Early Man Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic

Earliest Humans 2.5 Million Years ago, earliest humans in Ethiopia –240,000 Years ago, Homo Sapiens Sapiens –100,000 Years ago, developed speech Humans: –Pros: Opposable thumb Regular sex drive: aids reproduction Omnivores Speech and facial expression –Cons: Violent against species Dependant babies Back problems Knowledge of imminent death

Hunters and Gatherers Benefits –Worked 7 hours every 3 days –Men and women equal –Little warfare Downside –No stable food supply –2.5 miles per person, so limited number of people Earliest known blog post

Stone Ages Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) 1 million – 12,000 BCE –Use of Fire –Simple stone and wood tools –Erect, bigger brain –Rituals, cave paintings, goddesses –Spread over much of earth ** Around 25,000 BCE People went over Bering Land Bridge to Americas** Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) 12,000 – 8000 BCE –Shaped stone and bone tools: needles, fishhooks, awls –Rafts, canoes –Pots, baskets –Domesticated cow –Growth of population = more wars Neolithic (New Stone Age) 8000 – 4000 BCE –Agriculture –Cities

Bering Land Bridge, 25,000 years Ago

Neolithic Revolution 8000 BCE End of last Ice Age 10,000 BCE –Population increases –Retreat of big game, must feed more on smaller game –Needed better food supply –Developed agriculture Developed independently in China, Middle East, and Americas Led to end of Hunting and Gathering because: –Cleared forests –People in citied developed immunity to disease, H&G did not

Changes and Continuities of Agriculture Changes: –Higher birth rate: H&G babies breast fed until 4 or 5, Farm babies until 18 months –Reduced migration, sedentary instead of nomadic –Specialization leads to social inequality and hierarchy –Larger groups lead to disease Continuities –Slow to change; people afraid of new ways –Challenge of hunt valued –Agriculture makes men take on traditionally feminine roles; begin to claim superiority to women TimeWorld Population 10,000 BCE4 Million 5,000 BCE5 Million 3,000 BCE14 Million 2,000 BCE27 Million 1,000 BCE50 Million 500 BCE100 Million

Bronze Age Around 4000 BCE: discovery of metal tools in Middle East –First copper then bronze (copper and tin) –By 3000 BCE no more stone tools in Middle East –Benefits: Work the ground easier Better weapons Earliest Civilizations: –Yellow River, Nile River, Indus River, Mesopotamia, Andes