PREHISTORY: A VERY LONG PERIOD From the origin of the human being (5 million years ago ) in Africa. To the invention of writing ( 6,000 years ago ) Three stages: Palaeolithic Age 5,000,000 - 10,000 years ago Neolithic Age 10,000 - 7,000 years ago Metal Age 7,000 - 6,000 years ago

THE FIRST HUMAN BEINGS They made tools of stone. Australopithecus: 5,000,000 years ago They walked on two feet. Homo habilis: 2,000,000 years ago They made tools of stone. Homo erectus: 1,500,000 years ago They walked upright and discovered fire Homo sapiens: two subtypes Homo Neanderthalensis:150,000 years ago Homo sapiens- sapiens:130,000 years ago

CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN BEINGS Biped walk: hands free to work Opposable thumb: meticulous manual labours Great cerebral development Symbolic language Long childhood: learning possible

The Palaeolithic Age: the stone age They made tools of stone and also used wood and animal bones for making harpoons, needdles, lances, etc. They used the hides of the animals to make clothes, shoes, shelters, bags, etc. They lived on hunting (mammoths, bears, deer, bison) fishing and gathering wild fruits. Predators They were nomadic: moved from place to place. They lived in caves, outdoors or in cabins. They organised themselves into small tribes. The climate was very cold, diseases very common, no older than 35 years old. They discovered fire.

Palaeolithic: the first tools They made stone tools knocking two stones together. They use them to hunt and cut animals’ skins or meat Chopper Hand-axe (biface) Harpoon

Scrapers Arrowhead Bone needle Chips

THE FIRST ARTISTS They decorated their caves’ walls with paintings and made sculptures, among these the so-called Venus. In Spain Altamira and Lascaux in France are the most famous caves.