Post on 27-Mar-2015
The Old Stone Age
The earliest people
Where did we all come from?
Archeologist believe that the first people came from Eastern Africa. From there they migrated to different areas looking for food.
How We Moved….
Hunters and Gatherers
• Paleolithic people lived in small bands of between 20-40 people.
• Everyone contributed to the group
• Generally Paleolithic people were nomads, which means they moved from place to place following the food.
Adaptation
As the people moved from place to place they adapted to their surroundings
Tools
Clothing
Shelter
Early Religion
The first signs of religion were recorded as being around 30,000 years old.
• People worshiped rocks, made idols to worship, and even worshiped animals.
• This type of belief is referred to
as animation.
• About this time we start to see
people taking great care to bury
the dead. (suggesting an after life)
Neolithic Agricultural Revolution
Its difficult to know exactly when it happened
Archeologist have inferred that humans noticed that when seeds landed in the ground…they started to grow into plants.
They started settling into areas to harvest crops
They began to domesticate(tame) animals
Effects of the Agricultural Revolution
People became food producers
Population growth Which led to more interaction with different comunities Greatest change among humans until the Industrial
revolution
Gender differences
Men
Dominated home life
Political affairs
Many became warriors Needed to protect
the possessions they had
Made major decisions as a group concerning the growing of plants
Women
Although their role was not as strong as it once was they still did much to contribute
New Technologies
Began making calendars to help measure the growing season
Refined tools to help with agriculture
Began to weave animal or vegetable fibers to make clothing
The rise of civilization
Civilization is a complex, highly organized social order
The first Civilizations were a result of food surplus• The surplus helped to expand population and support
higher numbers of people
River Valley Civilizations
Large populations began to flourish in areas near rivers
• Tigris and Euphrates (Middle East)
• Nile River (Egypt)
• Indus River (India)
• Yellow River and Huang He (China)
Civilizations in America
In contrast to River Valleys elsewhere, in America, civilizations sprang up in the mountains
• Aztecs and Incas
8 Features of Civilization
There are 8 basic features shared among the earliest civilizations
• Cities
• Organized Government
• Complex Religions
• Job Specialization
• Social Classes
• Arts and Architecture
• Public Works
• Writing
Cities
Large populations of people • River Valley
• Mountains
Organized GovernmentAs cities grew they needed a steady food supply, therefore new governments needed to be establishedFathers passed power to their sons As civilizations grew larger, their organizations became more complex
• Laws • Taxes• Military • Irrigation projects
Job Specialization
As civilizations grew more complex, new technology made it necessary for people to specialize in specific areas
• Brick layers
• Artisans (Pottery Makers)
• Metal Working
• Weapon Building
• Singers, Dancers, and Storytellers
Complex Religions
Polytheistic• Worshiped many Gods
Tried to win the favor of Gods through rituals, ceremonies, animal sacrifice, and sometimes human sacrifice
Social Classes
People were ranked based on the jobs they had or the families they were born in to
Priests and Nobles
Wealthy Merchants
Artisans (Craftsmen)
Peasant Farmers
Slaves
Arts and Architecture
Most art reflected the values and beliefs of those that created them
Public Works
Public projects ordered by Rulers, meant to benefit the citizens of the city
• Irrigation systems
• Roads
• Bridges
• Defense Walls
WritingMany archeologists believe the first writings occurred in temples where priests recorded agriculture information
Most early writing is made up of pictograms, which are symbol drawings that looked like the objects they represented
EmpireGroup of states and territories controlled by one Ruler
• Often larger civilizations fought each other for choice land and resources