 Describe what is known about the early humans through archaeological studies.  Tell about the achievements of scientists who have studied the ancient past.

 Prehistory – time before written records  Archaeology – the study of things left behind  Artifact – objects made by people  Fossil – remains, such as bones, of once living animals or humans  Theory- accepted explanations about life in the past  Hominid – humans and species with humanlike characteristics  Paleolithic Era – Old Stone Age  Migrate – to move from place to place

 Scientists use artifacts, fossil, and other evidence to develop theories about prehistory  They compare similar fossils from different time periods to see how physical features change over time  Artifacts and fossils can help tell how humans lived and what they might have looked like

 Scientists excavate archaeological sites by digging up artifacts and fossils  The items they find are then dated and studied at laboratories

 Scientists in eastern Africa have found fossils of bones of several kinds of early hominids  Australopithecines lived in grasslands and forests about 1-4 million years ago

 By 2.5 million years ago, a hominid group now called Homo habilis, living in Africa, began making stone tools  This marked the beginning of the Paleolithic Era (Old Stone Age)  Homo erectus (upright person) mastered the use of fire and, possibly, speaking

 As Earth’s climate cooled, Homo erectus began to migrate into new areas

 Using artifacts and fossils, archaeologists and other scientists can tell us about how early hominids may have lived and what they mad have looked like  Beginning with australopithecines, there were several kinds of hominids  Homo habilis made the first chipped stone tools.  In time, Homo erectus, the only surviving hominid, spread from Africa into Asia and Europe