The Beginnings of Human Society : Geography and History

1. Ch. 1, Sec. 1 (Prehistory-2500 B.C.) The Beginnings of Human Society:Geography and History

2. Lesson Objectives • 1. Students will learn what tools are used to understand history. • 2. Students will find out about connections between geography and history.

3. Outline • Geography and History • Understanding History • Before and After Writing • Prehistory: Digging up the Past • History: A Record in Writing • A Record of the Spoken Word • Linking Geography and History

4. Key Terms • History – written and other recorded events of people • Prehistory – time before writing was invented • Archaeologist – scientist who examines objects to learn about the human past • Oral traditions – stories passed down by the word of mouth • Geography – the study of the earth’s surface and the processes that shaped it.

5. Records of Life • The body of an ancient Iceman was discovered in a glacier in the Alps in 1991, by two hikers. • His body and possessions were studied to learn more about his life and death.

6. Otzi the Iceman

7. Otzi the Iceman

8. Otzi the Iceman

9. Otzi the Iceman • Found in September, 1991, in the Otzal Alps • The oldest natural human mummy • Average height at life, 5ft 5in. • Average weight at life, 95 pounds • Ice had kept the body from deteriorating, barely at all

10. Otzi the Iceman

11. Understanding History • The curiosity that was inspired by the discovery of Otzi inspired much speculation and curiosity from scientists, natural of human beings • Where are our origins? • What was life like thousands of years ago?

12. Before and After Writing • About 5,000 years ago, peoples in Southwest Asia and Africa developed systems of writing • People began to keep written records of their experiences • These experiences marked the beginning of history (the written or recorded events of people) • Prehistory is the time before writing was invented

13. Prehistory: Digging up the Past • To find information of history before written record, scientists must rely on other clues • A great example of this type of research is looking at the work that an archaeologist does. • For example, the size of a spear that was found with Otzi led them to believe that he hunted smaller game, since larger game would have required a much larger and heavier spear

14. History: A Record in Writing • To understand societies, historians do not simply rely on archaeologists, they study written accounts of human accounts and accomplishments • Wars, religion, rulers • Historians also use information that other societies wrote about a group of people during the same time

15. A Record of the Spoken Word • Written records often begin as oral traditions • These can include family legends or stories and stories that involve heroes or events in the past • Oral traditions are still an important part of many societies today • Not all oral stories are historically accurate, often changing as they are told and retold • Like many myths and legends, they often contain facts mixed with personal beliefs and exaggerations • Still, oral traditions tell how a society lived and what the people considered important

16. Checkpoint Question Why are historians interested in oral traditions?

17. Checkpoint Question Why are historians interested in oral traditions? Oral traditions can provide information about a society’s way of life.

18. Linking Geography and History • Knowing when something happened is almost as important as knowing what happened. • To find out the when, historians often turn to geography • Geography examines climate, landscape and location, often providing a key as to why things happened in history.

19. Linking Geography and History • Before modern systems of irrigation existed, it is important to know where rivers naturally flowed • This often leads to the creation of civilizations around water supplies • One of history’s best examples of this is Ancient Egypt. Although almost entirely desert, the Nile River allowed farming and the birth of a society.

20. Checkpoint Question Give one example of geography’s effect on history.

21. Checkpoint Question Give one example of geography’s effect on history. The Nile River allowed the soil in Egypt to become and remain fertile and suitable for farming.

22. Review • 1) What do scientists study to learn about prehistory? • 2) What, specifically, do we know about societies that leave behind written records? • 3) What are some things that geography allows us to study and provide clues to history? • 4) How can geography help us to understand history? • 5) What effect does geography have on the way the people in your community live?

23. Classroom Activity Pick a partner! Imagine that your partner is frozen in time, and not found for another 5,000 years. Based on what they have with them, their clothes, their accessories, etc., what would people in the future finding them assume about their life?