The Paleolithic Era, or Old Stone Age, to the Agricultural Revolution Early Man The Paleolithic Era, or Old Stone Age, to the Agricultural Revolution By: Michael Zielenski

Purpose To understand how early groups of humans advanced themselves from hunter-gatherers to farmers and city-builders. Key Questions What are Hunter-Gatherers, and what did they do? What tools did Hunter-Gatherers use, and what were they made of? When did early humans start using fire? When did humans start taming plants and animals to use for food? How did early humans build civilizations? How did early humans govern themselves?

Hunter-Gatherers Earliest form of human society- practiced greatly for 2 Million Years. Hunters tracked and killed large game or small animals. Gatherers foraged through plants to look for fruits or safe plants to eat. Hunters were predominately male, when gatherers were usually female.

Tool Making Early humans made primitive tools to help them with everyday tasks. Tools appeared 10,000 Years Ago. Tools could be made to kill animals, grind fruits and plants, cut down branches, etc. Every tool had a specific purpose for the group to survive. Following are examples of tools used by early humans.

Stone Tipped Spear A stone or flint tip connected to a wooden shaft. Used to hunt wild animals.

Stone Axe An axe head from a stone axe. It would have been attached to a wooden shaft like a spear. It would have been used to cut things, like branches.

Fire Fossilized cooked food dates to 1.9 Million Years Ago. Early humans controlled it about 400,000 Years Ago. Allowed better nutrition from cooked food; provided warmth. Early humans could live in colder areas and keep wild animals away.

Agricultural Revolution Called the Neolithic Age, or New Stone Age, early humans began to settle down and build farms which paved the way to the first cities – and eventually – our modern world.

Domestication of Plants Invented 10,000 Years Ago. Wheat and barley were early crops that were harvested. See in Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Americas, China, and India. Made food easy to gather, and freed people up to do other things, like write or paint.

Domestication of Animals The first animals are found to have been controlled by humans well in 9000 BCE. Early animals were sheep and dogs, but grew to goats and cows. Paired with farming, early humans began to organize themselves into cities.

Organzing Socieites With farms producing more than needed; people could do other things. Pottery, painting, writing, and building were common. Groups of people formed together to make cities. Society as we know it began here.

Rise of Government Chiefs of the new cities began to form together, or take over each other, and form monarchies; rule by a king who was almost always male. Early kings formed kingdoms and governed other cities through appointed persons. The most common form of government up until the 20th Century.

Please answer the following questions in order! Quiz Time! Please answer the following questions in order! 1 2 3

Question #1 What led to the rise of cities? Hunting and Gathering with stone tools. Domestication of plants and animals. Magic and/or luck.

Question #2 What is the earliest form of gathering food? Hunting and Gathering. Farming. Stealing from other humans.

Question #3 What is the earliest form of government? Democracy. There was no government. Monarchy.

CORRECT! Settling down to invent farming and the taming of animals brought early humans together to form cities and basically the foundation for our modern world. Question #2

Wrong Answer! Looks like you need a refresher. Go back and review the information and try again. You can do it! When you are ready, answer Question #1 again!

CORRECT! Hunting wild animals and gathering fruits and vegetables from wild plants was the earliest form of getting food. It’s problem was that is consumed too much time and did not allow early humans to express themselves often. Question #3

Wrong Answer! Looks like you need a refresher. Go back and review the information and try again. You can do it! When you are ready, answer Question #2 again!

CORRECT! Monarchies, under kings, were the earliest form of early human government. They came before democracy by thousands of years and still exist today in a select few countries. Congratulations, you have learned everything there is to know about the Old and New Stone Age! Pat yourself on the back, and take a breather!

Wrong Answer! Looks like you need a refresher. Go back and review the information and try again. You can do it! When you are ready, answer Question #3 again!