The Beginnings of Human Society

Standards Human Origins in Africa through the

Neolithic Age 7.1 Describe the great climatic and environmental

changes that shaped the earth and eventually permitted the growth of human life. (H)

  7.2 Identify sights in Africa where archeologists

have found evidence of origins of modern human beings and describe what the archeologists found.

 

Standards Human Origins in Africa through the

Neolithic Age 7. 3 Describe the characteristics of the hunter

gatherer societies of the Paleolithic age (their use of tools and fire, basic hunting weapons, use of beads and other jewelry) H

  7.4 Explain the importance of the invention of

metallurgy and agriculture (the growing of crops and domestication of animals

 

Standards Human Origins in Africa through the Neolithic Age   7. 5 Describe how the invention of agriculture related to settlement,

population growth, and the emergence of civilization   7.6 Identify the characteristics of civilization   A. the presence of geographic boundaries B. An economy that produces surpluses C. A concentration of population D. the existence of social classes E. developed systems of religion, learning, art and architecture F. A system of record keeping  

Geography and HistoryUnderstanding History:

About 5’000 years ago, peoples in Southwest Asia and in Africa developed systems of writing. They began to keep written records of

their experiences. These developments marked the beginning of history.

History – The written and other recorded events of people.

Prehistory – The time before history. ( The period of time before writing was invented.)

How do we know what happened in the past?

Archaeologists – Scientists who examine objects to learn about past peoples and cultures.

Artifacts Primary Sources Secondary Sources

Why Is it important to study history? Think / Pair / Share Homework Question #1: Ask someone

at home why it is important to learn lessons from the past.

Historians do not only rely on the objects discovered by archaeologists to learn about the

past. They also study written records of human life to understand a society, for example its wars,

religion and rulers. Written records usually begin as:

Oral Traditions – Stories passed down by word of mouth. (Family history, stories about heroes and events.)

Written Record Primary Sources: Actual accounts or

witnesses to an event Secondary Sources: Passed on accounts Oral Tradition: Stories passed down

verbally. Homework Question #2: Write about a

story from your past that you learned a lesson from.

Linking Geography and History

Knowing the connections between geography and history if often the key to understanding why events happened.

Knowing when and why historic events took place is important. To do this, historians often turn to:

Geography – The study of Earth’s surface and the processes that shape it. (Climate, landscape, location.)

Homework Question #3: What does where you live say about how you live? United States / Massachusetts / North Shore / Peabody

Prehistory

Hominids – Modern humans and earlier groups that may have included ancestors or relatives of modern humans.

Scientists think that hominids made these footprints 3.5 million years ago.

Hominid Highlights Australopithecus – First biped/ Lucy/Africa Homo Habilis/ Handy Man- Used

tools/Worked in Groups/Africa Homo Erectus/Upright Man- Used

Fire/Migrated out of Africa/Used Complex tools Neanderthals- Lived in Europe mostly/ Fought

HSS/ Skilled Hunters/ Survived Harsh Climates Homo Sapiens Sapiens/Cro-Magnons-

Otherwise known as us/Means “Double wise man”/Very Skilled use of tools/ Large Brain

Stone Age Hunting and Gathering Stone Age -

Period during which hominids, including modern humans, made lasting tools mainly from stone.

The Stone Age is divided into three periods: the Old Stone Age, the Middle Stone Age, and the New Stone Age.

Homework Q#4: What is one tool you could not live with out?

Fire!!! Between about

1,400,000 and 500,000 years ago, early hominids learned how to use fire.

The ability to create fire was an important step for our ancestors. It allowed them to move to areas with colder climates.

Settling New AreasAs early hominids developed the use of tools, they left

their original homes in Africa. Many early hominids were nomads. They moved around to places they

thought they could find food and stayed for several days.

Nomads – People who have no settled home.

The Beginning of Farming For tens of thousand of years, our

ancestors continued to live as hunter-gatherers. However, some societies entered the Middle Stone Age, which was characterized by the use of more refined or advanced tools. Those who began the practice of farming would enter the New Stone Age.

Early Farmers

Plant SelectionWhen people first began to plant crops, they carefully chose seeds from the biggest, best tasting plants. They began to:

Domesticate – adapt wild plants for human use.

Raising AnimalsJust as humans learned to domesticate plants, they also learned to domesticate animals. During the New Stone Age, humans learned to tame wild animals and breed them for human use. For example, dogs, sheep, goats and pigs.

Stone Age – Homo Habilis, 2 Million years ago through 3000 BCE when tools were made out of metal.

Paleolithic Old Stone Age Hunting- Wild animals Gathering- Nuts,

berries,plants Lived in the open Nomadic ( did not stay in

one place) Cave dwelling.

Neolithic New Stone Age Farming starts 8000

BCE. People settle down

which led to farming.

Does this photo best represent the Paleolithic or Neolithic part of The Stone Age?

Paleolithic or Neolithic?

The Beginnings of Civilization

Irrigation - Supplying land with water from another place using a network of canals.

Farming techniques like irrigation were important in creating early communities.

Advantages of Settled Life Surplus – More than what is needed. (Farming allowed for a

steady food supply all year round.)

Population growth. (Having a surplus of food allowed parents to feed and have more children)

Early Villages and Towns. (Gradually as the population increased, early settlements grew into towns and villages)

Artisan – A worker who is especially skilled in crafting items by hand. ( With food surpluses, people did not have to spend all day producing food and to switch to other kinds of work.

The Earliest Cities

City Present-Day Location

Date Founded

Ur Iraq c.3500 B.C.

Memphis Egypt c.3100 B.C.

Mohenjo-Daro

Pakistan c.2700 B.C.

Knossos Greece c.2500 B.C.

Anyang China c.1700 B.C.

Grew up along large rivers which allowed for rich soil for farming.

1. Nile – Egypt2. Tigris/Euphrates- Iraq3. Huang- China4. Indus- Pakistan

Early Cities

Government Population Growth = Government

Formation

What do Governments do?I. Keep order in societyII. Provide servicesIII. Settle DisputesIV. Manage public relations/Irrigation

projects

The First Civilizations Civilization - A society that has cities, a

central government run by official leaders, and workers who specialize in various jobs.

Also, writing, art, and architecture.

The Bronze Age