Early humans – The Journey Begins

Terminology Prehistory: The period before writing was developed. Archeology: The study of past societies through an analysis of items people left behind them. Artifacts: tools, pottery, paintings, weapons, buildings, and household items left behind by early people. Fossils: a remnant or impression of an organism from a past geological age that has been preserved in the earths crust. Anthropology: A study of human life and culture based on artifacts and human fossils.

Questions How do archeologists and anthropologists: Learn about the social and military structures of society: By examining artifacts such as pottery, tools, and weapons. Learn about the diet and activities of early people. By analyzing bones, skins, and plant seeds.

Radiocarbon Dating All living things absorb a small amount of radioactive carbon or C-14 from the atmosphere. After a living thing dies, it slowly loses C-14. By measuring the amount left in an object, a scientist can figure its age. This method is accurate for objects no more than about 50,000 years old.

Thermoluminescence This measures light given off by electrodes trapped in the soil surrounding fossils and artifacts. Microscopic and biological analyses of organic remains, --such as blood, hairs and plant tissues left on tools and weapons –give scientists still much more evidence.

The Nature of History History is the study of change over time. The task of historians is to gather information from a particular time period when a significant change or development took place. They try and answer two important questions: Why did this change take place? What effects did this change have on the people who experienced it?

Sources of Information Artifacts- Human made objects such as tools, shards of pottery, or ruined buildings. Primary Documents- Written records, written by people of the period. Secondary Accounts- Written records, written about past events. Fossils- the remains of a prehistoric plant or animal preserved in rock

Biases Since historians are rarely able to discover ALL of the facts in their investigations, they must make educated guesses. This reconstruction always involves some BIAS, because they base their explanations on their interpretations of the evidence.

Gathering Data To create a complete picture of a particular time, the historian must gather material related to five specific developments: Political- operation and decisions of the government Economic- ways in which the people survived or made a living Social- relate to people’s homes and their culture Geographic- the ways in which the environment affected human actions or conditions Military- What conflicts took place, why they took place, what were the effects The farther back we go in our investigations, the more difficult the gathering of historical data becomes.

Eras in History - Terminology ERA: a period of time marked by distinctive character, events, etc DECADE: A period of 10 years CENTURY: A period of 100 years MILLENIUM: A period of 1000 years

Activity In front of you is an artifact. Your task is to: Assess the characteristics of the society from which that artifact came. Make inferences, analyze details and features, examine assumptions, brainstorm, work cooperatively, and formulate questions. Use a penny or other coin