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The First People Preview
Starting Points Map: Early People and Agriculture Main Idea / Reading Focus Studying the Distant Past Faces of History: Mary and Louis Leakey Human Origins Quick Facts: Early Hominids Spreading Around the World
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The First People Preview, continued Map: Migration of Early Humans
Life in the Stone Age
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The First People Main Idea Reading Focus
Scientific evidence suggests that modern humans spread from Africa to other lands and gradually developed ways to adapt to their environment. Reading Focus What methods are used to study the distant past? What does evidence suggest about human origins? How did early people spread around the world? How did early people adapt to life in the Stone Age?
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Studying the Distant Past
Much of the human story remains a mystery. Writing has existed for only about 5,000 years. To study prehistory, scholars must find and interpret clues. Study culture: knowledge, art, customs Examine artifacts: objects that people in the past made or used Anthropologists Dig at sites where people have left traces Use a variety of methods to date and analyze objects found Archaeologists – Anthropology continues to expand and revise our picture of the prehistoric past.
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How do scientists learn about prehistory?
Find the Main Idea How do scientists learn about prehistory? Answer(s): by studying fossils, artifacts, and remains
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Human Origins Where did the first people come from? When did they appear? Some key discoveries have provided important pieces to the puzzle. 1959—East Africa Mary Leakey finds skull fragments Hominid: humanlike being that walked upright 1974—Ethiopia Johanson finds “Lucy” 4 foot-tall hominid who walked upright lived 4 to 5 million years ago Early Hominids More advanced hominids from about 3 million years ago 1960s—Tanzania Louis Leakey Homo habilis (“handy man”) More humanlike features Made and used crude stone tools Later Hominids
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Other hominids Modern humans Homo erectus (“upright man”)
2 to 1.5 million years ago in Africa Larger brain; more skillful hunter First hominid to control fire Modern humans Homo sapiens (“wise man”) 200,000 years ago Larger brain; more sophisticated tools Learned to create fire First to develop language
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Identify Supporting Details
What four main types of hominids have scientists identified based on fossil evidence? Answer(s): Australopithecine, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo sapiens
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Spreading Around the World
Climate and Migration Hominids learned to adapt Began to move out of Africa Movement occurred over hundreds of thousands of years The Ice Ages Began 1.6 million years ago Long periods of freezing weather cycled with warmer periods Asia and North America joined at Bering Strait Out of Africa Homo erectus first hominid to migrate Fossils found in Asia and Europe Homo sapiens migrated around 100,000 years ago Might have used boats Adapting to New Environments Adapted as they migrated Two groups of Homo sapiens: – Neanderthals – Cro-Magnons
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How did the ice ages influence early human migration?
Analyze Information How did the ice ages influence early human migration? Answer(s): The ocean level dropped, exposing land bridges that allowed early humans to migrate around the world.
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Life in the Stone Age Technology Art and Religion
The first humans lived during the Stone Age, when people made tools mainly from stone. Paleolithic Era 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago Stone Age people lived as nomads Sheltered under rock overhangs or in caves Hunter-gatherers First tools: crude chipped stones Later tools: wood and bone Spears for hunting Nets and traps for fish and birds Canoes from logs Clothing from animal skins Shelters from skins, wood, bones Technology Societies began to form Common culture language art religion Animism Belief in life after death? Art and Religion
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How did Stone Age people use technology to adapt and survive?
Summarize How did Stone Age people use technology to adapt and survive? Answer(s): used fire, made tools and weapons
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