Chapter 1 Human Beginnings

1. Chapter 1 Human Beginnings Pre-History – 1000 B.C.

2. Dating Early Artifacts • How have recent archaeological finds contributed to our understanding of human origins?

3. Prehistoric Finds in Africa • In 1992, Gen Suwa, a paleontologist from Japan discovers, in East Africa, ________ _________________________________. • Over the next two years, additional remains were uncovered, like arm bones and parts of the skull and jaw that belonged to _______________________. • Just 45 miles away, In 1974, Donald C. Johanson and Tom Gray uncovered a 3.2 million-year-old skeleton they named Lucy.

4. Human Origins • Scientists do not all agree about the story of human beginnings. • One generally accepted theory is that ___________________________________________________________________. • These hominids are known as Australopithecus.

5. Australopithecus spent their lives in the humid forests of eastern and southern Africa. • _________________________________. • They were probably nomads, never staying in one place for long

6. Homo is a Latin word used by scientists which means “_____________”. • They use this word to name later humans as well.

7. Scientists divide Homo into 3 categories of species:

8. The Ice Ages • _________________________ played an important role in the development of early humankind. • Earth experienced four long periods of cold climate between 2 million and 10,000 years ago, known as ________________. • The level of the oceans dropped more than 300 ft. as _____________________.

9. As a result of this, some areas that are now separated by water, were connected by a land bridge: • ___________________________________ • ___________________________________ • Malay Peninsula through the Indonesian islands almost all the way to Australia • ___________________________________.

10. How did early humans react to the environmental changes of the Ice Ages? In Different Ways: • Some people simply moved to warmer places (usually the middle latitudes where it was warm enough to live) • ________________________________________________________________. • Those who could not adapt died from starvation and exposure to the extremes.

11. Human Culture Culture includes: • the knowledge a group of people have • ________________________ • ________________________________________________ • ________________________ • their achievements in art and music.

12. Toolmaking – the use of tools was one of the earliest aspects of culture that people formed. • The Stone Age – name used to identify the period before writing became established. • _____________________________________________________________________________________________________|.

13. The Stone Age is divided into 3 shorter periods:

15. Paleolithic Hunter-Gatherers • Homo Habilis – lived during first quarter of Paleolithic period. • ____________________________________ • Lived in Africa from about 2.5 to 1.5 million years ago • Lived alongside the Australopithecus

16. Homo Erectus – Lived during last part of Paleolithic period. • There is much more information about this group of early humans • First appeared in Africa & lived from 1.6 million to about 250,00 years ago. • ____________________________________ • ____________________________________

17. Migrations • Not enough is known about the migrating habits of Homo habilis people. • Scientists do know that Homo erectus people migrated from their Native Africa to Europe and Asia. • Skeletal remains prove that they lived in ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

18. Language • Instead of just making sounds and signals to show emotion and direction, Homo erectus may have been talking to each other about 500,000 years ago. • ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

19. What benefits did language offer to humanity? • Made it possible for people to work together (organize duties, give directions) • ____________________________________________________________________ • Provided a way for people to socialize and entertain each other (storytelling) • Most important of all, it allowed people to ____________________________________________________________________

20. Homo Sapiens • Evidence of early Homo sapiens goes back as far as 200,000 years ago. • Neanderthals - _____________________ __________________________________ • Neanderthals stood about 5.5 feet tall, their brains were slightly larger than modern humans, and their bodies were stocky.

