Sewn animal skins to survive the Ice Age Tools and weapons made of stone, bone, and wood Included digging sticks, spears, and axes Caves and rocky overhangs for shelter
Nomads: moved from place to place Hunted and gathered in bands (20-30) Followed animals and seasons for ripened fruit Ate fish, fruits, berries, leaves, nuts, grains, roots Built fire for warmth and cooking
Cave paintings and communication Valued animals Respected and cared for dead Stressed cooperation and collaboration among the nomadic bands
Horses, prehistoric painting, cave painting, about 15000 BC, Cueva de Tito Bustillo, cave near Ribadesella, replica, Parque de la Prehistoria de Teverga, Teverga, Park of Prehistory in Teverga, province of Asturias, Principality of Asturias, Northern Spain The reds and yellows were created from ground, colored earth, while charred bone and soot were used for dark shading, and green was made from manganese oxide.:
Looked to animal spirits for answers (animism) Paintings of half-human half-animal beings Buried their dead and likely held ceremonies Believed in an afterlife Possible ancestor worship and cults
Worshiped “mother earth”, giver of life and food Gathered and stored food Pregnant women protected as vital for ensuring survival Picture shows skull facial reconstruction of a Paleolithic woman’s skull found in France.
The planet’s climate turns warmer The first farming begins First domestication of animals More advanced tools
More food leads to larger population Permanent settlements & villages Personal possessions A system of governance for the community
These early farming tools date from about 6000 BCE These early farming tools date from about 6000 BCE. The axe, bottom, was used for clearing; flint sickles, left, were used for harvesting cereal crops; a flat rock and rounded stone, centre, were used for grinding flour; and perforated clay slabs, upper right, were probably used to ventilate bread ovens.
Once people began to grow food they also began to settle Villages allowed populations to grow larger Villages turned into larger agricultural settlements including: Çatalhöyük in Anatolia, Turkey with 6,000 people Jericho in present day Israel with 2,500 people Image shows reconstruction image of housing in Catal Huyuk