Unit 2 – Lesson 4 The Paleolithic Age http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/9520.aspx

Hunter-Gatherers Our Place in Time The Era of Foragers 200,000 years

Our Place in Time The Era of Foragers 200,000 years The Agrarian Era Farming The Era of Foragers 200,000 years The Agrarian Era 10,000 years

Our Place in Time The Era of Foragers 200,000 years The Agrarian Era

The Industrial Era 250 years Our Place in Time The Era of Foragers 200,000 years The Agrarian Era 10,000 years The Industrial Era 250 years Era 1 Era 2 Era 3

ACTIVITY

Early Stone Age Tools The earliest stone toolmaking developed by at least 2.6 million years ago. The Early Stone Age began with the most basic stone implements made by early humans. These toolkits include hammer-stones, stone cores, and sharp stone flakes. By about 1.76 million years ago, early humans began to make handaxes and other large cutting tools. ? Handaxe

Middle Stone Age Tools By 200,000 years ago, the pace of innovation in stone technology began to accelerate. Middle Stone Age toolkits included points, which could be hafted on to shafts to make spears; stone awls, which could have been used to poke holes in hides; and scrapers that were useful in preparing hide, wood, and other materials. ? Bone awls

ACTIVITY Pages 16-17 and 22-23 in your textbook.

ACTIVITY

Shelters of Paleolithic Humans View from the mouth of the cave ACTIVITY Shelters of Paleolithic Humans Cave Dwelling View from the mouth of the cave Mammoth Bone Hut

Materials needed Ability to move the shelter Protection from weather and wild animals Nearness to food and water Other observations

Shelters of Paleolithic Humans View from the mouth of the cave Materials needed Ability to move the shelter Protection from weather and wild animals Nearness to food and water Other observations Cave Dwelling View from the mouth of the cave Mammoth Bone Hut

Shelters of Paleolithic Humans View from the mouth of the cave Discussion Which shelter would be more desirable? Why? Which would be the easiest to obtain? Why would one choose one shelter over another? Which shelter would be best for foragers who had to follow migrating animals? Cave Dwelling View from the mouth of the cave Mammoth Bone Hut

Acceleration! From about 40,000 years ago, archaeological evidence shows faster and faster cultural change and increasing complexity. The engraved horse panel in Chauvet Cave in southern France. The image is about 31,000 years old. Humans began to: Make more specialized tools. Weave and knot fiber. Decorate clothing. Make jewelry. Build semi-permanent structures. Venus of the Kostenki I site in Russia dated to about 23,000 years ago. This stone female head is wearing headgear of woven basketry. Horse panel photo (http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/arcnat/chauvet) Headgear photo New York Times, Dec. 14, 1999. Photo: Bill Wiegand, University of Illinois.)

Lesson Summary Historians use information from a variety sources, including existing societies, to study the era of foragers.   Artifacts such as tools and art help us understand some characteristics of Paleolithic societies. The behaviors of modern foraging societies can help us understand what life was like in the Paleolithic Age. The quality of life for foragers was dependent on environmental factors like climate, vegetation, and available game for hunting.