CHAPTER 1 From Human Prehistory to the

Early Civilizations

Mara CollinsGriffin Pfaff

Emilee Hunt

Intro

Humans originated 2.5 million years ago Negatives/Positives:

1. Aggressiveness, long baby time, back problems, death fears

2. Grip, high/regular sex drive, omnivores, facial expressions, speech

Paleolithic (old stone) Age-2.5 million to 12,000 BCE

1) Simple tools-increase in size, brain capacity-Homo Erectus

Two theories about how humans evolved:

Late Paleolithic Developments

Homo sapiens sapiens- 120,000 yrs ago1. Population Growth=Change: 1 square mile to

hunt/gather for 2 peoplea. Long breast feeding-limit fertilityb. Relative gender equality

2. Greatest Achievement-spread over eartha) Fire/animal skin

3. Tools-sharpen animal bones4. Domestication of pigs sheep cattle goats5. Fought with each other- bone breaks, tool

remains, burial sites

Knowledge based on:

Hunter/Gatherer society=Egalitarianism Polydaemonism-belief in many spirits

Neolithic (New Stone) Age

Agriculture allowed for pop. growth1. Settled in one spot- focus on economic,

political religious goals2. 6 million to 100 million people in about 4,000

years Causes for Agriculture

1. End of Ice Age=Better climate2. Big game animals decreasing-hunting yield

declined3. Wild grains to planting seeds