1. Early Humans - Mesopotamia

2. Who Studies History?
Archaeologist – search for artifacts and buried evidence underground Anthropologist – study cultures and how humans relate to one another Historians – research and write about the human past Artifact – things left behind by humans from the past Fossils – traces of plant or animals preserved in rock

3. What is a culture?
Culture is the way of life of a group of people. technology language religion food jobs beliefs government

4. Ancient Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia – Greek “mesos” = between “potamos” – rivers Mesopotamia translated from Old Persian Miyanrudan means "the fertile cresent"

5. Mesopotamia stretched from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.

6. Early Humans Paleolithic Times – “old stone age” Hunters & Gatherers
Hunted with clubs, wooden spears, & other rough weapons.
Gathered berries, grains, and nuts.
Nomads = moved from place to place based on food source, climate, etc.
created fire
Cooked food – smoked meat for preservation
Developed language and art – cave paintings
Developed technology – the use of tools to make work easier
Tools like axes & spears - wood and stone
(flint) helped with hunting. fishhooks and needles - animal bone - fishing nets or baskets.
II. Neolithic Times 8000 B.C – 4000 B.C. “new stone age”
Domesticated animals provide meat, milk, and wool. They also carried goods and pulled carts.

7. Antler and Bone Sickles / Early Shelter

8. Neolithic Advances Farming Revolution
People began to form villages and live in permanent homes.
a) Jericho and Catal Huyuk are oldest neolithic villages
2. Steady food supplies = healthy & growing populations
3. population growth = more workers for crops.
a) surplus (extra) food = growth of trade with other communities.
b) The food surplus also = specialized jobs.
1. Everyone was not needed to farm anymore.
2. craftspeople such as potters, toolmakers
4. Neolithic people heated rocks to melt copper inside & form tools
a) copper and tin were mixed to form bronze.
- bronze age was 3000 B.C. to 1200 B.C.

9. Ancient Neolithic Cities