World History Chapter One The First Humans (Prehistory B.C.)
The Impact Today Paleolithic peoples used technological inventions to change their physical environment, just as humans do today.
*Objectives 1. Identify important changes in human life caused by the Neolithic Revolution 2. Define civilization & identify the characteristics of a civilization
Section One Early Humans
I. Before History *Prehistory – the period before writing was developed (p. 19)
A. Archaeology *Artifacts – tools, pottery, paintings, weapons, buildings & household items left behind by early people (p.20) *Fossils – A remnant or impression of an organism from a past geologic age that has been preserved in the earth’s crust (p.20)
II. Early Stages of Development Understanding still depends on guesswork New discoveries
A. From Hominids to Homo Sapiens *1. Australopithecine – “southern apes” *Hominids – humans & other humanlike creatures that walk upright (p.21)
Australopithecus First upright hominid
*2. Homo erectus – “upright human being Learned to use fire to keep warm in colder areas *3. Homo sapiens – “wise human being”
Two subgroups a. Neanderthals – type of Homo sapiens that lived in Europe & the Middle East Burial of dead indicates a belief in an afterlife Made cloths from the skins of animals
Homo Erectus Neanderthal Homo Sapiens
*b. Homo sapiens sapiens – “wise, wise human being”, a species that appeared in Africa between 150,000 & 200,000 years ago; they were the first anatomically modern humans (p.22) People who looked like us
The Human Race
III. The Hunter-Gathers of the Old Stone Age *Paleolithic Age – from the Greek for “Old Stone”, the early period of human history, from approximately 2.5 million to 10,000 B.C., during which humans used simple stone tools; sometimes called the Old Stone Age (p.22)
A. The Paleolithic Way of Life Hunted buffalo, horses, bison & reindeer Gathered wild nuts, berries, fruits, wild grains & green plants Developed better tools Spear, bow & arrow, harpoons & fishhooks
A and C B and D A
Tools The word technology refers to the ability of human beings to make things that sustain them and give them some control over their environment. The technology available at the beginning of human history was quite simple. It consisted primarily of the ability to make stone tools. Read the excerpt on page 23 of your textbook and answer the questions on the following slides.
A. The Paleolithic Way of Life *Nomads – a person who moves from place to place (p23) Followed animal migrations & vegetation cycles Lived in small groups of 20 to 30 Group effort
B. The Roles of Men & Women Men - Did most of the hunting of large animals Women - Bore & raised children Gathered berries, nuts & grains
C. Adapting to Survive Paleolithic peoples, found shelter in caves Over time, created new types of shelters Wood poles or sticks covered with animal hides Bones of large animals to build frames
D. The Use of Fire Homo erectus first learned to make fires deliberately Gave warmth & fostered a sense of community Scared away animals Flush animals out of wooded areas or caves
D. The Use of Fire Food could be cooked making it taste better, last longer & easier to chew & digest Started fires based on friction Later stone (iron pyrites)
Reminds us that early humans sometimes adapted not by changing themselves to better fit their environment but by changing the environment
E. The Ice Ages Most recent began about 10,000 B.C. & ended about 8000 B.C. Thick ice covered large parts of Europe, Asia & North America
F. Creating Art Existed even in prehistory Cave paintings of large animals found at Lascaux, in southwestern France Painted lions, oxen, owls, panthers Done between 25,000 & 12,000 B.C.
