Prehistoric Man The Road to Civilization

The Development of Humans Australopithecus (~ 3,000,000 B.C.) > Homo Erectus (~1,500,000 B.C.) > Homo Sapiens > (~250,000 B.C.) > Homo Sapiens Sapiens/Modern Humans (150, ,000 B.C)

Characteristics of Homo Sapiens Ever larger brains More intelligent/ superior intellectual capacity Creating/Using more advanced and precise tools Using animal pelts as clothing Developing tools that help produce other tools

Factors affecting the advance of civilization Technology Language Fire The transition from hunter/gatherer societies to agricultural societies

Technology Technology means knowledge or tools/ machines that make work easier and help you produce more things The creation and production of tools marks the beginning of technology

Language The use of oral and written language: Permits communication of information Allows people to work together Allows for the transmission and development of knowledge

Fire Makes it easier for people to live in colder climates Allows you to hunt and eat larger animals Makes digestion easier/food tastes better Easier to cut down trees; make canoes

Hunting and Gathering Societies Hunting small and large animals to eat Collection of fruits, berries, nuts, wild vegetables (mushrooms, leaves) Generally you have to move from place to place, following game animals, going to places where wild fruits/vegetables are growing

Agriculture Systematic Agriculture begins 8000 A.D. The systematic cultivation of plants and grains, combining and creating new types of seeds Makes it possible to live in one place Makes it possible to build and sustain large cities By creating surpluses, you create time to do other things Makes it possible to focus on religion, fine arts and crafts, develop knowledge, science, math Uncertainty of crops growing leads to religion, spirituality

Neolithic Revolution Crucial moment in human history Began between 10,000 B.C. and 8,000 B.C., after the end of the last ice age Caused by agricultural advancements – systemic planting of new crops Domestication of plants and animals Occurred at different times in different places; different plants and animals –China (dog) Near East Asia (pigs), Turkey (cattle); South America (llamas, alpacas)

Changes in Society Caused by the Neolithic Revolution First towns established (small, but many 1000s of people) Some people settle in towns, change way of life –Start to regulate political, economic and family life –Form councils to decide what and when to plant –When food gets scarce, wars increase – warrior class Townfolk have a better life Calendars invented, artesans make many items out of clay

Basic Characteristics of Civilization Rise of Cities Growth of Governments More established, complex religions Division of labor New social structure – creation of social classes Use of Writing Public Works Artistic Activity

The importance of river valleys and annual floods The first groups of humans lived along rivers, because they provided: –Regular, predictable source of water –Method of transportation –Presence of animals Annual floods enriched the land, creating a great location for growing crops

First Major Civilizations Mesopotamia (between the Tigris y Eufrates Rivers, in Iraq) –Sumerians, Assyrians Babylonians Egypt (along the Nile River) India (along the Indus River) China (especially along the Huang and Yellow Rivers)