1. Early Peoples
Nov. 2nd, 2016

2. Early Hunters in Africa
Africa was home to some of the first humans. Archaeologists have found piles of bones and collections of stones that humans used as tools. Scientists have started to put together the story of our earliest ancestors. In 2001, a 4-million year old skeleton was uncovered in the area around present day Kenya.
Scientists believe that these early humans lived in small groups of perhaps twenty people. Much of their food would have come from gathering it from plants (mainly nuts and berries).

3. On occasion, these groups would hunt animals and birds.
These groups were considered to be nomadic, meaning people would travel/move from place to place. This is because when food supplies in one area were difficult to come by, they would move to another location and establish a temporary camp until food in that region was exhausted.

4. The First Farmers
Approximately 12,000 years ago, the earth’s temperature started to change as the climate begun to warm. This new warmer climate produced lush growth in many areas where there had previously been no growth at all.
Men continued to hunt, fishing became more common, and women continued to gather berries, wild plants, and new grains that became a product of the warmer climate.
Another change that came with the warmer climate was that the food source was abundant enough and reliable that humans no longer had to move place to place to survive. Humans started to settle in one permanent location which gave rise to an increase in population and a longer life.

5. Humans started to change their ways, as they no longer gather wild grains but begun to grow their own crops from the seed they had from the previous year. They also started to tame and tend their own animals.
The practice of agriculture now became the norm or standard for most of these small groups of people to make their living. However, these small groups grew significantly in population and the farm could no longer support all the people. Therefore, people often left their farms and search for a new place to settle and establish their own farm.

6. A major product of the increase of farming and agriculture was the settlement of permanent communities which started to develop prominently around the areas of the Middle East.

7. 3 Key Environmental Factors in Establishing a Civilizations
Settled regions must be rich & fertile in soil for agriculture to be successful.
Water is an essential necessity to survive. – civilizations established themselves along rivers to help agricultural production.
Access to other natural resources are also vital in the success of a civilization. Benefits in both production of materials and for trade.

8. Establishment of Civilizations
As these farm communities grew in size, they developed into “city-states” which became highly organized.
With the vast number of people living in such a small community rules and laws started to become established in order to control the distribution of land, payment of taxes, and the settlement of disputes.
Culture started to develop within these city-states as individuals created language (both verbal and written) in order to keep records. Traditions and symbols started to make their way into these societies.

9. The formation of a government became prominent in these city-states, which was done through a process of discussion and consensus (looking for general agreement).
Religion was developed partly as a means to help people explain and understand such things as death and sickness.
These societies started develop security for their city-state in order to protect themselves from possibly invaders.

10. Education developed as a means to teaching people the written language so they can continue on the tradition of keeping records.
Trade between city-states started to grow as these communities continued to go in size.
As these societies continue to grow in size, they became more organized and more structured. Eventually, these societies would become civilizations. Remember: the difference between a society and civilization. All animals can live in a society, but only humans can create a civilization.

11. Gateway #2 Questions
Explain in your own words how the relationship of the natural environment helped with the development of a society, thus a civilization. (5-7 sentences)
Create some theories on how the natural environment has influenced settlement/movement of people and influenced technological development. (7-10 sentences)

12. Mankind – The Story of all of Us
DVD - 2:21-25:05