Paleolithic Times By Mrs. Hoff

Three Big Questions: What is the significance of the Paleolithic era in world history? Where do we get our proof? How do our attitudes about the modern world influence our ideas about Paleolithic people?

Paleolithic Paleolithic: the cultural period of the Stone Age beginning with the earliest chipped stone tools, about 750,000 years ago, until the beginning of the Mesolithic Period, about 15,000 years ago.

Paleolithic Era During this era, humans created a way of life that sustained humankind until about 10,000 years ago.

Paleolithic Era Paleolithic humans spread across the globe successfully, settling almost every habitable region on the planet. They also began to develop ideas about the afterlife. These changes provided the foundation for all the rest of human history.

Where do we get our proof? Historians use many sources to research and find clues. Computer imaging of bones, mummies, and other artifacts tell us what people looked like, what their diet consisted of, and what time period things came from (carbon dating).

Historians study areas such as Mohenjo Daro, an ancient city, to understand the culture, city structure and time period of early peoples.

An archaeologist or anthropologist may use spearheads or other tools found to understand where people lived, what foods they ate, and what types of tools they made.

Where do we get our proof? Historians use artifacts and remains, oral traditions, written accounts, etc, to study and understand early peoples.

Venus of Willendorf c. 24,000-22,000 BCE Oolitic limestone 43/8 inches (11.1 cm) high (Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna http://witcombe.sbc.edu/willendorf/willendorf.html

Time to talk! How does our modern lifestyle influence how we view Paleolithic people?