Transcript The Origin of Humans

The Stone Ages
•Paleolithic - Old Stone Age:
2,500,000 B.C. to 8,000 B.C.
•Neolithic – New Stone Age:
8,000 to 4,000 B.C.
Time Periods
•Prehistory - before writing
•B.C. & A.D. – developed by a
monk around A.D. 532
•B.C. – “Before Christ”
•A.D. – “Anno Domini”
1. 4,000,000 BC – 1,000,000 BC
Paleolithic Age:
( Old Stone Age )
2. 1,500,000 BC -- 250,000 BC
2,500,000 BC
to 8,000 BC
3. 250,000 BC – 30,000 BC
4. 30,000 BC -- 8,000 BC
Paleolithic Age
• The Ice Ages – 100,000 to 8,000 B.C.
• Humans were able to adapt
environment through use of fire
• Land bridges made possible the spread
of humans
o Japan & Korea
o Great Britain & Europe
o Malay Peninsula to Australia
o Bering Strait
Beringia
Paleolithic Age
• Made tools
• Used lava rocks to cut meat & crack bones
• Used spears to hunt & fish with
• Hunting men and gathering women
• NOMADIC – moving from place to place
Are we all Africans “under the skin”????
Paleolithic Age
• Humans found shelter in caves
• Cave paintings left behind
Human Migration
Neolithic Age
• The Neolithic Revolution – dawn of
systematic agriculture
• Neolithic – New Stone Age
• Domesticated Animals – dogs, goats,
oxen, cattle, pigs, chickens
• Crops – grains, bananas, yams, rice,
wheat, barley
• Rise of villages – Jericho & Catal
Huyuk (8,000 B.C.)
Neolithic Age
•Technological advances
oAgricultural – sickle, pottery, plow,
fertilizer
oLoom – for weaving flax & cotton
oArtisans made jewelry & weapons
The Agricultural Revolution
• Farming developed independently in
different parts of the world
• Most likely due to climate changes
• Slash & Burn – cut trees and burn to
clear a field
Middle East
8,000 BC
India
Central America
7,000 BC
6,500 BC
China
6,000 BC
Southeast Asia
5,000 BC
4,000,000 BC – 1,000,000 BC

Hominids : Australopithecines
any member of the family of
two-legged primates that
includes all humans.
 Southern & Eastern Africa
 1974: Lucy found in Ethiopia
– oldest hominid found to date
 Known as Hominids: first to
walk upright (more mobility)
 HOMO HABILIS (“Man of Skills”)
2.5 million to 1.5 million B.C.

found in East
Africa – Olduvai
Gorge

created stone tools.
Homo Habilis
1,600,000 BC – 30,000 BC

HOMO ERECTUS
( “Upright Human Being” )

Larger and more varied
tools --> primitive technology

First hominid to migrate and
leave Africa for Europe and
Asia.

First to use fire ( 500,000 BC )
200,000 BC – 8,000 BC
HOMO SAPIENS
( “Wise Human Being” )
Neanderthals
( 200,000 BCE – 30,000 BCE )
Cro-Magnons
( 40,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE )
Homo Sapiens
NEANDERTHALS:

Neander Valley,
Germany (1856)
 Europe & SWest Asia
 200,000-30,000 B.C.

First humans to bury
their dead (Religion)

Made clothes from
animal skins.

Lived in caves and
tents.
NEANDERTHALS
Early Hut/Tent
CRO-MAGNONs: 40,000 to 8,000 B.C.

Homo sapiens sapiens
( “Wise, wise human” )
 Found in Europe
 By 30,000 B.C. they
replaced Neanderthals.
Cro-Magnons
identical to modern humans
Spoken language
Planned their hunts: studies
animal habits & stalked prey
Populations grew faster than
Neanderthals
 Created Art
Cro-Magnon
Video: The Neolithic Ice Man
Section 1-2: Humans try
to Control Nature

Africa: The Nile River Valley  wheat, barley
China: Huang He (Yellow River) Valley  grain
(millet), and rice


Mexico & Central America  corn, beans, squash

Peru  tomatoes, sweet potatoes, white potatoes

8,000 B.C.  Largest Early Settlement at Çatal Hüyük
( Modern Turkey )  6,000 inhabitants

12 cultivated crops

Division of labor

Engaged in trade

Organized religion

Small military
An obsidian dagger
Çatal Hüyük
Advanced
Advanced
Cities
Technology
Specialized
Record-
Workers
Keeping
Complex
Institutions
Civilizations
1. ADVANCED CITIES
 CENTER OF TRADE – VARIETY OF GOODS
2. SPECIALIZED WORKERS
 SKILLS IN A SPECIFIC KIND OF WORK
3. COMPLEX INSTITUIONS
 GOVERNMENT, RELIGION, ECONOMY
4. RECORD KEEPING
 TAX, LAWS, STORAGE OF GRAIN,
CALENDAR OF RITUALS
5. ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
 PLOWS, IRRIGATION, BRONZE AGE FOR
WEAPONS

Banks of the Euphrates River (Sumer)
 Population 30,000
 3000 B.C.
 Well defined social classes
 Barter system
 Ziggurat (Temple) is center of city life
Ziggurat at Ur
 Temple
 “Mountain of
the Gods”
The Course of Empire: The
Savage State
The Course of Empire: Pastoral
State
The Course of Empire: The
Consummation
The Course of Empire:
Destruction
The Course of Empire:
Desolation
Resources
• Susan Pojer: Horace Greely HS – NY
• Pat Helm: Hickory Ridge HS – NC
• Darrell Wells: Hickory Ridge HS - NC