The Beginnings of Civilization 3,700,000 to 587 B.C.

How We Study History primary source – material created during the time being studied (artifacts-tools) secondary source – material created after the time being studied

Hominids www.houseofcanes.com/ ordinfo.htm Key characteristics Walk upright Earliest form of human Left no written records Oldavai Gorge, Africa (location early fossils were found)

Lucy www.pbs.org/saf/ 1105/features/eureka3.htm Oldest human-like skeletal remains ever found 3.5 million years old Found in Ethiopia, Africa

First Humans www.public.iastate.edu/ ~cfford/342ggsintro.htm Hunter/gatherers Nomadic- moved from place to place following herds of animals Traveled in clans of 40-50 Men hunted, women gathered

First Humans Homo sapiens – emerge 250,000 years ago and mastered creating fire Cro-Magnon  survived (us = man) -Buried their dead (sign of religion) Neanderthals  died Types of homo sapiens

Neolithic Revolution! Neolithic Revolution – man shifts from hunting and gathering to farming and domesticating animals excess food led to storage (pottery)  excess pots required labeling of different pots (writing)  writing led to written accounts of information (history) 1 2 3

Bronze Age domino.kappa.ro/.../ ist_ilustrata/$file/4.jpg Combined copper and tin Made better tools Weakness: not strong enough Better tools and excess of food lead to towns and new jobs (craftsmen)

Civilization www.hcc-nd.edu/images/ Calendars-Oct03.gif Civilization key characteristics: Cities, Gov’t, religion, social structure, technology, writing, art

Iron Age www.hants.gov.uk/museum/ ironagem/reception.html Iron was smelted (melted) from iron ore Much stronger than bronze