Chapter 1 Human Beginnings Pre-History – 1000 B.C.

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Dating Early Artifacts • How have recent archaeological finds contributed to our understanding of human origins?

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Prehistoric Finds in Africa • In 1992, Gen Suwa, a paleontologist from Japan discovers, in East Africa, ________ _________________________________.

• Over the next two years, additional remains were uncovered, like arm bones and parts of the skull and jaw that belonged to _______________________.

• Just 45 miles away, In 1974, Donald C. Johanson and Tom Gray uncovered a 3.2 million-year-old skeleton they named Lucy.

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Human Origins • Scientists do not all agree about the story of human beginnings.

• One generally accepted theory is that

__________________________________ _________________________________

.

• These hominids are known as

Australopithecus.

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•

Australopithecus

spent their lives in the humid forests of eastern and southern Africa.

• _________________________________.

• They were probably

nomads

, never staying in one place for long OwlTeacher.com

•

Homo

is a Latin word used by scientists which means “_____________”.

• They use this word to name later humans as well.

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Scientists divide

Homo

into 3 categories of species:

Homo habilus -

“__________________”

Homo erectus -

“___________________ ___________________”  lived until about _____ million years ago  lived after the previous group of humans

Homo sapiens -

“__________________”  lived _______ to about ___________ years ago  __________________ ___________________ OwlTeacher.com

The Ice Ages • _________________________ played an important role in the development of early humankind.

• Earth experienced four long periods of cold climate between 2 million and 10,000 years ago, known as ________________.

• The level of the oceans dropped more than 300 ft. as _____________________.

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• As a result of this, some areas that are now separated by water, were connected by a land bridge: 1. ___________________________________ 2. ___________________________________ 3. Malay Peninsula through the Indonesian islands almost all the way to Australia 4. ___________________________________.

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How did early humans react to the environmental changes of the Ice Ages?

In Different Ways: 1. Some people simply moved to warmer places (usually the middle latitudes where it was warm enough to live) 2. ________________________________ ________________________________.

3. Those who could not adapt died from starvation and exposure to the extremes.

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Human Culture

Culture includes:

1. the knowledge a group of people have 2. ________________________ 3. ________________________ ________________________ 4. ________________________ 5. their achievements in art and music.

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• Toolmaking – the use of tools was one of the earliest aspects of culture that people formed.

• The Stone Age – name used to identify the period before writing became established.

• __________________________________ __________________________________ _________________________________|.

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The Stone Age is divided into 3 Paleolithic or shorter periods:  _____________________ ___________________  Began about 2 million years ago & until about 12,000 B.C.

 First toolmaking was by the

Homo habilis

Mesolithic or ___________________  Usually dated from about 12,000 B.C. to about 8,000 B.C.

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Neolithic or ___________________  Lasted from about 8,000 B.C. to 5,000 B.C.

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Paleolithic Hunter-Gatherers • Homo Habilis – lived during first quarter of Paleolithic period. – ____________________________________ – Lived in Africa from about 2.5 to 1.5 million years ago – Lived alongside the

Australopithecus

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• Homo Erectus – Lived during last part of Paleolithic period. • There is much more information about this group of early humans – First appeared in Africa & lived from 1.6 million to about 250,00 years ago.

– ____________________________________ – ____________________________________ OwlTeacher.com

•

Migrations

– Not enough is known about the migrating habits of Homo habilis people.

– Scientists do know that Homo erectus people migrated from their Native Africa to Europe and Asia.

– Skeletal remains prove that they lived in ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________.

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•

Language

– Instead of just making sounds and signals to show emotion and direction, Homo erectus may have been talking to each other about 500,000 years ago.

– ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________.

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What benefits did language offer to humanity?

 Made it possible for people to work together (organize duties, give directions)  __________________________________ __________________________________  Provided a way for people to socialize and entertain each other (storytelling)  Most important of all, it allowed people to __________________________________ __________________________________ OwlTeacher.com

Homo Sapiens • Evidence of early Homo sapiens goes back as far as 200,000 years ago.

• Neanderthals - _____________________ __________________________________ • Neanderthals stood about 5.5 feet tall, their brains were slightly larger than modern humans, and their bodies were stocky.

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Technological skills of Neanderthals: • ___________________________ • Skillfully constructed stone knives, spear points, and bone tools • Crafted hide-cleaning and food preparing tools OwlTeacher.com

How did they live?

