Chapter 1 The Peopling of the World Section 1 Human Origins in Africa

So, you think that you are having a bad day?

Scientists Discover Clues Scientists Search for Human Origins Written records provide a glimpse of the past, however, most of history predates the written word. Writing has only been around for about the past 5,000 years. Scientists Discover Clues Archaeologists are scientists who learn about early people by excavating and studying the traces of early settlements. An excavation site, called an archaeological dig, provides some of the richest sources of clues to prehistoric life. Archaeologists analyze all existing evidence such as bones and artifacts. Anthropologists study culture. They study artifacts and re-create a picture of early people’s cultural behaviors, including customs, family life, and social relationships. Archaeologists use a grid system developed by Mortimer Wheeler to aid in proper excavation and cataloging of artifacts. Once the excavation area is partitioned, archaeologists carefully remove layer after layer of soil to reveal, assumedly, older and older material

Scientists Search for Human Origins Other scientists called paleontologists, study fossils. Human fossils often consist of small fragments of teeth, skull, or other bones. Paleontologists use Carbon-14 dating to discover the age of ancient fossil remains and rocks.

Mary Leakey Finds Footprints Scientists Search for Human Origins Mary Leakey Finds Footprints In the mid-1970s, Mary Leakey, an archaeologist, led a scientific expedition to the region of Laetoli in Tanzania. In 1978, they made an amazing discovery. They found prehistoric footprints that resembled those made by modern humans. These footprints were made by humanlike beings called hominids. Humans and other creatures that walk upright, are called bipeds.

Husband and wife Louis and Mary Leakey study fossilized skull fragments that may belong to the "missing link" between ape and man. The Leakeys were the most famous archaeologists of the latter half of the 20th century. A trail of fossilized footprints found by Mary Leakey at Laetoli in present-day Tanzania in an expedition conducted from 1974 to 1975. Some of the oldest hominid evidence found in Africa, these footprints show that human-like creatures were walking upright in East Africa 3.5 million years ago.

Johanson Discovers “Lucy” Scientists Search for Human Origins Johanson Discovers “Lucy” While Mary Leakey and her team were making their discovery, American anthropologists Donald Johanson and his team were searching for fossils. They were exploring in Ethiopia 1,000 miles to the north of Leakey. Johanson’s team found a 40% intact skeleton of adult female. She lived around 3.2 million years ago. This was a huge find because before this discovery the oldest skeleton was about 100,000 years old.

Scientists Search for Human Origins Hominids in Motion Lucy and those hominids that left their footprints in East Africa were bipeds. Walking upright helped them to cover more distance. They were able to carry food and children and better spot threatening animals. These early hominids had already developed opposable thumbs. This means that the tip of the thumb can cross the palm of the hand.

Hominids Homo erectus Neanderthals Cro-Magnons

Above: Three hominid skulls from East Africa, illustrating the physical evolution of human-like species during several million years. Some of the earliest African discoveries of man's prehistory were made by Louis Leakey and his wife Mary at Olduvai Gorge in northern Tanzania. Other hominid discoveries have been made in a zone extending from Ethiopia to South Africa. Perhaps the most sensational was Donald Johanson's find of a three-million-year-old skeleton of a young woman, "Lucy," in 1974.

Progress During the Stone Ages The Old Stone Age or the Paleolithic Age: Lasted from about 2.5 million B.C. until 8000 B.C. The oldest stone chopping tools date back to this time. The New Stone Age or the Neolithic Age: Began in 8000 B.C. and ended in 3000 B.C. People of this period learned to make stone tools and pottery, and raise animals. Achievements such as the mastery over fire, the invention of tools, and the development of language are believed to have taken place during the Stone Ages.

Progress During the Stone Ages Homo Habilis: The first toolmaker? Discovered hominid fossil in northern Tanzania. Homo Habilis means “man of skill”. Tools made of lava rock, used to cut meat and to crack open bones. Homo Erectus: “upright man” Homo Erectus was more intelligent and used technology. Became skilled hunters and invented tools for digging, scraping, and cutting. First to use fire and to migrate from Africa. First to use language.

Dawn of the Humans Homo sapiens: Modern humans Homo sapien means “wise men.” Had much larger brains. Cro-Magnons: An early group of Homo sapiens. Planned their hunts. Studied animals’ habits and stalked their prey. Superior hunting skills enabled them to survive more easily. Neanderthals: Not ancestors of modern humans. Powerfully built: Had heavy slanted brows, well-developed muscles, and thick bones. Resourceful: Survived harsh Ice Age winters and had the ability to hunt in subarctic regions of Europe.

Hominids Homo erectus Neanderthals Cro-Magnons Opposable thumbs Tool making Building shelters Advanced hunting skills Mastery of fire Survive Ice Age Advanced language skills Bipeds: Up right walking Language Hunt in subarctic Evolve to modern humans First to migrate from Africa

Did You Know? Prehistoric artists: Made their paint from natural sources like: clay, charcoal and minerals. Used 3 basic colors: yellow, black, and red. Chose natural swellings or protrusions on the cave walls on which to paint the animals, giving the paintings a three-dimensional effect. A prehistoric bison painting from the caves at Altamira, Spain. This image was found in the Painted Hall, a 300-yard deep limestone cave. This cave is a prehistoric gallery of Cro-Magnon art that includes 25 other images of various animals: bison, boars, horses, deer, and a wolf. The paintings date back to the Old Stone Age, around 12,000 B.C.

Cave photographer, Ralph Morse (pipe in the mouth, during his stay in France. He was photographed from a separate chamber while admiring one of the larger horses on the walls at Lascaux Cave. Paintings in Lascaux have been dated to Neanderthals.

Development of Agriculture Causes Changes

Web Diagram Permanent villages; No longer nomads Rise in population because more food is available Development of Agriculture Causes Changes New technology: Farm tools, calendars Domesticate (tame) animals

Civilization

Iraq The birthplace of agriculture The birthplace of civilization The birthplace of written history

Ancient Sumerian tablet with cuneiform, one of the earliest forms of writing. This tablet, from 2039 B.C., tracks disbursements of wages to supervisors of day laborers.

What is Civilization? Civilization first arises in Sumer and is marked by the following five characteristics: 1. Advanced cities that are the center of trade for the region. 2. Specialized occupations made possible by a surplus food supply. 3. Complex institutions, such as government, religion, schools, and an economy. 4. Record-keeping systems developed and used by professional record keepers. 5. Advanced technology that makes life easier and work more efficient Activity- Divide up into groups of two people and list three things for each characteristic that would make Las Vegas a civilization. This will take 15 minutes and your group will present its answers to the class at the end.