Humans, or homo sapiens, emerged in East Africa between 100,000
and 400,000 years ago. Humans migrated from Africa to Eurasia,
Australia, and then to the Americas roughly 12,000 years ago by
crossing the Bering Strait. The early ages of humankind are based
on the kinds of tools used; first stone, then copper and bronze,
and then iron.
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1. The first age of humankind is called the Paleolithic age.
This means Old Stone Age. Why do you think it was called that? 2.
The Paleolithic Age started with the use of simple tools and ended
when humans first used farming techniques.
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1. The first human societies were know as hunter-gatherers.
Because they lived by hunting and gathering food that they found in
the wild. 2. In other words, the were nomadic, traveling constantly
as a means of survival. Otherwise, they would quickly use up their
sources of food and clothing.
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3. Hunter-Gatherers traveled in groups of families called
clans, searching for plants, seeds, fruits, and nuts, and for
animals to kill and eat. 4. These early humans had no written
language, but used oral language to organize their hunts. This
proved essential to big-game hunts that were dangerous and
complicated.
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5. Hunter-Gatherers also created base camps, using natural
shelters such as caves. The invention of fire ensured that no large
animals, like bears, tried to share the caves with them.
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1. Wherever hunter-gatherers went, varied physical conditions
required new hunting techniques, tools and clothing in order to
survive. 2. Colder climates called for warmer clothing made of
animal fur, and stitched together with bone needles. A. Hunters
made spear throwers, bows, and arrows and barbed spears to kill
these fur- bearing animals.
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1. Simple stone tools 2. FIRE! 3. Taming dogs for help in
hunting 4. Oral language 5. Cave Art A. Found in France, Spain,
Africa, and Australia Which could we say are the oldest? B. Art
depicted scenes of wild animals and humans C. it is believed that
cave are played a part in religious practices.
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You are going to create your own cave drawings! 1. You must
include time appropriate drawings: i.e.. use fire, bows and arrows,
big game animals, domesticated dogs, stone tools, images of hunting
and gathering in your cave drawings. 2. This will count as a grade,
dont worry about artistic ability, just do your best!
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1. The development of farming created a new age known as the
Neolithic Age.
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1. People began settling in stable communities built in good
locations for planting and tending to crops year after year. 2.
This production agriculture provided large amounts of food and
resources.
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3. Because only a portion of community member had to do the
farming, others could practice trades or provide services A. in
other words, agriculture allowed for more civilized living. 1.
Manufacturing of pottery and other goods 2. Development of economic
and social classes 3. A wider range of religious and social
activities
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4. Remember: hunter-gather societies did not simply disappear
during the Neolithic Age, since it was still a suitable way of life
in some environments, even today. (ex. Bushman of southern
Africa)
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1. Polishing of tools instead of chipping them 2. Domestication
of goats, sheep, pig and later cattle 3. Weaving of cloth replaced
animal skins as clothing 4. Development of seed culture 5. A
division of labor 6. These advances allowed for population
increases, economic prosperity, and a distinctive cultural and
spiritual life.
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1. Locating and analyzing human remains, tools and other
artifacts of early human life 2. Procedures used A. Carbon Dating
to determine the approximate age of artifacts such as tolls jewelry
and pieces of pottery. 1. the amount of carbon in man-made
materials decreases over time through a process called radioactive
decay. 2. Carbon levels determine the age of these organic
materials
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3. New archeological findings continue to raise questions about
the true origins of humankind. Studies suggest that China may have
been a place of human origin, not just Africa.