Early Humans

Bell ringer: What separates Humans from other species? Make a list in your notes of all the traits that are unique to humans.

The Earliest Humans

Outcome: Human Migration & Beginning of Agriculture

Human Migration & Beginning of Agriculture

1. Setting the Stage: Who are we?
a. b. c. d. e. Evidence suggests humans could be much older than originally thought Scientists use artifacts to search for answers Artifact: human made objects like tools and jewelry Unfortunately, prehistory can leave more questions than answers Prehistory: time before the invention of writing

Human Migration & Beginning of Agriculture

f. Important: The story is not complete and there are many questions left to answer

g. Two prevailing ideas (you will not be forced to pick a side):

i. Creation: Idea that a higher power put humans on earth ii. Evolution: Theory that humans evolved from another being

How to Study History

There are many different ways to study history: Archaeology Geography Economics Political Science Sociology Anthropology

Archaeology
Archaeology is the scientific study of past cultures and the way people lived based on the things they left behind. Archaeologists study past cultures by examining artifacts, objects made, used, or changed by humans.

Anthropology Similar-study of culture, same techniques, also study present day

Geography
study of the earths landscapes, peoples, places and environments. how environments emerge how societies produce, organize, use and misuse environments, how societies themselves are influenced by the environments in which they are located.

Economics
Needs v. Wants

Political Science
Political science is the study of governments/leaderships

Sociology
study of the social world around us investigate structure of groups, organizations, and societies, and how people interact within these contexts

Human Migration & Beginning of Agriculture

2. Interesting Evidence Found in Africa
a. Anthropologists (people who study culture), archaeologists (people who discover fossils) and, paleontologists (people who study fossils) attempt to use artifacts and fossils to understand early humans culture

b.

Culture: a peoples unique way of life

Culture
Define culture in your words. Describe your own culture. What makes your culture different than other culture? Why do you think this occurs?

Culture
How does the iceberg symbolize culture?

Timeline

Common Ancestor with Apes

Hominids

Our family tree

a primate of a family ( Hominidae ) that includes humans and their fossil ancestors.

Human Migration & Beginning of Agriculture

d. Laetoli Footprints
i. Two hominid footprints preserved in volcanic ash in Africa ii. Found by anthropologist Mary Leaky in 1978 iii. Dated to be 3.6 million years old

Laetoli Footprints

Astriolepithicus
c. Lucy
i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. Unusually complete skeleton of female hominid Hominid: bipedalism: being that walks upright on two legs. Discovered by Donald Johanson in 1974 in Africa Named after Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds Dated to be 3.5 million years old (mya) Arboreal adaptations Prognathic facial structure

Lucy

Homo Habilis
Handy Man 2.3-1.8 millions of years ago (mya) Tanzinia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Malaui (Africa) Slightly aboreal Increased brain size Smaller teeth/ less prognathous Used stone tools Hammer stone Flake Scavenging and hunting Lived in groups

Homo Erectus
Upright Human 1.8 mya- 300,000 Africa, Europe, Asia (migrated) Legs longer than arms Less prognathic No arboreal adaptation Larger brains Meat-eating Used tools Hand axe Cutting Cooking

Neanderthals
150-28,000 years ago Africa, Europe, Asia (migrated) Large brains Stocky, short limbs Mid-face prognathism Expert hunters Had Culture: Buried dead Anatomy for language Cared for others (longer life expectancy) Ritual and symbolic behavior Shared gene with humans

Neanderthals

Cro-Magnons
Early homo sapiens sapiens = early modern humans
43,000 years ago

Powerful
Big-game hunters Sewing clothes, weaving baskets Constructed shelters

Homo Sapiens
Wise

Man 200,000 years ago Spread all over the world 30,000 no co-existing homo species left Large Brain Created complex social structures Adapted to different environments Complex communication system: Language

Time Line

Paleolithic Age
Paleolithic Age Old Stone Age (Est. 2.5 mil BC-8000 BC) 1. Hunters & Gatherers A. Nomad: Moving from place to place in search for food. B. Men hunted & fished. C. Woman gathered fruits, nuts, etc. 2. Way of Life A. Cave paintings B. Stone tools & pottery C. Domesticated dogs

Human Migration & Beginning of Agriculture

3. Humans Migrate
a. Humans are known as homo sapiens which means wise men due to brain size

b. Eventually homo erectus & homo sapiens migrated out of Africa c. Early humans were nomads or highly mobile people who move from place to place foraging, or searching for new sources of food d. All early humans were also hunter-gatherers
e. f. Hunter-gatherers: those whose food supply depended on hunting animals and collecting plant foods Estimates show they started leaving Africa around 125,000 years ago

Migration out of Africa

Human Migration & Beginning of Agriculture

j. Why did they leave Africa?
i. Competition with other humans ii. Following animal herds iii. Human curiosity

Mesolithic Age
Mostly known for the Ice Age: 1. A cold period marked by episodes of extensive glaciation alternating with episodes of relative warmth.

2. Ice Age The most recent glacial period, which occurred during the Pleistocene Epoch.

Human Migration & Beginning of Agriculture

g. Settled in Europe 33,000 years ago, China 67,000 years ago, Australia 38,000 years ago, North America 12,000 years ago, and South America 12- 33,000 years ago

h. We know this due to similar stone tool artifacts found in different regions that date to roughly the same time period
i. Shows that early humans used technology: applying knowledge, tools, and inventions to meet their needs

Neolithic Age
Neolithic Age New Stone Age (8000 BC 3000 BC) 1. Farming Neolithic Revolution A. People could remain in one place. B. Herding of animals goats, sheep & cattle. 2. Community A. Council of Elders/Chief made important decisions. B. Warrior class C. Kept possessions.

Neolithic Revolution
Long transitional period from hunting/gathering to agriculture/farming Not one revolution, but several across the world Different crops and methods of cultivation Further domestication of animals: Process of selective breeding of both plants and animals (wild to domestic)

Human Migration & Beginning of Agriculture

4. Agriculture Changes Everything!
a. Early nomadic humans lived in bands of 25-70 people b. Around 10,000 years ago, the Neolithic Revolution began: the beginning of farming c. It started accidentally when some women scattered seeds near a

campsite and noticed crops growing there when they came back next season

d. Rising temperatures worldwide provided longer growing seasons e. Farming produces more food than hunting or gathering

Human Migration & Beginning of Agriculture

f. g. h. i. j. More food means a higher population, thus more labor Due to labor and farming methods, permanent settlements developed Permanent settlements turn into villages, villages turn into cities, cities turn into civilizations Once you reach a certain population, you can begin specialization Specialization: the development of skills in a specific kind of work (other than farming)

Neolithic Revolution

Human Migration & Beginning of Agriculture

k. l. Slash & burn farming was used (cut a field and burn it for nutrients) Domestication or taming of animals began as well

Coming Up Next!
m. Eventually all of this led to the creation of the first civilization on Earth in Mesopotamia called Sumer