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PREHISTORIC AGE
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The three-age system divides human technological prehistory into three periods:
The Stone AgeThe BronzeAge
The Iron Age
A more modern periodization of the Stone Age stretches from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic in the
following scheme
Pleistocene epoch (highly glaciated climate)
Paleolithic age
Holocene epoch (modern climate)
Mesolithic or Epipaleolithic age
Neolithic age
CopperAge
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Historical period (written record begins)
Chronology
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The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric time period during which humans widely
used stone for toolmaking
The period starts with the widespread of humanity from the savannas of East Africa
to the rest of the world.
It ends with the development of agriculture, the domestication of certain animals
and the smelting of copper ore to produce metal.
It is termed prehistoric, since humanity had not yet started writing -- the traditional
start of history
STONE AGE (pre-metallurgic period )
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It covers nearly 99% of human history
It extend from 2.5or 2.6 million years ago
The humans were grouped together in small scale societies such as bands and
gained their subsistence from gathering plants and hunting wild animals
Tools
Made from stone
Multipurpose and can be used for more than one task
Simple weapons (Homo habilis)
Scrapers, hand axes,spear heads, flint for fire, .
During the end of the Paleolithicspecifically the Middle and or Upper
Paleolithic humans began to produce the earliest works ofart and engage
in religiousand spiritual behavior such as burial and ritual.
Paleolithic Age (old stone age)
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In Africa, an early ancestor of modernhumans, called Homo habilis, developed
the earliest known stone tools. These
were relatively simple tools known as
choppers.
These humans likely subsisted onscavenged meat and wild plants, rather
than hunted prey.
Around 1.5 million years ago, a more
evolved human species, Homo erectus,
appeared. H. erectus learned to controlfire and created more complex chopper
tools, as well as expanding out ofAfrica
to reach Asia.
Poulnabrone dolmen in County
Clare, Ireland
Lower Palaeolithic
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This period began about 200,000 years ago and is most well-known as being the
era during which theNeanderthals lived (c. 120,00035,000 years ago).
The stone artifact technology of the Neanderthals is generally known as the
Mousterian.
Although often identified in the public's mind as primitive, there is evidence that
Neanderthals nursed their elderly and practiced ritual burial indicating an
organised society.
Middle Paleolithic peoples demonstrate
the earliest undisputed evidence forart and
other expressions ofabstract thought
such as intentional burial of the dead.
MIDDLE PALEOLITHICEND OF THE ICE AGE
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The cave art of Lascaux is an example
of Upper Paleolithic culture
modern humans spread out
further across the Earth during
the period known as the Upper
Paleolithic.
After the arrival of the first modern humans (Cro-Magnons) in Europe a relatively
rapid succession of often complex stone artifact technologies took place during
this period.
The Americas were colonised via the Bering land bridge which was exposed
during this period by lower sea levels. These people are called the Paleo Indians,
and the earliest accepted dates are those of the Clovis culture sites, some 13,500years ago.
Globally, societies were hunter-gatherers but evidence of regional identities
begins to appear in the wide variety of stone tool types being developed to
suit different environments.
UPPERPALEOLITHIC 35,000 to 10,000 years ago
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Rise in sea levels
Environment changes occurs
Need to find new food sources.
The development of microlith tools began (in response to these changes)
They were derived from the previous Paleolithic tools(hence Epipaleolithic).
However, in Europe the term Mesolithic is used, as the tools (and way of life) were
imported from the Near East.
Microlith tools permitted more efficient hunting
More complex settlements, such as Lepenski Virdeveloped based around fishing
Domestication of the dog as a hunting companionThe earliest known battle occurred during the Mesolithic period at a site in Egypt
known as Cemetery
Epipaleolithic / Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) AROUND 10,000 to 6,000 yearsago
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Adoption of agriculture (Neolithic Revolution)
The development of pottery
More complex, larger settlements such as Catal Huyk and Jericho.
