1. Chapter 1: The First Humans
Prehistory B.C.

2. Do Now
What is civilization?

3. Archaeology & Anthropology
Archaeology: study of past societies through analysis of what people left behind.
Dig up artifacts: objects made by humans
May be tools, weapons, art and buildings
Anthropology: study of human life and culture
Culture includes what people wear, how they organize society and what they value
Archaeologist and Anthropologists have developed scientific methods to carry out their work.
Examination and analysis of remains gives them a better understanding of ancient societies.

4. Examples of Examination
Examining pottery, tools and weapons can help scientists learn about the social and military structures
Analyzing bones, skins and plant seeds can help scientists piece together the diet and activities of early people

5. Dating Artifacts & Fossils
Dating human fossils and artifacts help scientists to understand when and where first humans lived
3 methods:
Radiocarbon dating: Measuring the amount of radioactive carbon left in an object. BUT only accurate for objects no more than 50,000 years old
Thermoluminescence: Measuring the light given off by electrons trapped in the soil surrounding fossils and artifacts. Relatively precise for items dating back 200,000 years
DNA: Analyzing blood, hairs and plant tissue left on tools and weapons can tell more about humans, their tools, the animals they killed and human evolution in general

6. Hominids to Homo Sapiens
Hominid: humanlike creature that walked upright
Earliest hominids lived in Africa 4 million years ago and slowly changed over time
Paleoanthropologists Louis and Mary Leakey discovered the oldest hominid (1.8 million years old) in 1959 at Olduvai Gorge in East Africa

7. Lucy For decades scientists assumed hominids must have used tools
In 1974 Donald Johnson challenged this when he found ‘Lucy’ in Ethiopia
Johnson suggested she was the common ancestor for several types of early human life
‘Lucy’ is a Australopithecus or ‘southern ape’

8. Homo habilis & Homo erectus
million years ago a more advanced hominid developed with a larger brain
Homo habilis means “handy human” because they may have used stone tools
Earliest remains were discovered near Olduvai Gorge
Homo erectus
“upright human” existed from 1.8 million to 100,000 years ago
It had arms and legs in modern human proportions
Remains in Asia show that Homo erectus was probably the first hominid to leave Africa

9. Homo sapiens & Neanderthals
200,000 years ago
Homo sapiens means “wise humans”
Showed rapid brain growth and mastered fire
2 kinds of humans descended from Homo sapiens: Neanderthals and Homo sapiens sapiens
Neanderthal
Come from the Neanderthal- a valley in Germany
Probably lived between 100,000 B.C. and 300,000 B.C.
Used stone tools and made clothes from animal skins
First early people to bury their dead

10. Homo sapiens sapiens
“Wise wise humans”-first to have an anatomy similar to today
Appeared in Africa between 150, ,000 years ago
Probably spread out of Africa about 100,000 years ago and replaced populations of earlier hominids in Asia and Europe (“out of Africa” theory)
By 30,000 B.C. Homo sapiens sapiens replaced Neanderthals
Neanderthals eventually died out- possibly due to conflicts with Homo sapiens sapiens
Homo sapiens sapiens spread across the globe looking for food and new hunting grounds

12. Do Now
What important developments took place in the Paleolithic Age?

13. Paleolithic Age
The early period of human history in which humans used simple stone tools.
2,500,000 B.C. to 10,000 B.C.

14. Hunting and Gathering
Paleolithic peoples had close relationship with their environment
Learned what plants to eat and animals to hunt
Gathered wild nuts, berries, fruit and grains
Ate buffalo, horses, bison and reindeer
In costal areas- fish and shellfish

15. Paleolithic Way of Life
Used stone to make tools- hand axes the most common
Wooden poles with spear points helped hunt large animals
Tools like bow and arrow, harpoon and fishhooks made hunting easier
Used tools to dig and cut branches for shelter
Needles for nets, baskets and clothing
Followed animal migrations and vegetation cycles- nomads
Lived in small groups of 20-30

16. Roles of Men and Women Men Women Find food- hunt far from camp
Find food-gathered & trap small animals
Raise children
Bear and raise children close to camp
Teach children

17. Women, Children & Families

18. Adapting to Survive Groups in cold climates found shelter in caves
Built simple structures- wood poles or sticks covered with animal hides
Fire made it possible to provide light and heat

19. Use of Fire
As hominids moved to colder climates- needed fire (Ice Age)
Piles of ashes found in caves
Warmth, kept animals away, cooking tool
Cooked food better-lasted longer and easier to digest
Not sure how hominids started fire- most likely friction

20. Creating Art Lascaux Caves-France (1940)
Altamira, Spain (1879)- scientist discovered not all paintings made at same time- gradual
Scientists date art based on pigments
1994 Jean Marie Chauvet discovered paintings in Southern France- nearly twice as old as Lascaux & Altamira but more advanced drawings
Painted with fingers, twigs and blew through hollow reeds
Mixed minerals with animal fat to make colors
Few humans appear-only stick figures

21. Chauvet Cave

22. Do Now
How does agriculture affect our legacy?

23. Neolithic Revolution

24. What is the Neolithic Revolution?
End of the last Ice Age B.C.
Shift from the hunting of animals and the gathering of food to the keeping of animals
Systematic agriculture: growing of food on a regular basis
Domestication of animals- reliable source of meat milk and wool
Animals also used for work
Humans had more control over their life because more food- gave up nomadic ways and could settle down
Some believe this revolution was the single most important development in human history

25. The Growing of Crops 8000 B.C.-5000 B.C.
Southwest Asia
Wheat and barley & domesticating pigs, cows, goats and sheep
Southeastern Europe
By 4000 B.C farming was well established in central Europe and costal regions of the Mediterranean
Central Africa
Root and tree crops
Mesoamericans (Mexico and Central America)
Beans, squash and maize
5000 B.C- rice in Southeast Asia and then spread to China
6000 B.C.- wheat and barley had spread into the Nile Valley and other parts of Africa

26. Neolithic Farming Villages
Growing crops on a regular basis gave rise to permanent settlements
Not all citizens needed to farm so some became artisans- making goods to trade with neighboring people
Beginning of traditional economy based on agriculture and limited trade
Shrines with figures also discovered-points to growing role of religion

27. Effects of Neolithic Revolution
People began to see the need to build walls for protection and storehouses for goods
Artisans became more skilled-made more refined tools
Men vs. women
Farming and hunting took men away from the settlement- more responsibility meant more dominant role in society
Women remained behind- cared for children, wove clothing

28. End of Neolithic Age
Before 4000 B.C. craftspeople discovered that heating metal- bearing rocks could turn metal into liquid and poured into molds for tools
Copper first metal used in making tools
After 4000 B.C- Asian artisans discovered that combining copper and tin created bronze
Bronze Age 3000 B.C B.C to Iron Age (after 1000 B.C.)

29. Overall Set the stage for major changes to come
As people mastered farming, villages developed more complex and wealthier societies