Transcript Unit 1: Beginnings of Civilization (4 million B.C.

Unit 1: Beginnings of Civilization
(4 million B.C.-200 B.C.)
Ch.1 Peopling of the World
Mr. Seiberg
Journal Entry:
Early Civilizations
What do you think of when you think of
early civilizations?
 As humans what do we need to survive?
 How does the environment impact the
way people live?
 For the next 3 minutes try to answer
these questions and tell me anything you
can think of about Early Civilizations!

Main Ideas
Early Humans spread out all over the
world!
 Learned to adapt to new environments
 Discovery of the uses of natural
resources
 Ideas and Inventions improved quality of
life
 Early Humans: Hunted animals and
gathered plant foods

How do we know about early
humans?
No written documents that long ago!!!
 Use bones and artifacts that provide clues
on how they lived.
 Bones- provide info on appearances,
diseases, and life expectancy
 Artifacts- Human-made objects such as
tools and jewelry found during the digs
that provide hints on how people lived in
the past.

Professions of Discovery
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Archaeologists- work like detectives by
digging through the dirt to uncover bones
and artifacts that reveal information from
past cultures.
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Anthropologists- Study culture to paint a
picture of the way groups of people lived
using the artifacts that archaeologists
discover.
Paleontologists- study fossils- evidence found in
rocks such as teeth, skulls, or bones to provide
more info about early humans.
• Culture- People’s unique way of life.
• All 3 work together to make new discoveries
about the past!
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Other Professions
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Economist: Studies economic systems and trade
Cartographer: Person who makes maps
Geographer: Studies geography and how it
impacts people
Political Scientists: Studies governments, leaders,
branches of government. Etc.
Sociologist: studies social interaction of different
groups
Psychologist: studies human behavior
What makes up a Culture?
List examples that describe your
Culture
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Food
Clothing
Hobbies (Sports)
Tools/Tech
Work
Language
Religion
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Political
Beliefs/Government
Economic system
Arts
Values
Class and Caste
System
Early Discoveries
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Laetoli Footprints-East Africa- hominid
footprints found in preserved volcano ash.
Hominids- Humans/Species that walk
upright
Louis and Mary Leakey
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Large impact on the study of human
origins.
– “Lucy”- Ethiopia- full female skeleton
discovered that was 3.5 million years agoOldest hominid found to date!
– Homo Habilis (Man of Skill)- Olduvai Gorgefound fossils of tools for cutting meat and
cracking bones. Tools made survival easier!!!
– Leaky’s proved that early humans lived in
Eastern Africa!!!
Lucy
Olduvai Gorge

