1. Chapter One Section One

2. Exploring Prehistory Anthropologists study the skeletal remains of hominids (humans and early humanlike creatures) to learn what prehistoric people looked like. Archaeologists dig in early settlements to find objects (including tools, clothing, art and toys) called artifacts. This helps them study the culture of a people. Culture is the set of beliefs, knowledge and patterns of living that a group of people develops. Because artifacts give limited evidence, scientists and historians have to make educated guesses to fill in the blanks about people and their cultures.

3. In 1974, in Ethiopia, Johanssen and his team found the remains of a 3 million- year-old female hominid, who they named Lucy.

4. Lucy

5. In 1992, parts of a skeleton dating back about 4.4 million years was discovered in Ethiopia. They named the skeleton Ardi.

6. Ardi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5c5syi0124

7. These hominids walked upright like humans, but were more apelike in their features. The Paleolithic period, meaning “Old Stone Period,” began about 2.5 million years ago. The Paleolithic period is marked by the development of stone tools.

8. Early Humans From studying skeletons, scientists can describe what the first humans may have looked like. Scientists believe they had heavy eyebrow ridges, receding chins, powerful jaws and low foreheads. These early humans are believed to have lived in caves, and most likely ate seeds, fruits and nuts. As humans began to develop hunting skills, they migrated, in search of food.

9. Between 100,000 and 400,000 years ago, these early humans developed into Homo Sapiens, the species that all people living today belong to. The ice ages, which lasted from 20,000 to 140,000 years, helped to form land bridges that allowed humans and animals to migrate between continents. The last ice age ended approximately 10,000_ years ago.

10. Remains of Neanderthals, humans who lived during the Old Stone Age, have been found in caves in Europe and Southwest Asia. Neanderthals were the first known humans to bury their dead. About 35,000 years ago, another type of Homo Sapien, the Cro-Magnon began to emerge.

11. These people made better tools and weapons than the Neanderthals had previously done, and were well-equipped to survive. By 10,000 years ago, people looked basically like they do today.

12. The Agricultural Revolution The Middle Stone Age is called the Mesolithic Period. During this age, the use of bow and arrow, spears and harpoons was widespread. The New Stone Age is also called the Neolithic. During this time, people ground stone to form sharp edges on weapons and tools, and were no longer nomads -- they began to settle in one place and develop villages.

13. The Neoliths began to practice domestication -- the taming of animals such as cattle, sheep and goats. People went from being hunter-gatherers to being farmers during the Neolithic Period. Because this was such an important change to the way humans functioned, we call it the Neolithic Revolution.

14. Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down Lucy is the oldest known fossil of a hominid. False The period of time before people developed a system of writing is called prehistory. True.