1. Chapter 3 Early Humans and the Agricultural Revolution

2. Paleolithic Age
Stone Age – historians general use this term to refer to the earliest period in human history
Paleolithic – “Old Stone Age”; time of hunters and gatherers – earliest period of the Stone Age
Nomads – people who move from place to place regularly to survive
Things made by humans long ago are called artifacts
Men hunted; women stayed close to camp
Culture – way of life for a group of people who share similar beliefs and customs
Technology – tools and methods to perform task; generally makes life less difficult (tools, for example)
Climate affected how people lived
Lascaux – area of France where cave paintings were discovered

3. Paleolithic Age (cont.)
Fire
Life became less difficult
People gathered around fire to share stories and cook
Language and Art
Spoken language was developed
People expressed themselves through art
Cave paintings have been found all around the world
Ice Age – long period of extreme cold
Low sea levels exposed a “land bridge” connecting Asia and North America
To survive people had to adapt (ex. Increased fat intake)

4. Neolithic Age Neolithic – “New Stone Age”; farming revolution
Gradually, farming replaced hunting and gathering especially in milder climates
Domesticate – tame animals for human use
Agricultural Revolution – some historians consider it to be the most important event in human history
Farmers saved some grain to plant
Constant supply of food could be produced
Populations grew at a faster rate
Settled communities began forming
Farming spread all over the world
Systematic Agriculture – the organized growing of food on a regular schedule

5. Neolithic Age cont. Life in the Neolithic Age
People settled near water, especially rivers
Communities grew (villages formed)– people were more secure
Farmers grew more food than they needed and began to trade this surplus (amount that is left over)
Less people were needed to farm so they became artisans or skilled workers; this is known as specialization or training for a particular job
Men farmed and women took care of the children
Bronze – a metal created by mixing copper and tin – an important breakthrough!
Stronger than copper but expensive; most used tools and weapons made of stone

6. Civilizations
Humans continued to develop more complex cultures, or ways of life
These complex cultures are called civilizations. The biggest and earliest known Neolithic communities were located in Southwest Asia.
Four great river valley civilizations began about 3000 BCE – Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China
Early civilizations developed cities and formed governments
Trade increased – allowed for the exchange of goods and ideas
Religions started to help people explain their lives
People invented ways of writing to pass on information