Mr. Steckroth Social Studies 7 th Grade

 How do scientist such as anthropologists or archeologists determine how long ago an artifact was created, or how long ago a fossilized creature lived?

 One method used is called radio carbon dating.  All living things on Earth are made up of a high percentage of an element called Carbon. Most carbon on Earth is not radioactive, but a very small percentage is. Thus, as living things take in carbon, they inevitably will take up a small amount of radioactive carbon into their bodies.  When these life forms die, they stop taking in new carbon. The carbon in their bodies at the time of their death will remain in their bodies until they decompose, or if they become fossilized, then forever.  Radioactive carbon decays at a known rate. This allows scientists to look at the amount of decay in a fossil’s radioactive carbon, and determine a relative date.

 One of the most important advancements in human history was the development and use of tools. Tools allowed hominids to become the masters of their environments, to hunt, to build, and to perform important tasks that made life easier for them. The first tools were made out of stone. masters  Thus, historians refer to the period of time before written history as the stone age.

Paleolithic – Old Stone Age began about 2 million years ago with the development of the first tools by Homo Habilis, and lasted until around 12,000 years ago. Mesolithic- Middle Stone Age began around 12,000 years ago, and continued through about 8,000 years ago Neolithic – New Stone Age lasted from 8,000 years until around 5,000 years ago

 Ice Age  Development of tools  Development of language

.  Cooler temperatures forced change on early hominids. They either had to adapt to their new environments, migrate, or perish. Land bridges allowed hominids to migrate to new lands such as the Americas, Japan, Malaysia, and Australia. Cooler temperatures spawned the development of clothes, and the discovery and mastery of fire.

 The first simple languages spoken by Homo erectus likely developed around 500,000 years ago.  Prior to spoken languages, members of a group communicated with one another by grunting or through simple noises, and hand gestures.  Spoken language allowed group members to exchange complex thoughts and ideas, and pass on their culture from one generation to the next.

 Little is known about the lives of early human beings. The evidence suggests that the first human beings lived in caves along the Southern coast of Africa.  This region provided ample supplies of food, as well as a warm climate.warm  It is believed that the men probably traveled in hunting packs or groups into the mainland looking for big game, while the women stayed near the coast.game  Anthropologists and archeologists have traced human history back some 4.4.million years

 Lucy  Handy Man  Upright Man  Neanderthal  Cro-Magnon  Homo Sapiens

 Human like animals that walked upright were known as hominids. It is believed that the earliest hominids lived around 4.4 million years ago in the humid forests of eastern and southern Africa.  It is believed were around three to five feet tall, and probably fed on leaves, fruits, and the remains of dead animals.tall  There is no evidence that Australopithecus made their own tools.  There is however strong evidence that they used sticks, and bones to help them dig, and defend themselves.  Lucy is from this group of Hominids.

 Homo habilis, which means ‘person with abilities’. It is believed that Homo habilis lived until about 1.5 million years ago.  He was the first to create and use tools.  These creatures lived in Africa from about until around 1.5 million years ago. Homo habilis (Handy Man) probably lived alongside Australopithecus ( Lucy’s people). However, their larger bodies, and brains would have given them a clear advantage

 The second type of early human living on the Earth was Homo erectus which means ‘person who walks upright. Homo erectus lived on the Earth until about 150,000 years ago.  Historians believe that Homo erectus began as gatherers but advanced over many generations into hunters.  With the discovery of fire, Homo erectus became even more adept at survival. Fire allowed them to cook their food, to stay warm in cool environments, and to utilize caves as shelter.

 In order to keep warm, Homo erectus began utilizing clothing. This began with individuals placing animal skins over their bodies, and became more advanced as they learned to stitch animal skins together using stripes of leather.  Some evidence suggests that Homo habilis may have been the first to leave Africa.

Fossil evidence shows that Homo erectus had arrived in Asia by around 460,000 years ago, and in Europe around 400,000 years ago. The first simple languages spoken by Homo erectus likely developed around 500,000 years ago. This would have been a dramatic development, of paramount importance. Died out suddenly at the beginning of the Paleolithic Age

 The final types of hominid living on the Earth are Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens means ‘person who can think’. All humans living on the Earth today are Homo sapiens  Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon are two types of homo sapiens. . With the arrival of Homo sapiens, this all changed. The speed of advancements increased dramatically. Instead of thousands of years, great progress was made in hundreds or even dozens of years.

 It is believed that modern humans like you and I first originated on the Earth around 50,000 years ago in Africa. These modern humans are referred to by historians as Homo sapiens. Within just a few thousand years these modern humans had spread to every continent across the entire planet, and onto many islands. 

 The first Homo sapiens are believed to have been the Neanderthals. Neanderthal people first appeared on the Earth around 200,000 years ago, in Africa.people  Neanderthals were around five foot in height. They had thick sturdy bones, and muscular shoulders, legs, arms, and necks. The Neanderthals also had a large brain. In fact, their brain was slightly larger than that of modern humans.legs

 Like earlier hominids, Neanderthals made and used tools. However, the tools produced by the Neanderthals were much more advanced than those used by their predecessors.  Neanderthals learned to create specialized cutting, and scrapping tools by chipping away at the edge of a rock.

 The Neanderthal lived throughout a widely divergent climate and habitat. These peoples adapted quickly to new environments. Some lived in caves, while others built shelters out of branches and animal skins. Still others dug pits and covered them with branches, animal skins, and leaves.

 There is strong evidence that the Neanderthal had a belief in the afterlife. Burial plots have been found where the dead were covered with flowers, and buried with food, and with the tools they would need in the next life. flowers

 There is also evidence that Neanderthal cared for their sick and injured. Fossil remains show serious injuries, such as broken legs, which had healed completely. It is even possible that Neanderthal used medicines. brokenlegs

 Cro-Magnons were taller than the Neanderthal, but they were not as muscular. A very important advantage is that they had much improved technologies, languages, and cultures over those of the Neanderthals.

 As Cro –Magnon man migrated outward from Africa, it is believed that they wiped out Neanderthals, either by absorbing them through intermarriage, or by destroying them through war and competition.

 The advanced tools and technology of Cro-Magnons allowed them to quickly adapt to, and master their environments.  In addition to stone, Cro-Magnons used other materials for making tools. These materials included bones, antlers, teeth, and ivoryteeth

 With these new materials, they were able to create sharper blades, needles for sewing, and fishhooks for fishing. Cro-Magnons also invented new kinds of long distance weapons, such as bow and arrows and spear throwers. long distance

 Axes allowed humans to chop down trees. Evidence has been found to show that early humans used some of these logs to make canoes.  New technologies dramatically increased the amount of food available. This in turn allowed for the population of Cro-Magnon to explode.

 At first, Cro-Magnon life was not all that different from the lives of earlier hominids. They lived in caves, or temporary structures, and spent their lives hunting and gathering in small groups.  As food sources increased humans settlements became more permanent. Many groups began building homes out of logs or stone. Smaller groups joined together forming larger groups.

 As these groups developed, so did the need for order.  it was necessary that these groups developed rules or laws.  To help enforce these laws, there had to be leaders appointed.  Each group or tribe had their own methods for appointing leaders