermoluminescence – up to 200,000 years ago

Key Scientists Donald Johanson Discovered australopithecines in Africa three to four million years ago. Louis and Mary Leakey – Discovered the first hominid (upright human) foot prints in the Olduvai Gorge in East Africa.

Chronology of Precivilization 2.5 million B.C. – Earliest Stone Tools 2 million B.C. – Earliest genus of Homo discovered 1.5 million B.C. – Home erectus discovered; first species to move from Africa to Europe and Asia, also first beings to create fire. 250,000 B.C. – Homo sapiens emerge; consist of two groups – Neanderthals and Homo sapiens sapiens 40,000 B.C. – Homo sapiens (us) in the Western Hemisphere 15,000 B.C. – Cave paintings at Altamira (Spain) and Lascaux (France)

Paleolithic Period 2.5 million B.C. – 10,000 B.C. Known as the “Old Stone Age” Nomads – hunters and gatherers Caused the extinction of mastodons and mammoths about 11,000 years ago 1.5 million years ago began using fire Ate mostly vegetables and spent about 3-5 hours a day hunting and gathering

Paleolithic Period Most common tool = hand axe Early shelter was in caves, but learned to create huts from animal parts. Men and women shared responsibilities; men hunted and women gathered. Pleistocene Era (Ice Age) – 100,000 to 8,000 B.C. Much of what we know about this age comes from cave paintings

Neolithic Period Began at the end of the Ice Age 8,000 B.C. - 2,000 B.C. Known as the “New Stone Age” Neolithic Revolution – transition from hunting/gathering to systematic agriculture Began by spreading seeds and moved to domestication of animals and plants Population increased from 10 million in 5000 B.C. to between 50 and 100 million in 1000 B.C.

Neolithic Villages Jericho (near Palestine) Catal Huyuk Largest settlement discovered Located in present day Turkey Settlement lead to job specialization Artisans Gender division (men begin dominating due to job responsibilities) Shrines discovered indicate some form of religion 4,000-3,000 B.C. – metals used; first copper, then bronze

Stonehenge, in Southern England