Modern Humans By Heather Z.,Andrew,Matthew, and Emily W.

Dates and Places of Existence They lived 10,000 years ago. They lived in the Middle East, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Tigris and Euphrates River.

Physical Appearance A modern human’s brain was larger than an early human’s brain. They looked just like we do now, but they were shorter than we are now.

Shelter The shelter was made out of mud and straw, which was hardened by the sun which made bricks. The roofs were sometimes patched up with straw and mud. Rushes made the woven rugs which were laid down to decorate and help make the floor softer.

Food Modern humans’ diet consisted of grains, fruit, nuts, fish, deer, pig, goats, sheep, cattle, and other wild animals. Modern humans were the first group of people to farm, planting seeds. They also kept cattle, pigs, goats, and sheep in pens. They farmed and ranched so they would be able to have a steadier supply of food and wouldn’t have to travel so much following game to hunt.

Daily Life Modern humans hunted, farmed, and made bread. They made mud ovens and built houses. They did craft-making and made some tools of metal. They had music and art. The music was from homemade instruments. They had law and religious beliefs. They had pictographs, but no written language.

Tools Modern humans had a sickle made out of antlers, animal jaw bones, or wood. They used the sickle to cut stalks of wheat. They worked with metal to make other farming tools, such as a plow to cut the earth to make it ready to plant seeds. They made and used baskets. They had bows, arrows, barbed bone harpoons, and spears for hunting and killing animals.

Fire Modern humans had fire. They had mud ovens and used fire to bake bread and cook their meat. They also used fire for warmth, for light in the dark, and to scare off dangerous animals.

Religion and Ceremonies Priests had the modern humans worship daily at shrines until government took over the leadership of the group. They had burial ceremonies for the dead. They made bead blankets to provide comfort to the dead person.

Clothing Animal skins and fur were used for clothing in cold climates. The skins were dyed to give them color. Clothing was also worn in warmer climates.

Writing, Language, and Art The early humans had oral language and used pictographs to communicate what they had seen. The pictographs were usually written on cave walls or rocks or animal skins. They made sculptures, such as a buffalo sculpture of clay. They also made and fired clay pots. The modern humans also made pigments to use to paint their pottery. They used blood and plants to make these pigments.