Human Origins & Culture

What Makes Us Human? The most likely explanation for hominids becoming bipedal involves the need for freeing up the hands for something — carrying simple tools (sticks, stones and other found objects), food or water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMOtzeJzPf4

Early Paleolithic Fire! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhzQFIZuNFY&list=PLob1mZcVWOajnjvZ-ibEHsmUefCBZaw2c Upper Paleolithic Middle Paleolithic

Nomadic Hunters/Gatherers Food gatherers as opposed to food producers Nomadic – roaming from place to place looking for resources 95% of human existence people were hunters/gatherers

“Ice Man” (Bronze Age) https://www. youtube. com/watch

“neo” = new “lithic”=stone Neolithic Revolution Shift from hunting/gathering to plant/animal cultivation about 12,000 years ago “neo” = new “lithic”=stone Various Locations: Fertile Crescent Egypt Indus Valley China the Americas

Independent Origins of Agriculture Origin of Domestication for Selected Plants Independent Origins of Agriculture wheat 10,500 ybp maize 4,200 ybp rice 7,000 ybp millet 4,000 ybp manioc 4,200 ybp

Cultural Changes of the Neolithic: https://www. youtube. com/watch -Settling Down (instead of being nomadic) -Domestication of plants and animals Agriculture (sedentary agricultural communities) Technological Changes (use of metal for tools) Use of writing Urbanization (cities) Labor specialization (certain people doing certain jobs) Long-distance trade Political Systems

Why Did Agriculture Develop? Domestication Process: change from wild plant or animal to a “crop” through -Cultivation (management) -Use of artificial selection

http://channel. nationalgeographic http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/videos/the-start-of-the-domestic-dog/

Mayan glyphs Cuneiform