Chapter 1 Early People

Monday, September 25, 2017 Homework: page 62 Map Skills and page 63 # 2-6 Do Now: page 58 key terms How is prehistory different from history?

Studying Prehistory Up until 5,000 years ago, there was no way to write things down Archaeologists look for places people may have lived to study the period of prehistory They depend mainly on fossils which form in several ways Examples: plants, feathers, bones, footprints may become hardened by mud or sand when it dies

Dating the Remains Archaeologists use different methods to determine the time period the fossil may be from Compare objects found in similar layers of rock, objects found in lower layers are usually older Sometimes archaeologists compare similar fossils to ones that the date is already known Radioactive dating – scientists measure how much radioactive material is left in s fossil DNA – scientists use this to compare human remains

Searching for Artifacts Archaeologists search for villages or campsites where people may have lived – they must carefully excavate, or uncover, around the area They search for artifacts such as tools, pottery, or weapons and try to identify patterns Sometimes they find carvings in animal bones and the scientists do not know exactly why people may have made these fascinating designs

The Hunt for Early Humans In 1960, British archaeologists Mary and Louis Leakey discovered a piece of a human-like skull at Olduvai Gorge in East Africa They called their discovery Homo habilis, meaning “handy man” Evidence showed that these early humans made and used tools Tests showed that these fossils were at least 1.75 million years old

Searching Africa Because of the Leakeys’ discovery, the search for human kind was mainly focused in Africa In November 1974, American fossil hunter Donald Johanson made a discovery that helped shape the views of early human history He found hundreds of pieces of bone and determined that this belonged to one person who was about 3.5 ft. tall. Johanson named her “Lucy” Read page 63, what could Johanson conclude about Lucy?

Friday, September 25, 2015 Homework: Do Now: Read section 2, pages 64-67 Do Now: Have out last night’s homework 9page 62 and 63) Page 64 Key Terms

Hunter-gatherers Nomads Men hunted Women gathered Simple stone tools Began the use of fire Culture built on small bands

Neanderthals Larger brains More developed cultures Simple language Began to burry their dead Lived in valleys

Homo sapiens Tall Athletic Complex language Marked graves with burial rituals Made art Made music Chose to live on hilltops for planning

Wednesday. September 24, 2014 No homework  Do Now: please take out your homework from last night

Migrating All Over the World Some scientists believe homo sapiens, like other early humans, originated in Africa From there, they began a long migration all over the world (Out of Africa Theory) However, not all scientists agree with this theory Some scientists say humans originated all over the world and as regional populations came together gradually a group formed Today, we call them Homo Sapiens

Changing Environments As modern humans migrated, they settled in various surroundings Each new place had its own climate, plants, and animals With each move, people had to learn to adapt their way of life Which plants could be eaten? How do they need to hunt for the different animals? What kinds of shelters need to be built?

The Ice Age The world’s climate has been changing over time In the past 2 million years, the Earth has experienced 4 long ice ages The last great Ice Age began about 70,000 years ago, soon after modern humans appeared

The Ice Age Glaciers covered the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and North America Parts of the southern hemisphere were also under ice Moving glaciers created mountains, lakes, and rivers Because most of the water was frozen, precipitation lessened causing places to form deserts

Monday, September 29,2014 Homework: Do now: Chapter 1 test Thursday! Map Skills page 69

Staying Warm Ice Age hunter-gatherers adapted to climate change in many ways As winter grew longer, people learned to use materials they found to build warm shelters Example, In Eastern Europe people built huts out of mammoth bone and used the animal skins to keep winter wind and snow out Also kept fires burning and created warmer clothing from animal skins

Forming Larger Communities One way people began to adapt was forming larger groups This way, hunters could work together to kill animals such as mammoths Bigger groups can better defend communities from attack

Organizing Large Communities Growing communities might organize into clans Groups of families with a common ancestor A clan can be made up of about 25-50 people Clan leaders took a decision making role (ex: organizing a hunt) Everywhere human society developed, clans or families played a very important role in creating strong communities with trade, dealing with hardships, and finding food