1. Prehistory
Key Terms & Ideas

2. What is Prehistory? The period for which we have no written record.
Archaeology:
Studies the structure of past societies by analyzing artifacts that people left behind
Anthropology:
Focuses more on CULTURE by studying artifacts and human fossils

3. Prehistory What are some example of “artifacts”?
Tools, household items, weapons, buildings, artworks, religious figures, etc.
Contemporary artifacts?

4. Early stages of humans Homo sapians “wise human being”
250,000 years ago
Australopithecines
Walk upright and make stone tools
3-4 million years ago
Homo sapian sapians
Looked like us.
Africa: 150, ,000 years ago
Most “modern” humans
Homo erectus
1.5 million yrs. ago
More advanced tools; Europe/Asia

5. Hunter-gatherers Paleolithic Age: “Old Stone”
Earliest period in human history
2,500,000 to 10,000 B.C.
People hunted game and gathered nuts, berries, fruit, wild grains.
Nomads: people who move from place to place

6. “Technology”
What we make to sustain ourselves and control our environment.
Ex: Stone axe
Fire used systematically 500,000 years ago….
For what, besides cooking???