“Paleolithic” --> “Old Stone” Age  “Paleolithic” --> “Old Stone” Age 2,500,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE  2,500,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE Hunting (men) & Gathering (women)  small bands of humans  Hunting (men) & Gathering (women)  small bands of humans NOMADIC (moving from place to place)  NOMADIC (moving from place to place) Made tools  Made tools

4,000,000 BCE – 1,000,000 BCE Hominids --> any member of the family of two-legged primates that includes all humans.  Hominids --> any member of the family of two-legged primates that includes all humans. Australopithecines  Australopithecines An Opposable Thumb  An Opposable Thumb

Theories on prehistory and early man constantly change as new evidence comes to light. - Louis Leakey, British paleoanthropologist

 HOMO HABILIS ( “Man of Skills” ) found in East Africa  found in East Africa created stone tools  created stone tools

Humans during this period found shelter in caves.  Humans during this period found shelter in caves. Cave paintings left behind.  Cave paintings left behind. Purpose??Purpose??

1,6000,000 BCE – 30,000 BCE HOMO ERECTUS ( “Upright Human Being” )  HOMO ERECTUS ( “Upright Human Being” ) Larger and more varied tools --> primitive technology  Larger and more varied tools --> primitive technology First hominid to migrate and leave Africa for Europe and Asia.  First hominid to migrate and leave Africa for Europe and Asia. First to use fire ( 500,000 BCE )  First to use fire ( 500,000 BCE ) BIPEDALISM  BIPEDALISM

Are we all Africans “under the skin”????

200,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE HOMO SAPIENS ( “Wise Human Being” ) Neanderthals ( 200,000 BCE – 30,000 BCE ) Cro-Magnons ( 40,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE )

NEANDERTHALS:NEANDERTHALS: Neander Valley, Germany (1856)  Neander Valley, Germany (1856) First humans to bury their dead.  First humans to bury their dead. Made clothes from animal skins.  Made clothes from animal skins. Lived in caves and tents.  Lived in caves and tents.

NEANDERTHALSNEANDERTHALS Early Hut/Tent

CRO-MAGNONs:CRO-MAGNONs: Homo sapiens sapiens ( “Wise, wise human” )  Homo sapiens sapiens ( “Wise, wise human” ) By 30,000 BCE they replaced Neanderthals.  By 30,000 BCE they replaced Neanderthals.

“Neolithic”  “New Stone” Age  “Neolithic”  “New Stone” Age 10,000 BCE – 4,000 BCE  10,000 BCE – 4,000 BCE Domestication of grains and vegetables and domestication of animals transforms human society --> WHY?  Domestication of grains and vegetables and domestication of animals transforms human society --> WHY?

8,000 BCE – 5,000 BCE  8,000 BCE – 5,000 BCE Agriculture developed independently in different parts of the world.  Agriculture developed independently in different parts of the world.  Middle East - SW Asia through Tigris and Euphrates Rivers  Egypt - Nile River  India and Pakistan - Indus River  China - Huang He River Agriculture developed independently in different parts of the world.  Agriculture developed independently in different parts of the world.  Middle East - SW Asia through Tigris and Euphrates Rivers  Egypt - Nile River  India and Pakistan - Indus River  China - Huang He River

Why do some archaeologists believe that women were the first farmers?

AdvancedCities SpecializedWorkers ComplexInstitutions Record-Keeping AdvancedTechnology

Mesopotamia: “Land Between the Two Rivers” fertile silt left when rivers floodedfertile silt left when rivers flooded able to grow crops with irrigation and when rivers are controlledable to grow crops with irrigation and when rivers are controlled

The Ancient Fertile Crescent Area The Middle East: “The Cradle of Civilization”

Sumerians

Sumerian City-States 3, ,200 BCE Examples: Ur, Uruk, Eridu First orchards, first wheel and plow, metalcasting, writing (cuneiform) Walled cities for defense

Sophisticated Metallurgy Skills at Ur

Life in Sumer Primarily focused on agriculture - estimated 90% involved in farming Specialization allows some to develop other skills Trade with other city-states Polytheistic theocracy

Sumerian Religion - Polytheistic Animism - everything is alive, ie. love, hate, wind, rocks Gods are immortal and superhuman Religion aimed at trying to add order to the world - serves to systemize the forces of nature Fatalistic and pessimistic contrast with Nile

Ziggurat at Ur  Temple  “Mountain of the Gods”  Temple  “Mountain of the Gods”

Cuneiform: “Wedge-Shaped” Writing

Cuneiform Writing

Sumerian Scribes “Tablet House” - Marks in wet clay left in sun or baked in a kiln - Preserved mostly government information - Thousands are still in existence

Gilgamesh World’s oldest novel/epic Designed to appeal to people’s through the ages Defines mortality, pessimistic

Gilgamesh Epic Tablet: Flood Story

Sargon of Akkad (2,370 BCE): The World’s First Empire [Akkadians] - “Sumerianization” --> Sumer overrun by outside force --> Cultural diffusion

Hammurabi’s Code ( BCE) Law is not abstract, specific “do”s and “don’t”s Carved in stone and placed in public for everyone to see and follow Most famous principle: “An eye for an eye …”

Hammurabi, the Judge

Mesopotamian Accomplishments Anticipated Greek advances in math such as the place value, creation of the decimal system Scientific advances - regulated irrigation and hydraulics Development of a code of law and organized government Written language and organized record- keeping