Chapter 2Review The Stone Ages and Early Cultures
When do many scientists believe the first modern humans appeared?
about 200,00 years ago
Why do you think some scientists do not agree that Tim White's discovery is 4.4 million years old?
It's difficult to determine the age of extremely old remains.
From where did early humans first migrate?
Africa
Smaller, more complex tools such as fishing hooks and the bow and arrow were invented by?
people in the Middle Stone Age, the Mesolithic Era
What characteristic did Homo erectus have that modern humans also have?
the ability to walk upright
How did fire help protect Homo erectus from wild animals?
Animals were probably afraid of fire, so Homo erectus could use fire to keep dangerous animals away.
What can the Leakeys' discoveries tell us about prehistory?
Hominids lived many years ago and were ancestors of humans
What did Donald Johanson conclude by examining the bones of the hominid called Lucy?
that she was small and walked on two legs
Why do you think hunters with spear-throwers could hunt larger animals?
They didn't need to get as close to the large, dangerous animals.
How did people make the tools we call choppers?
They struck one stone with another to create a sharp, jagged edge on one side of the chopper.
Where have the oldest stone tools been found?
Tanzania, in East Africa
Who were hunter-gatherers? Why would they form a society?
early humans that hunted animals and gathered wild plants to survive; to be able to stay in one area
Why do you think hunting in groups was safer than hunting alone?
Groups offered protection against dangerous animals.
How did early humans express themselves?
through language and art
What kind of evidence could provide more information about how people reached Australia?
possible answer--dateable remains of boats that showed people could have crossed open water
Why did early humans build shelters?
because they migrated to colder climates
What was one problem that made migrating to northern Asia difficult?
possible answer--high mountains, cold temperatures
How may Stone Age people have crossed from Asia to North America?
by using a land bridge
What types of shelters did early humans use?
caves; when no caves were available--pit houses, tents, or structures of wood, stone, clay, or other materials
How did new techniques change the daily lives of Middle Stone Age people?
Hooks, fishing spears, bows and arrows, canoes and pottery enabled people to find new food sources, store various goods, and travel by water. Keeping dogs helped people hunt more efficiently and warned people of dangerous animals or intruders.
What was the Neolithic Revolution? (the New Stone Age)
the shift from food gathering to food producing
What is the difference between the domestication of plants and simply planting seeds?
Domestication involves changing the plants to make them more useful.
Which do you think had more significant results-- the domestication of plants or of animals?
possible answers--plants, because plants were more important food sources and people could still hunt; animals, because they helped with tasks besides farming, such as pulling loads of building materials.
What are megaliths?
huge stones used as monuments
How did a change in the use of fire demonstrate human ingenuity?
People learned how to make fire, not just use fire that had been started by natural causes.
What gods did people in the Neolithic Age probably believe in?
those associated with the four elements--air, water, fire, and earth--or with animals