• Most lived in small groups of 35 to 50 people • __________________________________ __________________________________ • Lived in ________ or overhangs from cliffs • Wore heavy clothing made from animal skins to stay warm and protected OwlTeacher.com

Their culture and beliefs: • Neanderthals cared for their sick and elderly • May have been the first people to practice medicine • ___________________________ • ___________________________ OwlTeacher.com

Homo sapiens sapiens • __________________________________ • More advanced than Homo sapiens • Within 20,000 years ago, this modern group had migrated to almost every continent of the world • As these people moved out of Africa, they intermarried with Neanderthals OwlTeacher.com

The Cro-Magnons • Earliest Homo sapiens sapiens • Their remains were first found in France around 1860 • Cro-Magnons were taller and less stocky than Neanderthals • Improved technology development • __________________________________ OwlTeacher.com

Technology of Cro-Magnons • __________________________________ • Created fishing devices and needles for sewing • Invented the stone ax in order to cut down trees and make canoes • Invented the spear-thrower and the bow and arrow • __________________________________ __________________________________ OwlTeacher.com

Social Life of Cro-Magnons • Lived in bands, with many different bands spread throughout • __________________________________ • Rules were developed for people to get along and for work to get done • Leaders were named and placed in charge of enforcing rules • __________________________________ OwlTeacher.com

Cave Paintings of Cro-Magnons • __________________________________ • No one knows for sure why they painted on cave walls – ____________________________________ – May have been reaching out to spiritual world – Maybe to relieve boredom & monotony • *Clay sculptures have also been found as well as figures of ivory and bone OwlTeacher.com

Neolithic Revolution • During the Neolithic period and immediately after, humanity made a giant leap in culture – ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ – In a period of 5,000 years, people gradually moved from hunting & gathering to producing food OwlTeacher.com

• New agricultural methods came about • This led to massive changes in the way people lived! That’s why we call this time in history the ___________________________________.

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• This revolution took place slowly • Took place at different times in different parts of the world • The crops that Neolithic people developed varied from place to place • Farming made life easier for people – ____________________________________ – ____________________________________ OwlTeacher.com

• Farming also allowed people to ______________________ _____________________ • Crude houses were constructed with mud bricks • Several related families usually lived in one house OwlTeacher.com

Technological Advances  Neolithic farmers invented the ______ and trained oxen to pull it.

 Neolithic villagers invented the loom and began to __________________________  They learned how to make jewelry and better weapons  People created calendars to measure the seasons & determine when to plant crops OwlTeacher.com

 People began caring about boundary lines and rules of inheritance because their food supply depended on land ownership.

 As villages began competing for land and water, __________ was created.

 Neolithic people believed in deities or _____________________________ OwlTeacher.com

Emergence of Civilization  Civilization – ______________________  Some villages evolved into cities  Cities sprang up at different times in different places  __________________________________ __________________________________ OwlTeacher.com

Early River Valley civilizations  People’s labor was specialized with different men and women doing different jobs  The civilizations depended on advanced _______________________________  Each civilization had some form of government to make and carry out rules and procedures OwlTeacher.com

The Economy of a Civilization • First Irrigation systems – ______________ __________________________________ • Specialization of labor – artisans became increasingly productive and creative • Long distance trade – farmers and artisans began trading outside of their communities and eventually covered longer distances OwlTeacher.com

Living Together in Cities • Civilizations slowly grew more prosperous and more complex • Populations steadily grew also. Early cities had between 5,000 to 30,000 residents!

• Of course, a population like this could not operate the same way that a village of 200 had operated.

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Therefore, • A group of government officials was created to oversee the collection, storage, and distribution of farming surpluses.

• These officials also organized and directed labor forces needed for large-scale construction projects.

• __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ OwlTeacher.com

• __________________________________ made up what is known as a ruling class.

• This ruling class was usually led by a king (_____________________________) • The first kings ever were probably elected, but over time they inherited their positions.

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The Invention of Writing • Priests began using marks and pictures, called pictograms, to represent products.

• Eventually they used the marks and pictures to represent abstract ideas and even later, to represent sounds.

• Priests kept records of individual men and women who were ___________________, ______________, and _______________.

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• After a time, priests also recorded things like the king’s battle victories, legal codes, medical texts, and observations of the stars.

• Priests also recorded _______ (traditional stories explaining how the world was formed, how people came into being, and what they owed their creator).

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• __________________________________ _________________________________.

• Because these ideas, beliefs, or myths vary from place to place, historians usually examine them for clues to a people’s customs and values.

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