Paleolithic Age

Paleolithic: In Greek means “old stone.” Hunting and food gathering, use of fire, making clothing, acquisition of language and religion, invention of tools Paleolithic Age

Hunter-gatherers Lived in small groups Nomads: travel from place to place for food Lived in caves, rock overhangs, shelters made of animal skins Hunted animals and gathered plants and seeds to survive => main activity Developed simple tools Developed cultures with language, religion, and art

Finding Food Main activity Women – “Gatherers” watched children Gathered berries, nuts, grain in areas near camp Learn which fruits, nuts to eat Men – “Hunters” hunted large animals Far from camp Learned about animals Developed simple tools to increase their chances Used clubs or drove animal off cliffs to kill them Along coastal area, people fished. Their diets depend on what the region/area provides.

Changing to Survive Climate affect how people lived Made warm clothes from animal skins Seek natural shelters => caves, rock overhangs Gradually, people learned to make their own shelters Tents & huts of animal skin, brush, and wood In colder climates, shelter made from ice and snow Without woods, people used large animal bones to create frame for shelters, then cover bones with animal hides.

Early Tools Believed to be about 2.5 million years ago. Wood or bone Later, stone tools

Later Tools Better, more complex tools Smaller and sharper Spears, bows, arrows, fishhooks, needles crafted from animal bones for sewing Improved tools were made out of flint. People learned how to attach wooden handles to tools. Because they no longer had to stand next to the animals they were hunting, people were able to kill larger animals from a distance.

More examples of tools

Fire Sparks Changes Learned that fire is produce by friction – by rubbing two pieces of wood or stone together People learn that fire provide warmth in cold caves Provide light when it was dark Scare away wild animals Gather around fire for stories and cook Discovered cooked food tasted better, easier to chew and digest Could smoked meat and store for later use

Language Developed spoken language Before, people communicated through sounds and physical gestures. Language made it easier to work together and pass on knowledge Language was constantly changing and growing

Art Paleolithic cave paintings are found all over the world Paintings of mysterious signs: herd of animals, horses, boars, bison, deer Early people used crushed yellow, black, red rocks + animal fats Then, people used twigs and fingertips to apply these paints to the rock walls Later, used brushes made from animal hair Lots of animals are depicted in these paintings, rarely humans. Scientists believe these paintings took thousands of years, many generations to produce.

The Ice Ages Long period of extreme cold Ice sheets, glaciers grew large caused water level of the oceans was lowered. Low water level exposed strips of dry land Strips of land is called “land bridge” Land bridge acted as a natural highway for people to travel from Asia into North America Last Ice Age began 100,000 years ago. Last 90,000 years

Before the Ice AgeDuring/After Ice Age Homes Made shelters out of sticks, animal bones and skins, easier to carry to places Sturdier and more permanent shelters Clothing Minimal-coverage clothing using animal skins Warmer + more coverage clothing from animal furs Food Meat, fruits, nuts, grainsMore meat and more fat

3.1 Review On your own paper, with complete sentences 1. Why did these people live together in groups? 2. Why was fire important for Paleolithic people? 3. What subjects were most common in cave painting? 4. Why do you think these paintings lasted so long? 5. How were land bridges formed? 6. How did people adapt to survive during the ice ages?