PALEOLITHIC ERA

Ms. Carmelitano

Hominid migration and the Bering Ice Bridge

During the Ice Age – a period of global cooling, water was trapped in ice caps and glaciers Creating “lands” made completely of ice Ended 14,000 B.C.E

The Bering Ice Bridge spread across the northern part of North America, Asia, and Europe People migrated to the Americas over this

bridge 30,000 years ago The bridge melted about 8,000 years ago

Human Species Movement

Homo Sapiens migrated from Africa to Eurasia, Australia, and then the Americas Why? Brainstorm reasons why people would have

moved? Following food Climate Change

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5zhBcXGKOI

Paleolithic Era

Old Stone Age the period of history marked by the use of

stone tools and weapons A time of invention of tools, mastery over

fire, development of language Spans from2.5 million to 8000 B.C.E.

Lifestyle of Early Humans

Nomadic people – highly mobile people who moved from place to place– following food and climate

Hunter-Gatherer – people who travel in bands, to kill game and gather native plants

Following the Food

The Hunter-Gatherer life style The Family

Early humans lived in small “clans” They could live on small amounts of food and move

frequently 26-70 people

Women Gathered berries and wild plants

Men Hunted

About seven hours every three days Children

Helped both the men and women

Components of Culture

Common Practices Shared Understandings Social Organizations

What people eat Language Family

Clothing and adornment

Symbols Class and case structures

Sports Religious beliefs Relationships b/w individual and community

Tools and technology Values Government

Social Customs The arts Economic systems

Work Political beliefs View of authority

Early Culture

The physical environment limited early man Dangerous animals Dark, unstable climate

Early man overcame these limits through the development of culture and language Culture – the system of beliefs that help to

explain the environment and set up rules for social behavior

Language allowed for: Symbolic thought and expression Sharing of ideas and beliefs

Innovations to make life easier Invented tools and weapons

Made of stone, bone, wood Needles to sew cloths

Fire Fire enables people to cook, to see at night, to

stay warm, to defend against predators

Religion

Neanderthals Had the first recorded religious and burial

practices Religion allowed Neanderthals to control the

fear of death

So How Do We Know All of This?

Written language did not develop until around 3200 BC The time before is called pre-history

So what records do we have of these early people? Fossil Evidence Cave Paintings

IE: Lascaux Cave Painting

Life During the Paleolithic Era