The first Neolithic cultures started around 7000 BC in the fertile crescent.
Agriculture and the culture it led to spread to the Mediterranean, the Indus
valley, China and Southeast Asia.
Due to the increased need to harvest and process plants, ground stone andpolished stone artefacts became much more widespread, including tools for
grinding, cutting, and chopping. The first large-scale constructions were built,
including settlement towers and walls, eg: Jericho and ceremonial sites,
eg: Stonehenge.
These show that there was sufficient resources and co-operation to enable largegroups to work on these projects. To what extent this was a basis for the
development of elites and social hierarchies is a matter of on-going debate.
NEOLITHIC (New Stone Age) around 7000 BC
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Neolithic cultures were
noticeably more hierarchical
than the Paleolithic cultures that
preceded them and Hunter-
gatherer cultures in general.
The earliest evidence for
established trade exists in theNeolithic with newly settled
people importing exotic goods
over distances of many
hundreds of miles.
Skara Brae located on Orkney
island off Scotland is one ofEurope's best examples of a
Neolithic village. The
community contains stone
beds, shelves and even an
indoor toilet linked to a
stream.
Skara Brae, Scotland. Europe's
most complete Neolithic village
NEOLITHIC (New Stone Age) around 7000 BC
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AGRICULTURALREVOLUTION
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NEW MODE OF LIFE
1. Dependency on few plants
2. Greater vulnerability to weather
3. Complete dependency on harvest
times
4. Need for intense physical labor
5. Population growth
6. Diseases
Opportunities of the new way of life
sedentary way of life
Development of technology
building permanent dwellings -
variety of solid dwellings of a
more or less permanent sort using
the local building materials.
specialization becomes possible
Animals were kept in very close proximity tohuman living quarters. The flat roof-tops of houses were used as living space in the evening.Later, open central courtyards were developed.
Cluster of houses (above) is from one of the
world's earliest towns, Catal Huyak,Turkey.
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In the earliest phase of development,
pioneer farmers used techniques and
tools which had long been familiar to
hunter-gatherers: the stone axe, hoe,
and sickle (left) for preparation of thefields and harvesting the grain.
The primitive milling device for
grinding seeds between two stones
(the "quern," below) to process the
grain into edible form had been inuse for thousands of years by
peoples who collected seeds but did
not plant them
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Development ofAgriculture
Basis of civilization
innovations like the use of fire and the development of agriculturethe development of tools, language and writing.
From Hunter/Gatherer to Horticulturist to Agriculturist
Agricultural origins can be traced to the Neolithic Age
(around 8,000 B.C.). Plant domestication seems tohave occurred independently in various regions
possessing favorable environmental conditions and
that include a diversity of habitats in a relatively small
area, mild climate, abundant water and wildlife. An
important center appears to be Greater Mesopotamia
(present day Iraq). This is a rich flood plain where
wheat, barley, and oats are believed to have
originated. The image below shows the Zagros
mountains of Iraq where the landscape appears much
as it probably was 10,000 years ago.
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Pottery
Weaving
Metallurgy
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Domestication of animals andplants
Milk
Worker
Meat
To provide leather, wool, hides
Manure for soil conditioning
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An early agricultural village compound in
Turkey - the world's oldest town site at
Jericho (9000 years old). The picture
below depict one of the paradoxes of the
new way of life. Settled agricultural
villages - the accumulation of storable
food-stuffs and other wealth.But what can be stored can also be
stolen. Hence, large investments of labor
in building walls or other measures to
protect that vulnerable wealth.
The stone tower located just below the
gate is approximately 30 feet tall and 30feet broad at the base.
surpluses of food were fed to workers who are
not engaged directly in food production.
Building such large walls and towers also
requires extensive cooperation or coordination
within the community. In fact, the level ofcooperation necessary to create walls on this
scale implies organization with a directing,
managing function--in short, a government.
a new mode of social organization emerges--a
division between those who direct and manage
and those who are directed. As specializations
emerged in the economy, inequalities of wealthand status emerged with them. In short,
hierarchies of wealth, status and power
began to characterize the new societies.