Shanidar Cave (Iraq)- found evidence of a
funeral held for a set of human remains.
(suggests spiritual beliefs/culture!!)
Stone Age
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Period of the most impressive achievements in
human history!
– Discovery of fire
– Invention of tools
– Language (Communication)
Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age-1st half)- 2.5
Million to 8,000 B.C.- Oldest stone chopping
tools found during this time.
• Neolithic Age (New Stone Age-2nd half)- 8,000
B.C. to 3,000 B.C.- Polish stone tools, pottery,
crops, and raise animals.
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Advantages of Hominids
Easier travel, spot threatening enemies
sooner, and carry more food and children
 Opposable Thumb: allowed them to grab
objects such as tools
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Think about all the things you couldn’t do
without opposable thumbs!!!!
Culture
Journal Response
This week we’ve talked about Culture
 Using your notes and book, create your
own culture that describes you or the
society you would like to live in!
 (Ex: Foods, Technology, School, Friends,
etc.)
 Do not include religion
 Be prepared to share! 
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What’s the Main Point?
How did the introduction of agriculture
affect early peoples?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Civilizations developed
Birthrates decreased rapidly
Societies became nomadic
Food production declined
Beginning of Civilizations
Main Idea: New methods for obtaining food
and new technologies allowed for
civilizations to begin!
How Did They Get Food?
Old Stone Age- We were Nomads- Traveled
place to place looking for new food sources.
• Hunter-Gatherers- We relied on hunting
animals and collecting plants.
• Forced us to follow herds such as Buffalo
from place to place.
• Technological Revolution- developed new
tools and methods to improve our ability to
gather more food.
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– Used Wood, Bone, and Stone to create Spears,
Fish Hooks, Digging Tools for Plants, Knives, etc.
Advances in Art
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Artifacts
◦ Necklaces of seashells, lion teeth, and bear
claws
◦ Sculptures of animals
◦ Cave art- Drew lifelike images of animals with
colored paints made of charcoal, mud, and
animal blood. Found on several continents:
Australia, Africa, Europe
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Give us info on their daily life and
culture!!!
Neolithic Revolution!!
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10,000 years ago- Women scattered
seeds near their campsite and discovered
crops in the location the following season.
Discovery begins the Neolithic
Revolution also known as Agricultural
Revolution that symbolizes the shift from
hunter-gathering to farming.
One of the greatest breakthroughs in
human history!
Early Farming
Slash and Burn Farming- cut trees or
grasses and burned them to clear a field.
Ashes would fertilize the soil.
 Domestication (taming) of Animals- After
years of knowledge of hunting, we
discovered how to herd and keep animals
as a constant source of food. (sheep,
goats, horses, pigs, etc.)
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Farming Changes Civilization!
Farming:
◦ Created a reliable
source of food
◦ Allowed for permanent
settlement
◦ Farming methods
continued to improve
allowing for more food
to be produced
Improved Farming Methods
Surplus (Extra) Food Produced
Populations Grow
First Cities Emerge
First Civilizations Emerge
Economic System
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Barter System: Exchanging goods for
goods (no currency involved)
◦ This is also known as the traditional
economic system
Farming All Over The World
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Africa
◦ Nile River Valley provided vital fertile land for
crops
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China
◦ Yellow River/ Chang Jiang River
Mexico/Central America
 Peru
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Example: Catal Huyuk
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Village discovered in Turkey
Showed several benefits of settled
life/Culture
– Large Population- several homes
– Reliable source of food-large amounts of
crops (surplus) from well-watered soil
– Religion- Religious shrines
– Economy-Mirrors, jewelry, knives made of
black volcanic rock for trade
– Leisure Time- sculptures and paintings
Leisure Time + Economy Prosper
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New tools continued to make farming easier creating
more crops
– Irrigation System- water system to keep soil fertile
Surplus (extra) crops = Increase in population
Surplus = more leisure time to focus on other jobs
and develop new skills!
• New valuable products emerge: pottery, metal
objects, woven cloth.
• Products were traded allowing the economy to
prosper and receive raw materials the group lacked
• Invention of wheel and sail- allow for easier
transportation and the movement of more goods
over longer distances.
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Social Changes
Social Classes Form based on wealth and
job status. (create power and influence)
 Religion becomes more organized and
traditions and values began to form.
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What’s the Main Point?
Nomads
Hunters and
Gatherers
Simple Tools and
Weapons
Farmers
Domesticated
Animals
Establishment
of Villages
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What is the best title for this
diagram?
A. Changes During the Neolithic
Revolution
B. Elements of Belief Systems
C. Characteristics of Classical
Civilizations
D. Benefits of the Counter
Reformation
What’s the Main Point?
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A.
B.
C.
D.
The Neolithic Revolution is considered
a turning point in history because it
Influenced climatic changes
Included the domestication of plants
and animals
Caused a decline in population
Encouraged a nomadic lifestyle
What’s the Main Point?
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A.
B.
C.
D.
What was an important result of the
Neolithic Revolution?
Populations declined
People became more nomadic
New sources of energy became
available
Food supplies became more reliable
Civilization Develops
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Civilization- complex culture with 5
characteristics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Advanced cities
Specialized workers
Complex institutions
Record keeping
Advanced technology
Sumer (Mesopotamia)- believed to be
one of the first civilizations!!!
1.Advanced Cities
Birthplace of civilization
 City- center of trade for a large area
 Trade is essential to the success of every
civilization
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2. Specialized Workers
Growing cities needed workers that
specialized in certain skills.
 Specialization- development of a skill in a
specific kind of work. (expert in your
field!)
 Ex: teachers, merchants, soldiers,
metalworkers, priests, farmers, weavers,
etc.
 Artisans- people who made goods by
hand that became valuable for trade
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3. Complex Institutions
Institution- long-lasting pattern of
organization in a community
 Ex: government, religion, and economy
 Large populations meant the need for
government to create laws and maintain
order
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4. Record Keeping
Institutions became more complex bringing
on the need for record keeping.
• System of writing- formed by groups for
record keeping
• Ex: passages of laws, tax collections, and
calendars to keep track of important rituals
• Scribes- record keepers
• Cuneiform- system of writing created by
the Sumerians made up of wedge shape
symbols for record keeping.
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5. Improved Technology
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Creating new tools and methods to solve
problems that arise when people live
together.
Example: Sumerians discovered that melting
tin and copper together created a stronger
metal known as bronze. Others: Wheel/Sail
Bronze Age- time when people began using
bronze for tools and weapons.
– Location: Sumer
– Outcome: Gave Sumer an advantage over
enemies
Ur
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City in Sumer made up of 30,000 people that was
a high sophisticated civilization
Social classes: Rulers/Priests held great power,
wealthy merchants from trade, artists/artisans
Large irrigation systems, food surpluses, thriving
economy, and government officials to make sure
the civilization runs smoothly.
Bronze weapons for defense, thriving trade focus
on bartering.
Barter: trading goods for other goods instead of
money.
Religion: Large temples and rituals dealing with
after life.
Vocabulary Activity
Describe the following questions in an
essay (paragraph) using 10 terms from
your vocab. Packets. Do Not just define
the terms! Do connect the terms
together to describe:
 How do we know about early humans?
 What was the Stone Age Like?
 Why is the Neolithic Revolution so
important to our existence and the way
we live today?
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