The Peopling of the WorldPrehistory – 2500 BCE

Chapter 1

World History 1Mr. Calloway2010 – 2011

Discovering Prehistory• Prehistory:

– Period before written history– Prehistory Periods (Three-Age

System):• Stone Age

– Paleolithic – Old Stone Age– Neolithic – New Stone Age

• Copper Age • Bronze Age• Iron Age

– (onset of written evidence varies by culture)

– Essential tools to understanding this period:• Archaeology• Paleontology• Anthropology• Geology

• Primary Source:– First-hand, eyewitness

account (most accurate)• Artifacts, Human

Remains, Written Records

• Secondary Source:– Second-hand source of

information (less accurate)• Encyclopedia/Textbook,

Articles that interpret primary sources

Archaeology • Study of past societies through an analysis of

what they left behind.

• Artifacts:

Tools and Weapons Art and Sculpture Pottery

Jewelry Human RemainsBuildings &Monuments

Paleontology• Study of the evolution and interaction of prehistoric life

and environments

• Fossil:

• Carbon Dating:– Used to date organic fossils

• All living things possess a radioactive isotope called Carbon 14 (absorbed from the sun)– Carbon 14 has a half-life of 5000 years

• Measuring the amount of Carbon left allows scientists to date fossils

• Thermoluminescence Dating:– Measures amount of light given off by the electrons in the soil

surrounding fossils/artifacts• Can measure up to 200,000 years

Anthropology

• Study of human life and culture

• Basic Concerns:– What defines homo sapiens?– Who are the ancestors of homo

sapiens?– How do humans behave?

Geology

• Study of the history and composition of the physical matter that constitutes Earth

Hominid Discovery• Hominid:

– Humans and other creatures that walk upright on two feet.• Australopithecines:

– 1st Hominids; 4 million – 1 million BCE• Walked upright; Opposable thumb

• Donald Johanson:– 1974 (‘Lucy’):

• Complete skeleton of an adult female hominid

• Mary Leakey:– 1978:

• Found footprints that dates walking human ancestors to 3,600,000 years ago

Humans Evolve• Homo Habilis:

– 2.5 million – 1.5 million BCE• ‘Man of Skill’

– Used simple tools made of lava rock

– Location: Eastern Africa– Olduvai Gorge

» Great Rift Valley (Eastern Africa)

• Homo Erectus:– 1.6 million – 30,000 BCE

• ‘Upright Man’– Developed technology

• Hominid Firsts:– to migrate from Africa

» India, China, SE Asia, Europe– to use fire– to develop a spoken language

• Neanderthals:– 200,000 – 30,000 BCE

• Location: Europe and SW Asia– Developed religious beliefs and rituals

• Ex: funerals– Skills

• Utilized stone tools• played music

• Homo-Sapiens:– ‘Wise Men’

• Species of modern men• Cro-Magnon:

– 40,000 – 8,000 BCE• Prehistoric humans

– Location: Europe– Skills:

• created art• developed hunting strategies• Advanced spoken language

Early Human Migration

Paleolithic Age• Old Stone Age

– ‘Paleo’: old– ‘Lithic’: stone

• Nomadic Clans:– Groups of 20-30 that wandered from place to place in search of food

• Hunter-gatherers:– Men hunted and women gathered

• Adaptations:– Fire:

• Used to keep warm and cook food– Oral Language:

• Allowed for cooperation (ex: hunting)– Tools:

• Allowed for increase in food production (ex: spear, digging stick)– Cave Paintings:

• Depict life, identify animals, communicate information, religious practices– ‘Sympathetic Magic’

Neolithic Revolution• New Stone Age

– ‘Neo’: New• Agricultural Revolution:

– Provided a stable food source • Systematic Agriculture

– Ushered in the Neolithic Age– Slash-and-Burn Farming:

• Burned trees/grass to clear a field and provide fertilizer for the soil (ash)– Jarmo:

• Oldest known agricultural community • Animal Domestication:

– Tamed horses, dogs, goats and pigs• Innovations:

– more sophisticated tools– developed weaving– created pottery

• Food storage

Villages into Cities

• Innovations:– Irrigation:

• Consistent water source for crops led to food surplus– Craftsmen:

• Food surplus allows villagers to develop other skills– Ex: potters, weavers, jewelers, metal workers, traders

– Wheel/Sail:• Benefited trade (barter system), movement and communication

• Social Changes:– Class Systems Develop:

• Groups of different wealth, power and influence– Religion:

• Become more organized and traditional

JerichoLocation:

- Ancient Palestine near the Dead Sea

- est. 8,000 BCE

Catal HuyukLocation:

- Anatolia

- est. 7,200 BCE

Civilization• Advanced Cities:

– Center of trade for an area/region• Complex Institutions:

– Government, Religion• Record Keeping:

– Economics, government, and religion required record keeping and brought the need for scribes• Professional record keepers

– Cuneiform (Sumer):• 1st system of writing

• Specialized Workers:– Creation of artisans

• Jewelers, Potters, Tool/Weapon Makers, etc

• Advanced Technology:– Potter’s Wheel– Ox-Drawn Plow– Metal Use:

• Copper (Chalcolitihic/Copper Age):– 1st metal utilized; natural metal

• Bronze (Bronze Age):– alloy of bronze and tin

» Harder and more durable