Used stone lamps filled with animal fat Crushed mineral ores & combined them with animal fat Red, yellow & black
Used fingertips, crushed twigs, & even brushes made from animal hairs Hollow reeds to blow thin lines
Show animals in remarkably realistic forms Few humans appear (sticklike figures) Painted as part of a magical or religious ritual intended to ensure success in hunting
Section Two: The Neolithic Revolution & The Rise of Civilization
*Objectives 1. Identify important changes in human life caused by the Neolithic Revolution 2. Define civilization & identify the characteristics of a civilization
Cities emerged in the river valleys of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India & China giving rise to civilizations
I. The Neolithic Revolution *Neolithic Revolution – the shift from hunting of animals & gathering of food to the keeping of animals & the growing of food on a regular basis that occurred around 8,000 B.C. (p.27) “New Stone Age”
*Systematic agriculture – the keeping of animals & the growing of food on a regular basis (p.28) I. The Neolithic Revolution
*Domestication – adaptation for human use (p.28) Animals also used to do work Agricultural revolution I. The Neolithic Revolution
The ability to acquire food on a regular basis gave humans greater control over their environment Gave up their nomadic ways of life & began to live in settled communities I. The Neolithic Revolution
A. The Growing of Crops Between 8000 & 5000 B.C. Different areas throughout the world By 5000 B.C., rice was being grown in Southeast Asia
In the Western Hemisphere, Mesoamericans, inhabitants of present-day Mexico & Central America grew beans, squash, & maize (corn) between 7000 & 5000 B.C. A. The Growing of Crops
B. Neolithic Farming Villages Growing of crops gave rise to more permanent settlements Oldest & biggest were in Southwest Asia Ex. Jericho, in Palestine near the Dead Sea, was in existence by 8000 B.C.
Ex. Catal Huyuk, located in modern-day Turkey, high point from 6700 to 5700 B.C. Mud brick houses B. Neolithic Farming Villages
Neolithic Village
no ground level entrances climb the ladder to the rooftop, and then enter through the entrance on the roof for protection from enemies
Food surpluses made it possible for people to do things other than farming *Artisans – a skilled craftsperson who makes products such as weapons & jewelry (p.29) B. Neolithic Farming Villages
Special buildings Shrines & statues “earth mothers”
C. Consequences of the Neolithic Revolution Led to further changes Specialized housing for protection, structures for storage of goods
Encourage the development of trade People began to specialize in certain crafts, & a division of labor developed Stone tools became more refined, more specialized tools C. Consequences of the Neolithic Revolution
Bronze Age Sickle Neolithic Tools and Pottery Bronze sickle
D. Relationship between men & women Men became more active in farming & herding animals Jobs that took them away from the home settlement Obtaining food & protecting the settlement More dominant role
Women remained behind, caring for children Weaving cloth, turning milk into cheese Tasks that require much labor in one place D. Relationship between men & women
E. The End of the Neolithic Age Between 4000 & 3000 B.C. The use of metals marked a new level of human control over the environment & its resources
E. End of the Neolithic Age Copper was the first metal to be used in making tools Combination of copper & tin created bronze
E. End of the Neolithic Age Bronze Age – the period from around 3,000 to 1,200 B.C. characterized by the widespread use of bronze for tools & weapons (p.30)
Bronze Sword
E. End of the Neolithic Age More than villages (cities) Mastered the art of farming Developed more complex societies Created armies & built walled cities
II. The Emergence of Civilization *Culture – the way of life a people follow (p.30) *Civilization – a complex culture in which large numbers of people share a number of common elements such as social structure, religion & art (p.30)
*Six basic characteristics of civilizations 1. Cities 2. Government 3. Religion 4. Social structure 5. Art 6. Writing
A. The Rise of Cities Developed in river valleys Large-scale farming
B. The Growth of Governments Organize & regulate human activity Need to maintain the food supply, & to build walls for defense Provide for smooth interaction between individuals & groups
B. The Growth of Governments In the first civilizations, governments were *monarchs – king or queen who rule a kingdom (p.30) Organized armies to protect their populations & made laws
C. The Role of Religion Explain the working of the forces of nature & the fact of their own existence Gods & goddesses were crucial to a community’s success
The Role of Religion To win favor, priests supervised rituals aimed at pleasing them (Gods & goddesses) This gave the priests special power & made them very important people
D. A New Social Structure 1. Rulers & an upper class of priests, government officials & warriors 2. Free people – farmers, artisans & craftspeople 3. Slaves
E. The Use of Writing To keep accurate records Creative expression
F. Artistic Activity Temples & pyramids Places of worship or sacrifice or for burial Paintings & sculpture
Chapter Summary