Transcript Historical Thinking Skills

A.P. World History
Chapter 1: Before History
Mr. Schabo
Crestwood High School
Rm. 126
Learning Objectives
• Compare and contrast the hominids Australopithecus and Homo
erectus.
• Explain the development and migration of Homo sapiens.
• Identify economic and social features of human societies during
the paleolithic era.
• Understand the key elements of paleolithic culture.
• Explain the reasons behind the transition to agriculture during
the neolithic era.
• Discuss the impact that the development of agriculture had
upon human society.
• Understand the key elements of neolithic culture and the
emergence of urban life.
Forming the Complex Society
 Basic development:



Hunting and foraging
Agriculture
Complex society
 Key issue: surplus capital
 Major development of first complex
societies 3500 B.C.E. – 500 B.C.E.
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Prehistory
 What is “history”?
 Documentation


Written records
Archaeological discovery
 Requisite human presence (or “natural”
history)
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Development of Hominids
 Animals adapt themselves to
environment
 Hominids adapt environment to
themselves



Use of tools
Language
Complex cooperative social structures
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.
Australopithecus
 “The southern ape” –
despite name, a hominid
 Discovery of skeleton AL288-1, north of Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia

Nicknamed “Lucy”
 3’5”, 55lb., bipedal, brain
500 cc (modern human:
1400 cc), limited speech
but opposable digit
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MEH_Australopithecus_afarensis_29-04-2012_11-30-00_2521x3223.JPG
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Later Hominids
 Homo erectus, “upright walking
human”

Larger brain capacity (1000 cc),
improved tool use, control of fire,
ability to communicate complex
ideas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_erectus
 Homo sapiens, “consciously
thinking human”


Largest brain, esp. frontal regions
Most sophisticated tools and social
organization; flexible language
 Migrations of Homo erectus and
Homo sapiens
http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/cathode_chronicles/index.php?page%5Cu003d2&page=3
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Global Migrations of Homo erectus
and Homo sapiens
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The Natural Environment
 By 13,000 B.C.E., Homo
sapiens in every
inhabitable part of the
world
 Archaeological finds:

Sophisticated tools
 Choppers, scrapers, axes,
knives, bows, arrows
 Cave and hut-like
dwellings
 Use of fire, animal skins
©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved
http://www.infoniac.com/environment/how-old-is-human-race-new-data.html
.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Laas_Geel_cow_and_human.jpg
The Natural Environment –Continued
 Hunted several
mammal species
to extinction

Climatic change
may have
accelerated
process
https://basictrainingacademy.wordpress.com/category/lifestyle/
Relative Social Equality
 Nomadic culture precludes accumulation of
land-based wealth





Relatively egalitarian existence
More likely determinants of status: age, hunting
skill, fertility, personality
Possible gender equality related to food production
Men: protein from hunting
Women: plant gathering
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Big-Game Hunting
 Evidence of intelligent coordination of
hunting expeditions



Development of weaponry
Animal-skin disguises
Stampeding tactics
 Lighting of fires, etc., to drive game into kill
zones
 Required planning, communication
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Paleolithic Settlements
 Natufian society


Modern Israel and Jordan
Wild wheat, herding
 Jomon society


http://bibleistrue.net/the-walls-of-jericho/
Japan
Wild buckwheat, fishing
 Chinook society


Pacific northwest
Berries, acorns, salmon runs
 Groups of 1000 or more
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread744533/pg
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Neandertal Peoples
 Neander valley, western
Germany
 Flourished in Europe and
southwest Asia, 200,000
to 35,000 years ago
 Also found in Africa, east
Asia
 Evidence of spirituality:
ritual burial
 Inhabited some of the
same areas as Homo
sapiens
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neanderthal
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Creativity of Homo sapiens
 Constructed flexible languages for
communication of complex ideas
 Increased variety of tools – stone
blades, spear throwers, sewing
needles, barbed harpoons
 Fabricated ornamental beads,
necklaces and bracelets
 The bow and arrow – a dramatic
improvement in humans’ power
over nature
 “Venus” figurines
 Cave paintings
http://www.anthropark.wz.cz/prechod_kultury_a.htm
http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/picturedisplay.asp?linkpath=pic%5CP%5CA%5CPaleolithic%20bracelet%20Mizyn%2015000%20BC%20(incised%20mammoth%20bone).jpg&page=pages%5CP%5CA%5CPaleolithicPeriod.htm&id=
10693&pid=7314&tyt=Paleolithic%20Period&key=Paleolithic+Period%2C+%D0%9F%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%96%D1%82%3B+Paleolit%2C+%D0%9F%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1
%96%D1%82%3B+Paleolit%5D%2E+The+earliest+period+of+human+development%2C+lasting+until+approx+8000+BC%2E+In+Western+archeology+the+Paleolithic+Period+or+Old
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Neolithic Era (“New Stone Age”)
 Distinction in tool production

Chipped vs. polished
 Relied on cultivation for subsistence


Men: herding animals rather than hunting
Women: nurturing vegetation rather than
foraging
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Neolithic Era Continued
 Spread of agriculture



Slash-and-burn techniques
Exhaustion of soil promotes migration
Transport of crops from one region to
another
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Origins and Early Spread of Agriculture
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.
Agriculture and Population Growth
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Population (millions)
3000
B.C.E.
2000
B.C.E.
1000
B.C.E.
500
B.C.E.
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Early Agricultural Society
 Emergence of villages and towns
 Discoveries at Çatal Hüyük – a
prominent village located in Turkey,
occupied 7250-5400 B.C.E.

Pots, baskets, textiles, leather, stone,
metal tools, wood carvings, carpets, beads,
and jewelry
 Development of crafts – pottery,
metallurgy, and textile production
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Social Distinctions
 Accumulation of landed wealth initiates
development of social classes
 Individuals could trade surplus food for
valuable items
 Archaeological evidence in variety of
household decorations, goods buried
with deceased members of society at
Çatal Hüyük
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Neolithic Culture
 Farmers closely observed the natural world –
an early kind of applied science
 Elements of natural environment essential
for functioning
 Archaeological evidence of religious worship:
thousands of clay figurines, drawings on
pots, tool decorations, other ritual objects

Fertility: Venus figurines
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The Origins of Urban Life


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Craft specialization
Social stratification
Governance
Cultural workers
Development of the city – a gradual
process
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