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The Last Word: No Homework

Trash takes on new meaning in this guy’s hands. Francisco de Pajaro likes to trawl the streets around London's Brick Lane, doing creative things with refuse.His work is ephemeral, since it generally gets cleared away in the morning.

Early Africa

Land, People and Art

Chapter 3, Section 3

Earliest Humans in Africa?

Earliest evidence of humans comes from eastern and southern Africa Includes fossil remains, cave paintings, and plant

and animal life **Climate in Africa often hinders the search for

further clues

Most important discovery made at Olduvai GorgeLocated in Tanzania on the edge of the Great Rift valley Location of important archaeological discovery

Olduvai GorgeMary and Louis Leakey Found fossil remains in the 1950s

that may have belonged to the first humans

Led scientists to believe that eastern Africa was home to the first humans

A Common Ancestor?Scientists have studied the DNA of people from many different areasSome have concluded that

we all share a certain strand of DNA

This may mean we all have a common ancestor, a woman who may have lived over 100,000 years ago (“Eve”)

A Common Ancestor?

Records on Stone

African Rock paintingsProvide evidence of ancient people living in

eastern and southern AfricaEarliest up to 11,000 years old, some only 200

years old

Rock art can be found all over Africa2 important sites

Brandberg, Namibia Tassili-n-Ajer, Algeria

Brandberg, Namibia

Site of a wealth of early African rock art

Mountain area with nearly 1000 areas of paintings, over 43,000 figures

The White Lady of the Brandberg

Women engaged in ceremonial activity

Tassili-n-Ajer, Algeria

Numerous pictures reveal the history of the Sahara desert From these paintings,

scientists believe the desert was once much wetter than it is now.

Catfish, hippos and other water-based creatures appear about 5000BC

Types of prehistoric cattle appear in this painting, along with other hunted animals and fauna

In later paintings, horses appear with chariots Used to cross the Sahara. From about 1200 BC

Camels appear about 120BC, indicating that the Sahara was no longer passable with wheeled vehicles

Purpose of Rock Art

Some paintings believed to be part of superstition or religious purposesGood luck on hunting expeditions

Others may be records of key events or times of great crisisMeeting of groups, battles, etc.

Provide a glimpse into the lives of people who lived in Africa thousands of years ago.

ReviewWhere was the most important discovery of early human remains in Africa? What did this tell us?

What name was given to the woman scientists believe may be the “mother of humanity”?

What does the rock art found in Tassili, Algeria tell us about the Sahara?

Name one purpose of rock art.