Early Man

The earth is about 4.5 billion years old. 4,500,000,000!

roamed the earth about 65 million years ago… Dinosaurs roamed the earth about 65 million years ago… 65,000,000

Very early man appeared approximately 3 million years ago… 3,000,000 Dinosaurs and man did not live during the same period

How do we know this? First, you need to know some vocabulary: Anthropology is the study of humans, past and present Archeology is the study of past societies and cultures through their material remains Fossils are remains of living things (plants, animals, and people) Artifacts are remains of things that were made (tools, pottery, etc.)

Archaeologists examine ancient sites and objects to learn about the past. These scientists are like detectives. They can tell a great deal about a skeleton, even if it is millions of years old!

Science and religion do not always agree about the origin of man Science and religion do not always agree about the origin of man. That is okay. We are not looking at who is right and who is wrong. For this lesson, we will look at hominids, which is defined as “mankind and anything that looks and acts like mankind”. All hominids are in the two-legged family.

In the 1970’s, an archaeologist named Donald Johanson discovered the oldest human-like skeleton ever found. It was discovered in Ethiopia (Africa) and Johansen named the skeleton “Lucy”. Lucy, and others like her, were known as Australopithecus, and they roamed the Earth 2-3 million years ago. They disappeared about 1.5 million years ago. They were not classified in the genus “Homo”, like other hominids.

Homo Habilis “Handy Man” Louis and Mary Leakey discovered an important skeleton in East Africa named Homo Habilis. This literally means “handy man” and was so named because of his use of tools. Homo Habilis lived about 2 million years ago, walked upright, and had an opposable thumb. This allowed for grasping and creating tools. Most of these tools were stone hand axes. Homo Habilis had a brain only half the size of modern man and did not use a sophisticated language.

Homo Erectus “Upright Walking Man” Homo Erectus appeared 1.5 million years ago Was a good hunter and had better tools than Homo Habilis. Used advanced language skills Learned how to make fire…very important! First to migrate out of Africa Disappeared from Earth 200,000 years ago Fire allowed for cooked food, protection from animals, and served as a source of heat. This allowed Homo Erectus to move to colder climates like the Eurasian landmass.

Homo Sapien “Wise Human Being” Neanderthal Man Appeared 500,000 years ago Heavy, prominent brow and very hairy Lived in caves May have been first to practice religious rituals Disappeared 50,000 years ago Cro-Magnon Man Appeared 200,000 years ago Considered early modern man Language and tool making skills very advanced Was creative…he made primitive instruments as well as decorative drawings and paintings Neanderthal man buried his dead with artifacts and flowers Neanderthal man lived mainly in Europe and Southwest Asia Cro-Magnon man made tools for sewing and fishing. Sewing allowed for warm clothes. As a result, migrations occurred. Cro-Magnon man used traps and learned to cure and store food. He built rafts and canoes to fish in deeper waters. He invented the bow and arrow and made jewelry. We are classified as “homo sapiens”.

Paleolithic vs. Neolithic The Paleolithic Era “Old Stone Age” 2.5 million years ago until 10,000 BCE Comprises 99% of human existence Hunter-gatherer societies The Neolithic Era “New Stone Age” 10,000 BCE until the smelting of copper, and the working of metals in general Characterized by the development of agriculture

Paleolithic Society Hunter-gatherer societies were nomadic, meaning they had no fixed or permanent residence. Groups of hominids were forced to be on the move constantly in search of food. Groups were very small, between 30-50 members. Otherwise, starvation would occur. Generally, the men hunted while the women gathered edible plants and berries. It is unlikely that there were significant social distinctions. If groups had too many members, sometimes infanticide would occur. Because hunts were dangerous and not always successful in attaining food, the contributions of women to the survival of the group were considered essential. These hunter-gatherer societies had a great deal of gender equality.

Paleolithic Society, cont. The goal of hunter-gatherer groups was subsistence, or having enough to survive. There was rarely any surplus, or extra food. These groups traveled light since they were always on the move. There was little development of any sort of craftsmanship. No architectural monuments were constructed, however there were some examples of art. Examples of art were cave paintings, religious figurines, primitive jewelry and instruments.

Neolithic Society Around 10,000 years ago, humankind made two discoveries that changed the way they lived: 1. Domestication of animals 2. Deliberate cultivation of plants (agriculture) During this time, people ended their lives as hunter-gatherers and began to settle in one place. They grew crops and raised animals to feed, clothe, and shelter themselves. This knowledge had profound effects on the human race and was part of The Neolithic Revolution.

The Neolithic Revolution The Neolithic Revolution had economic, social, cultural, and political impacts which completely changed the way of life for people!

Economic: Because there was agricultural surplus, not everyone needed to farm. This allowed for job specialization. Artisans began to specialize in certain crafts, like pottery. People who served as laborers or potters or tailors traded their craft for food. A sophisticated economy had developed.

Social: With better diets and more reliable food sources, people lived longer. The population exploded! As communities grew larger, social classes developed. Because land held great value, large landowners and city officials became the upper class. Additionally, women became more subordinate to men, as women’s contributions were not seen to be as valuable.

Political: As large numbers of people began to live together, and as social classes began to emerge, crime became a problem. Communities began to establish rulers to enforce order.

Cultural: The formal practice of religion began to emerge, and with it, a priestly class. Art and architecture developed as structures were built for dwelling, for religious reasons, and for protection.

You will learn this as we move on to The Neolithic Revolution certainly changed mankind. What was the next step in the development of human settlements? You will learn this as we move on to Civilizations…