21. Technological skills of Neanderthals: • ___________________________ • Skillfully constructed stone knives, spear points, and bone tools • Crafted hide-cleaning and food-preparing tools

22. How did they live? • Most lived in small groups of 35 to 50 people • ____________________________________________________________________ • Lived in ________ or overhangs from cliffs • Wore heavy clothing made from animal skins to stay warm and protected

23. Their culture and beliefs: • Neanderthals cared for their sick and elderly • May have been the first people to practice medicine • ___________________________ • ___________________________

24. Homo sapiens sapiens • __________________________________ • More advanced than Homo sapiens • Within 20,000 years ago, this modern group had migrated to almost every continent of the world • As these people moved out of Africa, they intermarried with Neanderthals

25. The Cro-Magnons • Earliest Homo sapiens sapiens • Their remains were first found in France around 1860 • Cro-Magnons were taller and less stocky than Neanderthals • Improved technology development • __________________________________

26. Technology of Cro-Magnons • __________________________________ • Created fishing devices and needles for sewing • Invented the stone ax in order to cut down trees and make canoes • Invented the spear-thrower and the bow and arrow • ____________________________________________________________________

27. Social Life of Cro-Magnons • Lived in bands, with many different bands spread throughout • __________________________________ • Rules were developed for people to get along and for work to get done • Leaders were named and placed in charge of enforcing rules • __________________________________

28. Cave Paintings of Cro-Magnons • __________________________________ • No one knows for sure why they painted on cave walls • ____________________________________ • May have been reaching out to spiritual world • Maybe to relieve boredom & monotony • *Clay sculptures have also been found as well as figures of ivory and bone

29. Neolithic Revolution • During the Neolithic period and immediately after, humanity made a giant leap in culture • ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ • In a period of 5,000 years, people gradually moved from hunting & gathering to producing food

30. New agricultural methods came about • This led to massive changes in the way people lived! That’s why we call this time in history the ___________________________________.

31. This revolution took place slowly • Took place at different times in different parts of the world • The crops that Neolithic people developed varied from place to place • Farming made life easier for people • ____________________________________ • ____________________________________

32. Farming also allowed people to ______________________ _____________________ • Crude houses were constructed with mud bricks • Several related families usually lived in one house

33. Technological Advances • Neolithic farmers invented the ______ and trained oxen to pull it. • Neolithic villagers invented the loom and began to __________________________ • They learned how to make jewelry and better weapons • People created calendars to measure the seasons & determine when to plant crops

34. People began caring about boundary lines and rules of inheritance because their food supply depended on land ownership. • As villages began competing for land and water, __________ was created. • Neolithic people believed in deities or _____________________________

35. Emergence of Civilization • Civilization – ______________________ • Some villages evolved into cities • Cities sprang up at different times in different places • ____________________________________________________________________

36. Early River Valley civilizations • People’s labor was specialized with different men and women doing different jobs • The civilizations depended on advanced _______________________________ • Each civilization had some form of government to make and carry out rules and procedures

37. The Economy of a Civilization • First Irrigation systems – ______________ __________________________________ • Specialization of labor – artisans became increasingly productive and creative • Long distance trade – farmers and artisans began trading outside of their communities and eventually covered longer distances

38. Living Together in Cities • Civilizations slowly grew more prosperous and more complex • Populations steadily grew also. Early cities had between 5,000 to 30,000 residents! • Of course, a population like this could not operate the same way that a village of 200 had operated.

39. Therefore, • A group of government officials was created to oversee the collection, storage, and distribution of farming surpluses. • These officials also organized and directed labor forces needed for large-scale construction projects. • ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

40. __________________________________ made up what is known as a ruling class. • This ruling class was usually led by a king (_____________________________) • The first kings ever were probably elected, but over time they inherited their positions.

41. The Invention of Writing • Priests began using marks and pictures, called pictograms, to represent products. • Eventually they used the marks and pictures to represent abstract ideas and even later, to represent sounds. • Priests kept records of individual men and women who were ___________________, ______________, and _______________.

42. After a time, priests also recorded things like the king’s battle victories, legal codes, medical texts, and observations of the stars. • Priests also recorded _______ (traditional stories explaining how the world was formed, how people came into being, and what they owed their creator).

43. ___________________________________________________________________.___________________________________________________________________. • Because these ideas, beliefs, or myths vary from place to place, historians usually examine them for clues to a people’s customs and values.