Chapter 1 The First Civilizations Sec. 1: Early Humans Sec. 2: Mesopotamian Civilization Sec. 3: The First Empires

Early Humans History is the story of humans in the past. Historians are people who study & write about the human past. The story of people really begins before people developed writing.

Tools of Discovery What we know about the earliest people comes from the things they left behind. Archaeologists hunt for evidence buried in the ground where settlements might have once been. They dig up artifacts They also look for fossils Anthropologists focus on human society. They study how humans developed and how they related to one another.

Tools of Discovery Historians call the early period of human history the Stone Age. The earliest part of the period is the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. Paleolithic: means “old stone” in the Greek language it began roughly 25 million years ago Lasted until around 8000 B.C.

Who Were the Hunter-Gatherers? The world during the Stone Age had no roadways, farms or villages. Early humans spent most of their time searching for food. They hunted animals, caught fish, ate insects, and gathered nuts, berries, fruits, grains and plants.

Who Were the Hunter-Gatherers? Because they hunted and gathered, Paleolithic people were always on the move. They were called nomads. They traveled in bands of 30 or more people because it was safer and easier to find food.

Who Were the Hunter-Gatherers? Men & women did different jobs within the group. Women: Stayed close to the campsite, which was usually near a water source Looked after the children Searched nearby woods & meadows for berries, nuts & grains

Who Were the Hunter-Gatherers? Men: Hunted animals They had to learn animal habits Make tools for the kill First used clubs or drove animals off a cliff Paleolithic people invented spears, traps, and bows & arrows

Adapting to the Environment The way the Paleolithic people lived depended on where they lived. Paleolithic people created new kinds of shelter made of animal skins held up by wooden poles. They also made a life-changing discovery when they learned to tame fire.

Adapting to the Environment Fire: Gave warmth Lit the darkness Scared away wild animals Could now cook food Started fires by rubbing two pieces of wood together

What Were the Ice Ages? Fire was the key to survival during the Ice Ages. The last Ice Age was between 100,000 B.C. & 8000 B.C. Thick ice sheets covered parts of Europe, Asia & North America.

What Were the Ice Ages? The Ice Age was a threat to human life. People risked death from the cold & also from hunger. Humans had to adapt their diet and shelters.

Language, Art & Religion Another advance in Paleolithic times was the development of spoken language. Language made it easier to work together & pass on knowledge. People also expressed themselves through art. They crushed black, yellow & red rocks to make powders for paint.

Language, Art & Religion They dabbed the paint on cave walls creating different scenes. Historians are not sure why the cave paintings were created. They must have had religious meaning.

The Invention of Tools Paleolithic people were the first to use technology. People often used a hard stone called flint to make tools. Over time, people grew more skilled at making tools. They crafted smaller tools, such as fishhooks & needles made from animal bones.

Neolithic Times After the last Ice Age, people began to domesticate animal & plants for human use. Animals provided meat, milk & wool; carried goods & pulled carts People also learned how to grow food which allowed them to stay in one place.

Neolithic Times Gradually, farming began to replace hunting & gathering. This change in the way people lived marked the beginning of the Neolithic Age, or New Stone Age. It lasted until about 4000 B.C.

Why Was Farming Important? Historians call the changes in the Neolithic Age the farming revolution. Some consider the farming revolution the most important event in human history. Farming did not begin in one region & spread. Asia: wheat, barley & rice Mexico: corn, squash & potatoes

The Growth of Villages Now, people who farmed could settle in one place. Farmers had to stay close to their fields to water the plants, keep hungry animals away and harvest their crops. They began to live in villages where they built permanent homes.

The Growth of Villages During the Neolithic Age, villages were started in Europe, India, Egypt and China. The earliest known communities have been found in the Middle East. One of the oldest is Jericho, which is in the West Bank, between what is now Israel & Jordan. Jericho dates back to 8000 B.C.

The Growth of Villages Another well known community is Catal Huyuk in present-day Turkey. Had 6,000 people between 6700 B.C. & 5700 B.C. Lived in mud-brick houses Used other buildings as other places of worship They farmed, hunted, raised sheep & goats and ate fish

The Benefits of a Settled Life Having a settled life brought Neolithic people greater security than they had ever known. Steady food supplies meant healthy, growing populations With a bigger population, there were more workers to produce a bigger crop.

The Benefits of a Settled Life Because villagers produced more than enough to eat, they began to trade their extra. People began to practice specialization Pottery Weave mats & cloth

The Benefits of a Settled Life In the late Neolithic times, people continued to make advances. People began to work with metal At first used copper After 4000 B.C. people in western Asia began to mix copper & tin to form bronze (which lasted longer) It became widely used between 3000 B.C. & 1200 B.C. and this period became known as the Bronze Age.