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The Origin of Humans

The Origin of Humans. Ms. Susan M. Pojer Horace Greeley HS Chappaqua, NY. The First Humans. Theories on prehistory and early man constantly change as new evidence comes to light. - Louis Leakey, British paleoanthropologist. Paleolithic Age 2 million to 8,000 BCE.

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The Origin of Humans

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  1. The Origin of Humans Ms. Susan M. PojerHorace Greeley HS Chappaqua, NY

  2. The First Humans Theories on prehistory and early man constantly change as new evidence comes to light. - Louis Leakey, British paleoanthropologist

  3. Paleolithic Age2 million to 8,000 BCE

  4. Early Discoveries

  5. Stages of Early Human Development 1. 4,000,000 BCE – 1,000,000 BCE Paleolithic Age:( Old Stone Age ) 2,500,000 BCE to 8,000 BCE 2. 1,500,000 BCE -- 250,000 BCE 3. 250,000 BCE – 30,000 BCE 4. 30,000 BCE -- 10,000 BCE

  6. The Paleolithic Age • “Paleolithic”--> “Old Stone” Age • 2,500,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE • Made tools • hunting (men) & gathering (women)  small bands of 20-30 humans • NOMADIC (moving from place to place)

  7. Stage 1 4,000,000 BCE – 1,000,000 BCE • Hominids --> any member of the family of two-legged primates that includes all humans. • Australopithecines • An Apposable Thumb

  8. Australopithecus • Discovery of skeleton AL-288-1, north of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia • Nicknamed “Lucy” • 40% of SWF, 4’6”, 55lb., bipedal Brain 500 cc (modern human: 1400 cc), limited speech but opposable digit • Estimated date of death: 3.5 million years ago

  9. Stage 1 • HOMO HABILIS( “Man of Skills” ) • found in East Africa. • created stone tools.

  10. The Paleolithic Age • Humans during this period found shelter in caves. • Cave paintings left behind. Purpose??

  11. Stage 2 1,600,000 BCE – 30,000 BCE • HOMO ERECTUS ( “Upright Human Being” ) • BIPEDALISM • Larger and more varied tools --> primitive technology • First hominid to migrate and leave Africa for Europe and Asia. • First to use fire ( 500,000 BCE )

  12. Differing Human Migration Theories Are we all Africans “under the skin”????

  13. Stage 3 200,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE HOMO SAPIENS( “Wise Human Being” ) Neanderthals( 200,000 BCE – 30,000 BCE ) Cro-Magnons( 40,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE )

  14. Stage 3 NEANDERTHALS: • Neander Valley, Germany (1856) • First humans to bury their dead. • Made clothes from animal skins. • Lived in caves and tents.

  15. Stage 3 NEANDERTHALS Early Hut/Tent

  16. Stage 3 CRO-MAGNONs: • Homo sapiens sapiens( “Wise, wise human” ) • By 30,000 BCE they replaced Neanderthals. WHY???

  17. Homo sapiens sapiens in Europe

  18. The Natural Environment • By 13,000 BCE Homo sapiens in every inhabitable part of the world • Archaeological finds: • Sophisticated tools • Choppers, scrapers, axes, knives, bows, arrows • Cave and hutlike dwellings • Use of fire, animal skins • Hunted several mammal species to extinction • Climactic change may have accelerated process

  19. Relative Social Equality • Nomadic culture precludes accumulation of land-based wealth • More likely determinants of status: age, hunting skill, fertility, charisma • Possible gender equality related to food production • Men: protein from hunting • Women: plant gathering

  20. Big Game Hunting • Evidence of intelligent coordination of hunting expeditions • Development of weaponry • Animal-skin disguises • Stampeding tactics • Lighting of fires, etc. to drive game into kill zones • Requires planning, communication

  21. Paleolithic Settlements • Natufian society • Modern Israel and Jordan • Wild wheat, herding • Jomon society • Japan • Wild buckwheat, fishing • Chinook society • Pacific Northwest • Berries, acorns, salmon runs • Groups of 1000 or more

  22. The San of South Africa • egalitarian, valued sharing • Smaller mobile camps • trade= to build relationships • Short work week, leisure time = visiting, music, naming ceremony,detailed rock art, complex religion • “insulting the meat” prevent ego problems • Gender equality

  23. The Chumash of Southern California • Densely populated (20, 000) people= a pseudo class system develops. • Tomol canoe- cargo vessel used to trade with mainland and islands. Tomol builders – exclusive group. • Diplomatic solutions to problems between dependent groups • Leadership= male heir (some female chiefs.) • Market economy with currency.

  24. The Last Ice Age 70,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE

  25. The Neolithic Age • “Neolithic”“New Stone” Age • 10,000 BCE – 4,000 BCE • Gradual shift from: Nomadic lifestyle settled, stationery lifestyle. Hunting/Gathering  agricultural production and domestication of animals.

  26. The Agricultural Revolution • 8,000 BCE – 5,000 BCE • Agriculture developed independently in different parts of the world. • SLASH-AND-BURN Farming Middle East India Central America China Southeast Asia 8,000 BCE 7,000 BCE 6,500 BCE 6,000 BCE 5,000 BCE

  27. Origins of early spread of agriculture

  28. Origins of Agriculture

  29. Main thesis: Archeological findings (including paleopathology) suggest that "in many ways, adoption of agriculture was not progress but a catastrophe from which humans have never recovered"

  30. The Agricultural Revolution Why do you think the development of agriculture occurred around the same time in several different places?

  31. The Agricultural Revolution Why do some archaeologists believe that women were the first farmers?

  32. World Population Growth Intensive agriculture caused human population to jump from 5-8 million to 60 to 70 million in 5,000 years

  33. Early Settled Communities • Growing crops on a regular basis made possible the support of larger populations. • More permanent, settled communities emerged. • 9,000 BCE  Earliest Agricultural Settlement atJARMO( northern Iraq ) wheat

  34. Early Settled Communities • 8,000 BCE  Largest Early Settlement atÇatal Hüyük( Modern Turkey )  6,000 inhabitants • 12 cultivated crops • Division of labor • Engaged in trade • Organized religion An obsidian dagger • Small military

  35. Early Settled Communities Çatal Hüyük

  36. Early Villages • Earliest villages located in the Middle East • Population of early villages evolved from the hundreds to the thousands • Probably declined due to environmental degradation Top: Artist rendering of the early village of Catal Huyuk; Bottom: statue of a goddess from Catal Huyuk

  37. The Agricultural Revolution What role did the food supply play in shaping the nomadic life of hunter-gatherers and the settled life of the farmers?

  38. World Population Growth

  39. Negative Effects of Population Growth

  40. Why is the "Neolithic Revolution" a turning point in human history??

  41. What is the next step in the development of human settlements??

  42. CITIES ! CIVILIZATIONS !!

  43. What are the characteristics of a civilization??

  44. Advanced Cities Advanced Technology CIVILIZATION Specialized Workers Record- Keeping Complex Institutions

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