Prehistory (p. 5) Nomads (p. 10) Hunter-gatherers (p. 10) Neolithic Revolution (p. 13) Domestication (p. 13) Civilization (p. 19)

The Beginnings of Civilization

Discover how early humans spread from Africa to other lands and adapted to their new environments Understand the development of agriculture and its significance as a major turning point in human history Analyze the rise of the first civilizations

Humans have been on earth for over one million years yet most of that history remains a mystery….why? Writing has only existed for the last 5,000 years.

Refers to a society’s knowledge, art, beliefs, customs, and values

During the stone age, people lived as nomads, moving from place to place as they followed migrating animal herds. For food, people were hunter-gatherers, hunting, fishing, and gathering wild plants, berries, nuts, and other foods

With the development of more sophisticated tools, the Paleolithic Era(Old Stone Age) gave way to a period that scientists call the Neolithic Era (New Stone Age).

Around 10,000 years ago a warming trend brought an end to the last ice age and people began to learn to farm. This is considered one of the most important events in human history because it radically changed the way people lived.most important events in human history Known as the Neolithic Revolution

With the development of farming, people began to practice domestication, the selective growing or breeding of plants and animals to make them more useful to humans.

Advances in farming and changing economies lead to the development of cities. Use of irrigation made farmers more productive, meaning fewer people needed to farm to supply the population with food. Allowed for division of labor (economy where workers specialize in a particular task or job)

The world’s first civilizations formed around these early cities. A civilization is a complex and organized society. The first civilizations arose in fertile river valleys. The Tigris and Euphrates in Southwest Asia The Nile in Africa The Indus in South Asia The Yellow River in China

Developed Cities, Organized Government, Formalized Religion, Specialization of Labor, Social Classes, Record Keeping and Writing, Art and Architecture