Transcript EARLY MAN
EARLY MAN
Clues from Archaeology
Archaeologists use fossil
bones, tools, and other
artifacts to learn about the
earliest people.
The fossil record of early
humans shows that brain size
and tool making ability grew
over the centuries.
The “Old Stone Age,” the very
beginning of tool making,
began about 2.5 million years
ago and lasted until around
10,000 B.C.
The Ice Age
During the Ice Age, about 2.5
million years ago until about
12,000 years ago, glaciers
advanced and stretched over
large areas of the earth.
During the colder periods of
the Ice Age, early humans
had to learn to make shelter,
fire and clothing.
As water froze, ocean levels
dropped, allowing land
bridges to arise and enabling
early humans to colonize
every continent except
Antarctica.
Making Tools
Tools enable people to
take advantage of a wide
range of natural
resources.
The earliest toolmakers
used the same tool for
many purposes. By the
time of Homo sapiens,
toolmakers made tools
for specific purposes.
The ability to make
tools was a key
factor in the survival
of early humans.
Using Language
Scientists believe that as brain size increased, so did
early humans’ ability to create and use language.
Language allowed early humans to share information,
work together, and to pass on knowledge and
traditions.
Early Fire Users
Homo heidelbergensis
used fire to live in cold
regions, cook food, and
to scare off dangerous
animals.
Homo heidelbergensis
were hunter-gatherers.
This means they hunted
wild animals and
gathered wild plants for
food.
For about 7,000
years, Homo
heidelbergensis lived
in groups of 20-30
people that traveled
over the year to find
food.
The Neanderthals:
Community Builders
Neanderthals: lived
in Europe in large
groups of 20-50
people.
Neanderthals
probably had a
strong sense of
community and took
care of one another.
Neanderthals seem
to be the earliest
people concerned
with life after death.
Cro-Magnons: Modern
Humans
The Cro-Magnons
looked like modern
people and lived like
modern huntergatherers.
The Cro-Magnons
made advanced tools
such as spear
throwers.
The Cro-Magnons
carved sculptures
and painted cave
walls and ceilings.
Living in Settled
Communities
People eventually
stopped wandering in
groups and settled
down in one place.
The discovery of
agriculture led to a
surplus of food and a
rise in population.
Taming Animals and
Sowing Seeds
By carefully selecting
and sowing seeds of
productive plants, people
influenced the plants in
their environment.
As people tamed
animals, they were able
to herd them and use
them as a renewable
resource.
Farming as a Way of Life
By 7000B.C., people had
developed agriculture,
growing plants and raising
animals for food.
Agriculture allowed farmers to
grow surplus food for trading,
and to support more people
on small plots of land.
Agriculture allowed people to
specialize in different jobs,
leading to the beginnings of
village life.
A Large Neolithic Town
Catal Huyuk is the
largest Neolithic town
found in the Middle
East so far.
People lived in
houses, farmed, and
made arts and crafts.
Trade in the Neolithic
World
Archaeologists have
found evidence that
Neolithic villages traded
a variety of items,
including tools and food.
Trade enabled villages to
survive by supplying
items they could not
provide for themselves.
A City on the Plain
At the city of Ur,
people began to dig
canals from the
riverbeds to irrigate-supply water to– their
fields.
Irrigation allowed
farmers to control
water and the
surplus of food.
Features of a City
In cities, people
learned to get
organized, by
leaders, to work
together.
As labor began to get
more specialized,
many different kinds
of jobs were created.
Cities developed
different social
groups, with some
people richer and
more powerful than
others.
People in cities were
able to develop longdistance trade.
An Early Civilization
A civilization is complex
society with a stable
food supply,
specialization of labor, a
system of government,
social levels, and a
highly developed culture.
Many early civilizations
around the world grew
up near river valleys.