1. PREHISTORIC PEOPLE

2. EXPLORING PREHISTORY
Hominids: group that includes humans as well as earlier human-like creatures
Paleo-anthropologists
study the remains of hominid skeletons
Determine what early hominids looked like & how they lived
Archeologists
Study artifacts, objects made & used by hominids
Learn about ancient people & their cultures
Culture is the beliefs, knowledge and the way of life developed by a group of people.

3. Human Ancestors
The earliest known hominids lived in Africa. The earliest hominid bones are about 6 million years old, but not much is known about the very early examples.

4. Human Ancestors- Ardipithecus
Ardipithecus: appeared about 4.4 million years ago;
lived in Africa (Ethiopia), nicknamed “Ardi”.
Walked upright on the ground, but on “all fours” in trees.
About 3 ½ feet tall; ate mostly fruits & nuts.
Discovered in 1994, but the study was completed & published in 2009.

5. Human Ancestors Australopithecus: appeared about 4 million years ago
Lived in Africa (Ethiopia)
Walked upright; had a larger brain than “Ardi”,
about 3 ½ feet tall; Ate nuts, roots, other wild plants

6. “Lucy”
Early hominid skeleton found in Hadar, Ethiopia by Donald Johansson
Named “Lucy” after a Beatles song
“Lucy” is an example of Australopithecus. She lived about 3.2 million years old
One of the most complete early skeletons, about 40% complete

7. Human Ancestors – genus “Homo”
Homo Habilis (“handy man”) about 2 ½ million yr. ago
Lived in Africa; about 4 feet tall, larger brain that Australopithecus.
One of the first hominid who made stone tools.
Homo Erectus (“upright man”) about 1 ½ million years ago
Larger in size, about 5 feet tall, larger brain than Homo Habilis.
Hunted for food, as well as gathered wild plants
Used and made fire
Migrated and spread from Africa into Asia.

8. Homo Sapiens Two early types Neanderthals Cro-Magnon
Lived about 130,000-35,000 yr. ago. This group died out.
Wore animal skins; cooked their food; buried their dead with grave gifts & flowers (may have had a belief in life after death)
Heavier bodies than later Homo Sapiens
Cro-Magnon
Appeared about 35,000 years ago; looked essentially like modern humans & were ancestors of modern humans
Had better tools & weapons
Created beautiful cave art

10. SEVERAL TYPES OF VIEWS about the origin of HUMANITY
CREATIONISM: God created humans and all species just are they are today. They have not changed.
SCIENTIFIC EVOLUTION: Humans and other species evolved naturally, without a creator.
DEISTIC or THEISTIC EVOLUTION: Humans and other species evolved as scientists believe they did, but the process was guided by God.

11. Ice Ages
Periods of colder climate and increased ice have occurred many times in the history of the earth
Several times within the last 1.7 million years, ice has covered much of the earth.
During these periods of ice, sea levels dropped and land was exposed in places, making it easier for people and animals to migrate over these land bridges.

12. 3 early ages of humans
Paleolithic age-old stone age (2 ½ million yr. ago – 12,000 yr. ago)
Mesolithic age- middle stone age (12,000 yr. ago -10,000 yr. ago)
Neolithic age-new stone age (10,000 yr. ago-4,000 yr. ago)

13. 3 early ages: PALEOLITHIC AGE
About 2 ½ million years ago to about 12,000 years ago (about 10,000BC)
Old Stone Age: “Paleo” means “old”; “lithic” means “stone”
People:
Used stone tools
Were nomadic
Were hunter-gatherers
Eventually spread through most parts of the world

14. 3 early ages: Mesolithic Age
About 12,000 years ago (about10,000BC) to about 10,000 years ago (about 8,000BC)
Middle Stone Age. “meso”-middle.
More sophisticated tools and weapons
Bow and arrow
Fishhooks (made of bone)
Harpoons (bone and antler)
Tamed the dog (first domesticated animal)
Used dugout canoes to fish in deeper water

15. NEOLITHIC AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION!!!!!
About 10,000 years ago, or 8,000BC, somewhere in the Middle East, northern Iraq or southern Turkey
Made the discovery that plants grow from seeds and began to plant crops, the first farming!
Began to herd animals, in addition to hunting.
The changed from food gathering to food producing is called the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution
This radically changed human culture!!!

16. Neolithic Age
About 10,000 years ago (8,000BC) to about 4,000 years ago (2,000BC).
Farming (raising crops & herding animals):
Wheat, barley, rice, millet
Sheep, goats, cattle
Eventually used the plow & simple fertilizer
Better tools including points produced by polishing & grinding.
People stopped being nomadic& settled in villages, towns, and eventually, cities

17. Early towns & cities
Jericho, west bank of the Jordan River, about 8000BC
Jarmo, present day Iraq, about 6500 BC
Catalhuyuk, in southern Turkey, about 6700BC.