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Age Period Tools Economy Dwelling Sites Society Religion
Ston
e age
Paleolithi
c
Handmade toolsand objects found
in nature cudgel,club, sharpened
stone, chopper,handaxe, scraper,
spear, Bow andarrow, harpoon,
needle, scratch awl
Hunting and
gatheringMobile
lifestyle
caves, huts,
tooth or skin
hovels,mostly by
rivers and
lakes
A band of
edible-plantgatherersand
hunters(25-100people)
Evidence
for beliefin theafterlifefirst
appearsin theMiddlePaleolithicor UpperPaleolithic
, markedby theappearan
ce ofburialritualsandancestorworship.Priests
andsanctuary
servantsappear intheprehistory.
Mesolithic
(known as theEpipalaeolithic in areas not
effected bythe Ice Age(such asAfrica))
Handmadetools andobjects found innature bow
and arrow, fish basket, boats
Tribes
and
Bands
Neolithic Handmade toolsand objects found
in nature chisel,hoe, plough, yoke,
reaping-hook,
grain pourer,barley, loom,earthenware
(pottery) andweapons
AgricultureGathering, hunting,
fishing anddomestication
Farmsteadsduring theNeolithic andthe Bronze Age
Formation ofcities during theBronze Age
Tribes andthe formation
of chiefdomsin some
Neolithic
societies atthe end ofthe Neolithic
period' Statesand
chiefdomsduring the
Bronze AgeBronzeAge Copper and bronze
tools, potter's
wheel
Agriculture cattle breeding,agriculture,craft, tradeIronAge Iron tools
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Hunting & Gathering Agriculture
Small bands (25-250), semi-nomadic
existence
sedentism, expanding
population
seasonal migration permanent living sites
wide variety of food sources (typically 350
plant varieties)
replaces diversity with
monoculture
exploits territory extensively exploits intensively
security through diversity security through specialization
small (portable) tool kittool kit, technology expands
exponentially
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Social Organization/Control
Hunting &Gathering Agriculture
communal life private life, property increasing
little specialization in social
or economic rolessocial and economic specialization
gender roles (?) gender-specific roles
relatively egalitarian social hierarchy emerges
cultural/technical information
is widely diffused
cultural/technical information expands and
becomes a form of property
custom, tradition rule coercion becomes necessary
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The story that emerges from countless studies on the process of
domestication is that social groups of hunters/gatherers made a slow transition
into a more settled lifestyle closely associated with the regular cultivation of
plants, especially cereals. However, see one anthropological perspective on
the relationship between horticulture and agriculture.
Although crops of relatively minor importance have
been developed anew since the Middle Ages, all
important crop plants and all domesticated animals
were brought under human management('domestication') in prehistoric times. The process of
domestication was probably a gradual affair,
involving the cultivation of specific groups of plants
and the selection ('differential reproduction') of
superior types. The first humans to domesticate
plants were also the first 'plant breeders' (manybelieve they were probably women). Plant breeding
has been defined as 'applied genetics', but effective
breeding was obviously practiced before the
principles of genetics were elucidated by Gregor
Mendel in the 1850's.
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Sedentism - living permanently in one place
it formed the basis for a new way of life whichwe call civilization
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A wooden
axe.
Mesolithic
Adzemounted
directly
onto
handle
flint axe
withwooden
handle
Mesolithic
Adze
Adze head
on diggingtool
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Reconstruction
of Habiline
settlement atOlduvai Gorge,
Tanzan...
Reconstruction
of Homo
sapiens sapiensdwelling
excavated at
P...
Two hunters
shelters one
Perian oneRussian
Circular
Natufian huts
Neanderthal
settlementwith
cooking,skinning and
toolmaking
go...
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- Jewellery [2] - Tools [2] - Weapons [1] - General [6]
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