EARLY MANEARLY MAN

Clues from ArchaeologyClues from Archaeology

Archaeologists use fossil Archaeologists use fossil bones, tools, and other bones, tools, and other artifacts to learn about the artifacts to learn about the earliest people.earliest people.

The fossil record of early The fossil record of early humans shows that brain size humans shows that brain size and tool making ability grew and tool making ability grew over the centuries.over the centuries.

The “Old Stone Age,” the very The “Old Stone Age,” the very beginning of tool making, beginning of tool making, began about 2.5 million years began about 2.5 million years ago and lasted until around ago and lasted until around 10,000 B.C.10,000 B.C.

The Ice AgeThe Ice Age

During the Ice Age, about 2.5 During the Ice Age, about 2.5 million years ago until about million years ago until about 12,000 years ago, glaciers 12,000 years ago, glaciers advanced and stretched over advanced and stretched over large areas of the earth.large areas of the earth.

During the colder periods of During the colder periods of the Ice Age, early humans the Ice Age, early humans had to learn to make shelter, had to learn to make shelter, fire and clothing.fire and clothing.

As water froze, ocean levels As water froze, ocean levels dropped, allowing land dropped, allowing land bridges to arise and enabling bridges to arise and enabling early humans to colonize early humans to colonize every continent except every continent except Antarctica.Antarctica.

Making ToolsMaking Tools

Tools enable people to Tools enable people to take advantage of a wide take advantage of a wide range of natural range of natural resources.resources.

The earliest toolmakers The earliest toolmakers used the same tool for used the same tool for many purposes. By the many purposes. By the time of Homo sapiens, time of Homo sapiens, toolmakers made tools toolmakers made tools for specific purposes.for specific purposes.

The ability to make The ability to make tools was a key tools was a key factor in the survival factor in the survival of early humans.of early humans.

Using LanguageUsing Language

Scientists believe that as brain size increased, so did Scientists believe that as brain size increased, so did early humans’ ability to create and use language.early humans’ ability to create and use language.

Language allowed early humans to share information, Language allowed early humans to share information, work together, and to pass on knowledge and work together, and to pass on knowledge and traditions.traditions.

Early Fire UsersEarly Fire Users

Homo heidelbergensis Homo heidelbergensis used fire to live in cold used fire to live in cold regions, cook food, and regions, cook food, and to scare off dangerous to scare off dangerous animals. animals.

Homo heidelbergensis Homo heidelbergensis were hunter-gatherers. were hunter-gatherers. This means they hunted This means they hunted wild animals and wild animals and gathered wild plants for gathered wild plants for food.food.

For about 7,000 For about 7,000 years, Homo years, Homo heidelbergensis lived heidelbergensis lived in groups of 20-30 in groups of 20-30 people that traveled people that traveled over the year to find over the year to find food.food.

The Neanderthals: The Neanderthals: Community BuildersCommunity Builders

Neanderthals: lived Neanderthals: lived in Europe in large in Europe in large groups of 20-50 groups of 20-50 people.people.

Neanderthals Neanderthals probably had a probably had a strong sense of strong sense of community and took community and took care of one another.care of one another.

Neanderthals seem Neanderthals seem to be the earliest to be the earliest people concerned people concerned with life after death.with life after death.

Cro-Magnons: Modern Cro-Magnons: Modern HumansHumans

The Cro-Magnons The Cro-Magnons looked like modern looked like modern people and lived like people and lived like modern hunter-modern hunter-gatherers.gatherers.

The Cro-Magnons The Cro-Magnons made advanced tools made advanced tools such as spear such as spear throwers.throwers.

The Cro-Magnons The Cro-Magnons carved sculptures carved sculptures and painted cave and painted cave walls and ceilings.walls and ceilings.

Living in Settled Living in Settled CommunitiesCommunities

People eventually People eventually stopped wandering in stopped wandering in groups and settled groups and settled down in one place.down in one place.

The discovery of The discovery of agriculture led to a agriculture led to a surplus of food and a surplus of food and a rise in population.rise in population.

Taming Animals and Taming Animals and Sowing SeedsSowing Seeds

By carefully selecting By carefully selecting and sowing seeds of and sowing seeds of productive plants, people productive plants, people influenced the plants in influenced the plants in their environment.their environment.

As people tamed As people tamed animals, they were able animals, they were able to herd them and use to herd them and use them as a renewable them as a renewable resource.resource.

Farming as a Way of LifeFarming as a Way of Life

By 7000B.C., people had By 7000B.C., people had developed agriculture, developed agriculture, growing plants and raising growing plants and raising animals for food.animals for food.

Agriculture allowed farmers to Agriculture allowed farmers to grow surplus food for trading, grow surplus food for trading, and to support more people and to support more people on small plots of land.on small plots of land.

Agriculture allowed people to Agriculture allowed people to specialize in different jobs, specialize in different jobs, leading to the beginnings of leading to the beginnings of village life.village life.

A Large Neolithic TownA Large Neolithic Town

Catal Huyuk is the Catal Huyuk is the largest Neolithic town largest Neolithic town found in the Middle found in the Middle East so far.East so far.

People lived in People lived in houses, farmed, and houses, farmed, and made arts and crafts.made arts and crafts.

Trade in the Neolithic Trade in the Neolithic WorldWorld

Archaeologists have Archaeologists have found evidence that found evidence that Neolithic villages traded Neolithic villages traded a variety of items, a variety of items, including tools and food.including tools and food.

Trade enabled villages to Trade enabled villages to survive by supplying survive by supplying items they could not items they could not provide for themselves.provide for themselves.

A City on the PlainA City on the Plain

At the city of Ur, At the city of Ur, people began to dig people began to dig canals from the canals from the riverbeds to irrigate--riverbeds to irrigate--supply water to– their supply water to– their fields.fields.

Irrigation allowed Irrigation allowed farmers to control farmers to control water and the water and the surplus of food.surplus of food.

Features of a CityFeatures of a City

In cities, people In cities, people learned to get learned to get organized, by organized, by leaders, to work leaders, to work together.together.

As labor began to get As labor began to get more specialized, more specialized, many different kinds many different kinds of jobs were created.of jobs were created.

Cities developed Cities developed different social different social groups, with some groups, with some people richer and people richer and more powerful than more powerful than others.others.

People in cities were People in cities were able to develop long-able to develop long-distance trade.distance trade.

An Early CivilizationAn Early Civilization

A civilization is complex A civilization is complex society with a stable food society with a stable food supply, specialization of supply, specialization of labor, a system of labor, a system of government, social government, social levels, and a highly levels, and a highly developed culture.developed culture.

Many early civilizations Many early civilizations around the world grew around the world grew up near river valleys.up near river valleys.