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p1 Excavation of Warka showing the ruins of Uruk
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Hominids Australopithecines (3-4 million years ago; simple stone tools; limited to Africa) Homo Erectus (1.5 million years ago; larger, more varied tools; moves into Europe and Asia) The Emergence of Homo Sapiens (“wise human being”) Neanderthals, (c. 100,000 – 30,000 years ago) Neander Valley, Germany; other parts of Europe, Middle East More advanced stone tools; burial of the dead Homo sapiens sapiens, (c. 200,000 B.C.E. – Present) “ Wise, wise human being” Replaced Neanderthals Spread throughout the world The spread of humans: out of Africa or multiregional?
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p3 CHRONOLOGY The First Humans
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Map 1.1 p2 MAP 1.1 The Spread of Homo sapiens sapiens
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Paleolithic Age, (c. 2.5 million years ago – 10,000 years ago) Hunting and Gathering Nomadic Bands (20 – 30 people) Division of Labor between Men and Women Discovery of Fire (c. 500,000 B.C.E.) Source of light and heat; cooking of food Cultural Activities Cave paintings: Chauvet in France
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Paleoanthropologists divide human history into two phases: Paleolithic/Neolithic Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) = c. 2,500,000 B.C.- 10,000 B.C. Hunt, fish, gather—nomadic--but not food producers Long chronological era C. c. 200,000 B.C.E appearance of homo sapiens sapiens
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@ 30,000 B.C. evidence that man did more than hunt for food Art forms: beads, jewelry (animal teeth), shells, ivory, bone flutes Music = dance, song Tatooing Bone, ivory carvings Fertility statuettes—fertility goddess/fertility principle More advanced tools—fishhooks, harpoons, bows, arrows, needles for sewing animal skins Burial ceremonies = belief in an afterlife
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Lascaux in France; Altamira in Spain; several sites in n. Africa. Depictions of large game animals in various modes of activity Common worship? (usually painted in difficult-to- reach areas of cave) Sympathetic magic—imitating a desired result will bring about that same result. Arrow in flank on wall = arrow in flank in reality
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Only 10% of cave murals show killing scenes All however do picture game Common desire that game be plentiful lest the tribe have to move Specialized in different colors—tones—feathers as brushes Few contain depictions of owls—and other animals which one usually does not eat esp. Chauvet. Symbolism: bison = female; horse = male
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p4 Paleolithic Cave Painting: The Chauvet Cave
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C. 12,000 B.C. end of Last Ice Age Glaciers retreated northwards—large game species shifted with them. Central, southern Europe thawed, north Africa and Arabian peninsula dried out. As Europe became warmer, fauna moved north Heavy rains shifted north—most of Europe becomes temperate habitable.
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People become attached to coastal areas No longer as nomadic—lush river valleys have an abundance of fowl and fish. Nomadic peoples have low birthrates Breast-feeding as birth control, nomadic children breast-feed longer; constant movement induces miscarriage, a woman can usually only carry one child. But once population fixed—birth rates increase
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Puts pressure on local supplies—led to early overpopulation. Once resources depleted people forced to migrate again; return to areas where resources are less plentiful. Result? Man begins to adapt to a changing environment and switches from a food gathering to a food producing society.
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New Stone Age C. 12,000 B.C. represents mans control over nature Sedentary agriculture replaces gathering Domestication of animals replaces hunting. By 9,000 B.C evidence from Iran—sheep, goats domesticated “Insurance policy?” By 7,000 B.C. pigs, goats domesticated—steady supply of meat—usually domesticate first animals you eat.
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Between 9,000-8,000 B.C. agriculture develops independently in different areas Near East—wheat, barley S. Asia—rice W. Africa—yams S. America—corn, potatoes, beans, squash At first people farmed in a slash and burn manner. But after 9,000 people began to cultivate crops.
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Do not know how began—imagine that stored excess grain sprouted. Further insurance policy, people began to plant excess grain and harness environment --insured a steady supply of agricultural produce. Much trial and error—remove excess weeds, plowing, fertilizer, crop rotation Harvesting—knife, scythe, or sickle Grinding grain—mortar and pestle
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With agriculture, man becomes sedentary—no longer nomadic. 7,500-7,000 B.C. evidence for agriculture in Turkey, Iraq, Iran. By 6,000 B.C. these areas primarily agricultural. By 4,000-3,500 B.C. evidence from s. Europe But agriculture is labor intensive—stimulates communal living. Progression from nomadic society to one of villages reflects a change from gathering food to growing it.
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Agriculture leads to the Age of the Village. A village = a settlement in which the majority of inhabitants are engaged in sedentary agriculture. Age of the Village 6,500-3,500 B.C.
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