1. Early Humans and the Rise of Civilization
Get Ready to investigate!
Early Humans and the Rise of Civilization

2. Investigating the past
How can we get ready!?!

3. Investigating the past

4. Investigating the past - Geography challenge

5. Investigating the past – your thoughts
DO NOW: Using your Interactive Student Notebook, quickly sketch one object you currently own and you think someone might find 20,000 years from now.

6. How do we examine evidence of the past?

7. Investigating the past
Think back to last week when we completed our own archeological dig. Can you see how archeologists use teams, data and other tools to interpret what happened in the past?
Do we have to be formally trained archeologists to investigate the past? No, look at the four French teenagers from LASCAUX in your chapter introduction section. They found important cave paintings on 9/12/1940. Let’s look at some other paintings.

8. Investigating the past
Vocabulary
Archaeologist – an expert who studies the past by examining objects that people have left behind
Artifact – an object made or used by people in the past
Geographer – an expert who studies and creates maps of Earth’s natural and humanmade features
Historian – an expert who studies and records the past
Ritual – relating to a ceremony, such as a religious ceremony
Document – a written work that contains important information
Feature – an important part or characteristic of something
Environment – all of the physical surroundings in a place, including land, water, animals, plants, and climate
Prehistoric – before written history

9. Investigating the past – cave paintings
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
WHAT CAN WE LEARN ABOUT THE PAST FROM CAVE PAINTINGS? WHAT INSIGHT ARE THEY PROVIDING? WHAT STORIES ARE THEY TELLING? WHAT CONCLUSIONS CAN WE DRAW?

10. Investigating the past – What is a ritual?
Relating to a ceremony, usually religious.

11. Looking closer at the Cradles of civilization

12. Early hominins
The above video gives us a quick snapshot of one major theory on early humans.

13. Early Hominins – Vocabulary
Skeleton – the bones that make up the body of a person or animal
Homo habilis – “Handy Man” – a very early form of humans
Capability – ability or skill
Trait –a special feature or characteristic
Homo erectus – “Upright Man” – believed to be the first early hominins to migrate
Migrate – to move from one geographic region to another
Homo Neanderthalensis – “Neanderthal Man” – scientist believe are closely related to modern humans
Intelligence – a strong mental ability to reason and gain knowledge
Community – a group of people who live in the same area and are united by common interests
Homo Sapiens – “Wise Men” – the first modern humans
Contribute – to give, along with others, to a common cause

14. Hominins EARLY ANCESTORS OF HUMANS.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
Hominins
EARLY ANCESTORS OF HUMANS.
We can characterize their differences by different capabilities.

15. DONALD JOHANSON AND LUCY:
In 1974, American paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson discovered “Lucy” in Africa (in the Afar Triangle).
Lucy and others like her classified as Australopithecus Afarensis.
3 feet tall
Combination of human and ape
Walked on her feet and used her hands to carry.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
Early Hominins

16. MARY & LOUIS LEAKEY AND HOMO HABILIS:
Discovered in 1959, and more in 1960 on the continent of Africa
Homo Habilis – “Handy Man”
Found amongst tools (sharp pieces of stone and digging sticks)
Worked together to protect themselves from animals
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
hominins

17. Hominins – homo erectus
Homo erectus “Upright Man” – found by Eugene Dubois in 1891 on the island of Java
The first hominins found outside of Africa
Taller, thinner and able to make more complex tools and FIRE.
How the Use of Fire Changed Our Human Evolution (NatGeo)

18. Hominins – homo neanderthalenis
Found by miners in the German Neander Valley, 1865
Lived in Africa, the Near East, Europe, and parts of Asia.
Improved on Homo erectus’s complex tools.
Lived, worked traveled in groups – sense of COMMUNITY
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
Hominins – homo neanderthalenis

19. Hominins – homo sapiens
Early Modern Humans
Used land bridges to travel Africa, Asia, Europe and Australia.
Round skulls, large brains, small teeth, thinner bones than Homo Neanderthalensis
Improved tools, including spear thrower and bow & arrow.
Built shelters
Wore clothing
Developed musical instruments
Used art to
Teach
Express
Communicate
Religious rituals
Hominins – homo sapiens

20. From Early hominins to civilization
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC