The Study of world history

Why do we study world History?

Prehistory By about 5,000 years ago, groups of people in different parts of the world had begun to keep written records. We call the long period of time before people invented writing prehistory. Historians study artifacts, or objects made by humans. (Clothing, coins, artwork, etc.)

What Do Historians Do? They can study official histories, birth and death records, and eyewitness accounts. Like a detective, a historian must evaluate all evidence to determine if it is reliable. Historians must then interpret and explain the evidence. The historian’s goal is to determine the causes of a certain event, such as a war or an economic collapse. By explaining why things occurred in the past, historians can help us understand current events and, possibly, what might happen in the future.

Question 1 What type of evidence would give a historian the best first-hand account of what occurred in the past? A. artwork B. clothing C. written documents D. tombstone etchings

Anthropology By the mid-1800s, thinkers had begun the organized study of anthropology, or the study of humans, past and present. Anthropologists wanted to learn about the origins and development of people and their societies. Some study the bones of our ancestors to understand how physical traits have changed over time. Others focus on the characteristics of human culture. Culture refers to the way of life of a society, which includes its beliefs, values, and practices. Culture is handed down from one generation to the next through learning and experience.

Archaeology Archaeology is the study of past people and cultures through their material remains. Includes artifacts such as tools, weapons, pottery, clothing, and jewelry. Buildings and tombs are other remains that reveal much to archaeologists. By analyzing artifacts, archaeologists learn about the beliefs, values, and activities of our ancestors.

Question 2 How might a biologist best use his or her expertise to add to the historical record of an archaeological site? A. A biologist can analyze human bones as well as bloodstains on weapons or tools. B. A biologist can analyze the mineralogical makeup of rocks. C. A biologist can analyze the types of materials used in ancient weapons. D. A biologist can help date the rocks at an archaeological site.

Discoveries in Africa and Beyond Before the 1950s, anthropologists knew little about early humans and their ancestors. Prehistoric groups did not have cities, countries, organized central governments, or complex inventions, so clues about them were hard to find. However, archaeologists in East Africa started uncovering ancient footprints, bones, and tools. With these first key discoveries, scholars began to form a picture of life during prehistory.

“Lucy” was discovered in Ethiopia in 1974 “Lucy” was discovered in Ethiopia in 1974. Scientists date the skeleton to at least 3 million years ago. It was the first time archaeologists had enough of one skeleton to reconstruct and view an actual hominid.

Anthropologists Mary Leakey (right) and her husband, Louis Leakey, spent their adult lives piecing together the past of early humans.

What did the Leakey’s find? As the Leakey's searched the sides of a gorge, they found very ancient tools chipped from stone. Technology refers to the skills and tools people use to meet their basic needs and wants. In 1959, after more than two decades of searching, Mary Leakey found a skull embedded in ancient rock at Olduvai Gorge. Hominids, a group that includes humans and their closest relatives, all walk upright on two feet. Humans are the only hominids that live today.

As the centuries passed, hominid groups developed physically and gained new skills.

This is the skull of an adolescent from a hominid group called Homo erectus .

Homo Sapiens Scientists think that between 250,000 and 100,000 years ago, Homo erectus disappeared and a new group of hominids emerged. This new group, called Homo sapiens, is the group to which modern humans belong. Many scholars think the archaeological and scientific evidence supports the “Out of Africa” theory, which says that Homo sapiens first lived in Africa and then migrated into other areas of the world. Other scientists think that Homo erectus developed into Homo sapiens around the same time in different parts of the world. Early modern humans eventually spread all over the world, while Neanderthals lived mostly in Europe and western Asia. Sometime between 50,000 and 30,000 years ago, the Neanderthals disappeared, leaving early modern humans as the only hominids on Earth.

Question 3 What have anthropologists learned about how Homo habilis used the tools they fashioned? A. Homo habilis used stone tools for chopping plants and wood, proving they only used plants and did not have a high protein diet. B. Homo habilis used stone tools for cutting, scraping, chopping and sawing plants, animals and wood. C. Homo habilis used stone tools to create weapons that made them fierce warriors. D. Homo habilis used stone tools for creating rough farm implements, showing they relied on farming more than hunting.