Chapter I:

The First Humans

An Indiana Jones Thing

Terms to begin with…

• Prehistory- period before writing was developed

• Archaeology- the study of past societies through an analysis of what people left behind

• Artifacts-“stuff” left behind • Fossils- remains of living things• Anthropology- study of human life and

culture

People in History

• Donald Johanson• Mary and Louis B. Leakey

Dating Artifacts and Fossils

• Radiocarbon Dating (determines an object’s age by measuring the amount of C-14)

Dating Artifacts and Fossils

• Thermoluminescence dating (determines an object’s age by measuring the light given off by electrons trapped in the surrounding soil)

Dating Artifacts and Fossils

• DNA analysis

Key Stages of Human Development

• Australopithecines• 3-4 million years ago• East/southern Africa• First believed to leave the trees• “southern apes”• First hominids(humans and other creatures

that walk upright)to make simple tools• Ardipithecus???

Key Stages of Human Development

• Australopithecus

Key Stages of Human Development

• Homo erectus• 1.5 million years ago• “upright human being”• Larger brains/more advanced tools• First believed to use fire• Fire gave warmth• Fostered a sense of community for the groups gathered around it• Enable them to scare away animals• Flush animals out of wooded areas• Cook food= make it taste better, easier to chew and digest• As Ice Age conditions developed, allowed humans to further adapt

to their environment• First to leave Africa and spread to Europe and Asia

Key Stages of Human Development

• Homo erectus

Key Stages of Human Development

• Homo sapiens• 250,000 years ago• “wise human being” • Homo sapiens sapiens (“wise wise human

beings”) 200,000 years age• Neanderthals

Key Stages of Human Development

• Homo sapiens

The Spread of Humans

• 2 to 3 miles per generation• Populated the world within 10,000 years• Traditional theory: started in Africa and slowly

spread to the rest of the world• Multiregional Theory: advanced human

creatures may have emerged independently in different regions of the world

The Spread of Humans(Out-of-Africa Theory)

The Spread of Humans(Multi-Regional Model)

Paleolithic Age

• Nomadic lifestyle: humans had no permanent settlement…they followed their food sources

• Both men and women had to find food, however, women had to stay close to camp because they raised children

• Men hunted/ women gathered

Paleolithic Age

Tool Effect

spear, bow and arrow made hunting easier

bone harpoon and fishhook increased the catch of fish

bone needles made it possible to make nets and baskets and to sew hides together for clothing

sharp-edged tools made it easier to cut and dig

scraping tools made it easier to clean animal hides

Neolithic Age/Revolution

• People settled in one area/ causing people to see the need to build houses for protection

• • Systematic agriculture= farming• Domestication of animals (human control over

animals)• No more nomadic lifestyle/ they could stay in

one place/ everyone no longer had to farm…other “artisans” come about

Neolithic Age/Revolution

• Led to the formation of farming• Began to create armies/walled cities• Built temples and started forming religions• Bronze age (bronze= copper +tin)/ better

weapons and tools• Large numbers of people were concentrated

in the river valleys of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India and China…led to “CIVILIZATIONS”

Civilization

Factors needed for a civilization•Acquire food on a regular basis•Rise of permanent villages•Trading goods/ division of labor•Emergence of a civilization

CivilizationImportant Characteristics of a Civilization•Cities•Government (monarchs)•Religion•Social structure(based on economic status. Rulers, priests, officials and warriors were the upper classes. Below them was a class of free farmers, traders, artisans and craftspeople. Below them were slaves and servants•Writing•Art