Early Humans – 4000BC/BCE Pg. 9-15

Early Humans History: Story of humans in the past. Historians: People who study and write about the human past. History begins when people began to write, roughly 5,500 years ago. Time before writing is known as Pre-History.

Tools of Discovery Past items help us understand early humans. Archaeologists hunt for buried evidence and study the artifacts (tools, weapons, etc.) people left behind. Also study fossils, traces of plants and animals preserved in rock. Early humans history is known as the Stone Age…why? Because people made tools and weapons from stone.

Tools of Discovery Earliest part of the period, the Paleolithic or “Old Stone Age.” This time period was from about 2.5 million years ago to 8000 BC/BCE.

Who were Hunter Gatherers? Early Humans that spent much of their time hunting animals and gathering nuts, berries, and plants for food. Always on the move, thus they are nomads. Women stayed closer to campsite/home. Men went on longer “walks” hunting animals.

Adapting to the Environment Depending on the environment, determined how early humans had to adapt. If it was a warm climate, then they needed little cloths and shelter. If the climate was cold, more cloths and shelter needed. The Paleolithic people of the “Old Stone Age” discovered fire, which lit the darkness, heated food, supplied heat, and scared wild animals away.

Ice Ages Lasted from 100,000 BC/BCE to 8000 BC/BCE. Thick ice sheets covered parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. The Ice Age forced humans to adapt their diets, shelters, and clothing. (ADAPTATION) Fire helped people survive. How?

Language Development of common language helped people work together and pass knowledge. Language was then passed through art and religion.

Invention of Tools Paleolithic people were the first to use tools. People used a stone called flint. Could make flint into pieces with sharp edges used for axes, weapons, and other tools. As time went on people became better tools makers using even better materials.

Neolithic Times Period of time from 8000 BC/BCE to 4000 BC/BCE. This time period is when humans first learned they could grow and raise their own food. This would lead to no longer being hunter-gatherers.

Importance of Farming The change from hunting and gathering to farming is known as the Farming Revolution. Some refer to this “revolution” as the greatest human event in history. Why? People in different parts of the world began to discover the idea of farming about the same time. First farming: Central America, Northern South America, Europe, Mid-Africa, South/SE Asia, and Middle East (pg. 13).

Growth of Villages People that farmed could settle in one place. As more people learned to farm, they no longer had to go search for food. As a result, more people began to settle, thus creating villages or communities. Earliest village was Jericho, near today’s Israel. Jericho dates to roughly 8000 BC/BCE.

Benefits of Settled Life Benefits of a settled life: Steady food supply. More workers, produce larger crops. Specialization, or development of specific jobs. As a result, more trade as people traded their specialized goods. As a result, people began to produce better items such as copper, and eventually Bronze which turned to the Bronze Age 3000 BC/BCE to 1200 BC/BCE.