Chapter 1, Section 1
Early Humans
History
The story of humans in the past
Historians
People who study and write about human past
Historians define history as the period of time that began after people learned to write
About 5,000 years ago
Prehistory
The time before people developed writing
Tools of Discovery
Antrhopologist
Studies how humans developed and how they related to one another.
Archaeologists
Scientists who hunt for evidence buried in the ground where settlements might once have
been
They dig up and study artifacts and fossils.
Artifacts are weapons, tools and other things made by humans.
Fossils are traces of plants or animals that have been preserved in rock.
Archaeologists
Louis and Mary Leaky
Donald Johnson
Tim White
Hominids – creatures that walked on two legs
Stone age
Prehistoric period of human history
Paleolithic means “Old Stone Age”
began roughly 2.5 million years ago and lasted until around 8,000 B.C.
Who were Hunter-Gatherers?
Nomads
Tasks
Early humans spent most of their time looking for food.
Moved from place to place without fixed homes
Traveled in bands of 30-40; safer, easier to search for food
Men and women did different jobs within the groups.
Women stayed close to the campsite—near a stream or other water source—and
gathered nuts, grains, berries, watched children, etc.
Men hunted animals and fished; often went far from the campsite.
Initially used clubs or drove animals over cliffs to kill them
Eventually developed stone tools—spears, traps, bows, arrows
Adapting to the Environment
How Paleolithic people lived depended on where they lived
Cold climates required more clothing and warmer shelter
Warm climates required less clothing and shelter
Most common shelters would be made with animal hides held up by poles (tipis, tents,
lean-tos, etc.)
Fire
Paleolithic people made a life-changing discovery when they learned to tame fire.
Provided warmth
Lit the darkness and scared away wild animals
Cooked food tasted better, was more easily digested, and kept longer
Archaeologists believed that early humans started fires by rubbing two sticks together.
They later made drill-like wooden tools to start fires.
What Were the Ice Ages?
Ice ages
Long periods of extreme cold
Last Ice Age began about 100,000 B.C. and lasted to about 8,000 B.C.
Thick sheets of ice covered parts of Europe, Asia, and North America.
Threatened human life; death from cold and hunger
Early humans learned to adapt:
Changed diet
Built sturdier shelters
Used animal furs to make warm clothing
Mastery of fire helped humans live in this cold environment.
Language, Art, and Religion
Development of spoken
language
Art
Made it easier to work together and pass on knowledge.
Crushed rocks were used to make paint.
Scenes were created on cave walls.
May have had religious meanings.
May have explained man’s role in the universe.
May have been painted to bring good luck in the hunt.
The Invention of Tools
Technology
Tools and methods that help humans perform tasks.
Earliest tools were made of stone.
Flint could be sharpened to make spears, axes, arrows. Eventually, some of these
tools were used to make other tools.
o Fish hooks and needles from animal bones
o Needles could make baskets, nets, and sew animal hides into clothing.