Early Humans

Understanding History The time before writing is referred to as prehistory To learn about life during prehistoric times, archaeologists examine objects (artifacts) from past peoples and cultures. Writing was developed about 5,000 years ago, this marked the beginning of history Many written records first began as oral traditions, stories passed down by word of mouth.

Link of Geography and History Geography is the study of Earth’s surface and the processes that shape it. It can also refer to climate, landscape, and location The connection between history and geography can help understand why events happened. Example: The flooding of the Nile River in Egypt each year allowed for farmers to grow enough crops to feed large numbers of people. This meant that not everyone had to farm and others could specialize in other jobs.

Hunting and Gathering The first use of stone to create lasting tools began the earliest period of human culture: the Stone Age. Early humans or hominids learned how to use fire between 1,400,000 and 500,000 years ago. The ability to create fire was a huge step for early humans. It allowed them to ward of dangerous animals and move to areas with colder climates

Settling New Areas Using the use of tools, early hominids left their home in Africa. Many of them were nomads, people who have no settled home. They would move to places with food, stay a few days, and move on. Early hominids eventually spread out over much of Earth. First Great Migration Video

The Beginning of Farming About 11,000 years ago, early people in SW Asia discovered that planting seeds caused new crops to come up. People were now able to grow their own food. People no longer had to be nomads. In many places around the world, nomads existed for thousands of years longer. Pastoral nomads still exist today (travel from place to place finding grazing places for animals)