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Explore the past with archaeologists, fossils, artifacts, and hunter-gatherer societies. Discover how early humans populated the Earth, adapted to changes, and developed complex cultures.
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Lesson 1: Studying the Distant Past • Archaeologists are scientists who study the way humans lived in the past. They examine what early humans left behind. Then they carefully piece the evidence together into a picture of life long ago
Fossils and artifacts are the two main pieces of an archaeologist’s puzzle. Fossils are hardened parts of living things, for example, bones. Artifacts are objects made and used by people. Artifacts such as tools or pots show archaeologists how early people lived.
Scientists today can figure out what people looked like from their bones. They can also use different ways to figure out how old bones or tools are. But they can only guess why early people made a particular tool.
Scientists have looked for the earliest humans for many years. Since the 1950s, scientists such as Mary and Louis Leakey, Donald Johanson, and Tim White have found fossil human remains in East Africa. Other archaeologists then found more human remains in East Africa. Although some early human remains have been found in Central Africa, most scientists believe that human life began in East Africa.
Lesson 2: Hunter-Gatherer Societies • Archaeologists have pieced together a picture of early human communities. Small groups included about 10 to 12 adults and their children. They spent most of their time looking for food. They moved from place to place to find food as the seasons changed. Men mostly hunted, and women mostly gathered. We call these early humans “hunter-gatherers.”
Hunter-gatherers used many different tools to help them survive. At first, those tools were mostly stone. That’s where the name Stone Age comes from. Over time, people made better tools. They used materials such as bone. They also discovered how to make fire. With fire, early humans could live in cold places.
Later in the Stone Age, people changed in important ways. Their brains grew larger and they developed more complex cultures. Two early humans of this time were Neanderthals (nee AN derthawlz) and Homo sapiens, or modern humans. Both groups made tools, used fire, and hunted animals. But Homo sapiens had spoken language and Neanderthals did not. Spoken language allowed Homo sapiens to organize a hunt. They could also warn of danger or pass information to the young. This may be one reason Homo sapiens survived and Neanderthals died out.
Lesson 3: Populating the Earth • Archaeologists don’t agree about where modern humans first appeared or how they spread around the world. There are two main theories. One theory says that modern humans first appeared in Africa and spread to other places from there. Another theory says that modern humans developed separately in many different places and then mixed together. Some recent evidence supports the first theory.
Modern humans had to change as they moved around Earth. They developed new tools and had to adjust to big changes in Earth’s climate. One of these changes was the last Ice Age. During this period, ice covered a lot of land. Animals moved in search of food. The humans moved with them. Early humans found new ways to hunt. They used new materials for clothing and shelter. Finally, they formed larger communities. This allowed them to hunt big animals and to protect themselves
The new, larger communities had more complex cultures. For example, they created art. Archaeologists have found cave paintings in France and Spain, as well as rock paintings in North Africa. Some evidence also shows that early people had religious beliefs. Archaeologists have found late Stone Age burial sites. Some show burial customs, such as burying the dead with jewelry.
Art and religion show that Stone Age humans were thinking about big ideas beyond themselves. One idea they may have had was animism. Animism is the belief that there are spirits in the natural world. This may be one reason why cave paintings show animals.
Early humans changed a lot during the Stone Age. Still, the biggest change was yet to come. Farming would change human culture forever.
