Section 1: Studying the Distant Past

OLDUVI GORGE, TANZANIA DIG SITE

Study of Early Humans

Anthropology- study of how human beings behave, how they act together, where they came from. And what ,makes one group of people different from another.

Archaeologist- study human life in the past by examining the things that people left behind.

When studying prehistory, archaeologist use fossils and artifacts found to analyze what happened in the past.

When scientist need to find out how old a fossil or artifact is, they turn to radioactive dating and comparing similar layers of rocks or soil. This type of dating can generalize how old the fossil or artifact is.

The Hunt for Early Humans

Picture taken from: sciencephoto.com

This is Mary Leakey examining a skull in Tanzania, Africa

Mary Leakey vs. Donald Johanson

Mary Leakey discovered a piece of a human-like skull at Olduvai Gorge in East Africa. After testing was done, it was found that the skull was over 1.7 million years old.

After Leakey’s discovery, the search for the origins of human kind was focused on Africa.

Donald Johnson followed in the steps of Leakey and searched Africa. In Ethiopia, Johanson found the find of a lifetime. He found the skeletal pieces of a girl, whom he named Lucy. After testing was done, it was found that Lucy was over 3.2 million years old.

PICS OF JOHANSON AND BRUNET

Donald Johanson and LucyImage taken from: achievement.org

Michael Brunet and his findingsImage taken from: portalciencia.net

Michael Brunet Brunet believed that life started in

Africa, but not in the same place as Leaky and Johanson. He found a humanlike skull in Chad that was nearly 7 million years old.

Brunet’s discovery questioned the location of the beginning of civilization. Did humans begin living in East Africa, like Leaky and Johanson suggested or in West Africa like Brunet’s find suggested?

Section 2:Hunter-Gatherer Socities

Image Taken from:writingforyeu.eu

How Early Hunter Gathers Lived

Hunter-gathers- people who lived by hunting small animals and gathering plants. Scientist have learned that Early People lived very harshly and depended on technology to meet their wants and needs.

Archaeologist call the period of time when people started making tools out of stone the Paleolithic Era, or the Old Stone Age, which lasted until about 10, 000 years ago.

The first tools made were used to chop down small trees, cutting meat, and scraping animal skins clean.

Tools allowed Early People to hunt larger animals.

The Paleolithic Age started 2.5 million years ago and lasted

until 10,000 years ago.

What happened that defined this time

period?

Answer:When humans made tools out of

stone.

Paleolithic Toolsscraper

Paleolithic lifestyle

The Use of Fire and Wandering Bands

Fire- a revolutionary technology for mankind. Allowed people to have light during the night, cook food(which allowed for better digestion), and survive cold weather.

The culture of early people included social and family organization, beliefs, values, technology, shelter, clothing, common activities, storytelling, rituals, and art.

Hunter-gathers were nomads, in that they moved from place to place gathering what food they could. Men generally hunted for food and the women gathered fruit, seeds, and nuts. Stone Age hunters lived in small groups or bands of about 10-12 adults and their children.

Reading Check What technology helped Paleolithic humans survive?

Answer: Fire!!!

Toward the end of Paleolithic Period 2 larger brained humans appeared: The Neanderthal, and Homo

sapiens

Neanderthal: Image taken from: arthursclipart.org

Homo Sapiens: Image taken from: arthursclipart.org

Neanderthals vs. Homo Sapiens

Neanderthals-

A.Appeared in Asia 200,000 years ago. Fossils were originally found in Germany in the Neander Valley.

B.First people to bury their dead.

C.May have died out or mixed with homo sapiens.

Homo Sapiens-A. Last new group of humans. Homo Sapiens means “Wise People”.

A. Very much like Neanderthals, but were much leaner and taller.

A. Developed a language.

A.First modern humans

Archaeologist believe that Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens lived together, but Neanderthals eventually disappeared.

Section 3: Populating the Earth

Image taken from: Socialnetgroup.com

The Human Migration Homo Sapiens were the last people to appear on

earth. Over many years they were able to populate almost all of earth.

There are basically two theories as to how humans migrated throughout the world.

A. Theory One- This theory supports the idea that humans originated from Africa and migrated to other places which replaced older groups.

B. Theory Two- This theory supports the idea that people came from all parts of the world that mixed together and formed the species Homo Sapiens.

* Neither theory has been proven nor disproven, as thus still up for argument.

Adapting to Varied Environments

As humans migrated to different parts of the world they had to adapt to different environments and weather systems.

When the climate started changing due to four periods of ice ages, people had to change with it. The large sheets of ice that was created allowed for little rainfall and thus, people and animals had to migrate to other parts of the world to find water and food.

As the weather became colder people adapted to their environment by building warm shelters and sewing clothing made from animal skin to keep warm.

Another way people adapted to their new environments is by creating communities. Communities were organized into clans, which consisted of 25-50 people. As time went on, communities started trading with each other for shells and stones and in hard times information regarding where to find food.

Evidence of Art

Image taken from: oddee.com

* Cave painting found in various caves throughout Europe show that Early People were capable of complex thoughts and actions. The cave painting above was found near Lascaux in southern France in 1940. Scientists have determined that the painting is about 16,000 years old!* Scientist believe that the drawings of animals allowed the men to have power over animals when hunting.* Pictures that depicted pregnant women are said to have brought women good luck during childbirth.

Religious Beliefs and Practices

• Scientist found that Early People buried their dead. In fact scientist found the remains of two children that showed that they were buried with beads covering their bodies.

• Early people’s religious practices included believing in a higher being. This believe is shown in cave paintings where ancient people painted pictures of animals. Anthropologist believe that ancient people painted these pictures to ask for forgiveness for killing them. Finally, ancient people believed in spirits. They believed that spirits lived in everything and everyone.

• By the end of Paleolithic Era, people had adapted to new ways of life, developed a spoken language, and invented many life changing tools.