1. Prehistory
Prehistory – the time in human history before the invention of writing
What sources can we use to understand the “prehistoric” world?

2. Unwritten History
Oral histories
Drawings
Stuff they left behind

3. Oral Histories
Storytellers prized in many cultures, and stories are passed down for generations
Problems:
“Whisper down the lane” effect
Dead people don’t tell stories

4. Drawings
Mostly, cave paintings
Famous pictures from Lascaux (France)

6. Cave Paintings Art is in the eye of the beholder Stories?
Actual events?
Religious beliefs?
Nice pictures?
Textbooks?

7. Artifacts
Something made by people

8. Fossils
Solidified remains of living things

9. Using Artifacts Some assembly required
Like a giant puzzle with no idea what the picture will be
What if we use things for different purposes?
If we know what, do we know when?
Some things get lost

10. Studying the Past
Archeology
Anthropology

11. Archeology
The study of the human past by examining artifacts and remains
Excavation
Hoping to find ancient settlements, burial sites, tools, etc.

12. Anthropology Study of human origins, relationships, and cultures
Try to determine how humans evolved (physically and culturally)
Archeology is a subfield of anthropology
What is culture?

13. Culture
Culture is a system of beliefs, values, and assumptions about life that guide behavior and are shared by a group of people
Everyone has culture
What does culture include?

14. Early Humans

15. Early Humans Start our story at the dawn of the
Paleolithic Era, about 2.5 million years ago
the Old Stone Age
Humans created the first tools made out of stone

16. Better than Monkeys Early humans developed
Simple stone tools
Control of fire
Oral language
All keys to cooperating in hunts, which bring food and resources

17. Wise Man
Smarter, larger-brained humans known as homo sapiens (Latin for “wise man”)
Developed technology
Clothing
Shelter
Art
Homo sapiens are modern humans

18. Out of Africa Homo sapiens arose in Africa about 200,000 years ago
Migration to all continents (except Antarctica) beginning around 100,000 years ago

20. Hunter-gatherer Life
People Profiles

21. Source of Food Hunting Gathering Get it? Hunter-gatherers!
Main source, whatever they could catch, kill, and cook!
Gathering
Wild fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, etc.
Get it? Hunter-gatherers!

22. Size of Groups Small groups Why?
Clans: people, one or a few extended families
Why?

23. Permanent Settlements
No! They were nomads
Why move?
Follow herds
No food left
Seasons change
Too cold or hot
No water left

24. Location Factors
Mainly, Paleolithic (and prehistoric) people followed their food
Animals migrate, so did the people
Overpopulation (of people)
Overconsumption (of resources in one spot)

25. Getting Along Cooperation was necessary for survival
Knew everyone in their clan – all relatives
No private property – no where to put it
No fighting other groups – no one around
Finding food…just not that hard

26. Neolithic Age Neolithic Age means:
New Stone Age
How did Neolithic Age differ from Paleolithic Age?
Learnt to polish tools
Make pottery
Grow crops and domesticated animals

27. Neolithic Revolution
Shift from hunting and gathering to farming

28. Neolithic Revolution Cont.
Provided a steady source of food and extra
Causing
Need to store food
Permanent Settlement
Population growth
Specialization and Organization

29. Early Farming Methods Crops Animals Slash and burn faming
Cut tree or grass and burnt them to clear a field
Ashes fertilized the soil
Domestication taming of animals
Happened slowly
Human being to control some animals lives

30. Where did it happen? First seen in the fertile crescent
Later in river valleys