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The Beginnings of Human Society

The Beginnings of Human Society

Learning About the Past Learning About the Past

How do we know about prehistoric times?

How do we know about prehistoric times?

Two kinds of scientists

Archaeologists

Anthropologists

ArchaeologistsArchaeologists• Scientists who study the

remains of prehistoric society

• Prehistoric – before writing was invented, before recorded history

• They look for clues that tell how people lived

ArcheologistsArcheologistsDig through the soil where ancient people may have lived

ArcheologistsArcheologistsLook for artifacts that may tell us how they lived

Artifacts useful to archaeologists may include:

Artifacts useful to archaeologists may include:

• mummies

Figurines and statues

Stones / tools

pottery

Weapons Weapons

Jewelry and

clothing

Baskets and woven objects

ArcheologyArcheology

• Archeologists divided prehistoric times into three eras

• Stone Age – people used stone tools and weapons


• Bonze Age – people used bronze tools and weapons


• Iron Age – people learned to use iron tools and weapons

Anthropologists Anthropologists• Scientists who study human beings and

how they interact with each other and with the environment

AnthropologistsAnthropologists• Study human cultures

AnthropologistsAnthropologists• Many anthropologists go to live with the

people they are studying

Primary and Secondary Sources

Primary and Secondary Sources

Historians use primary and secondary sources to learn about the past

Shttp://www.yale.edu/collections_collaborative/primarysources/primarysources.htmlources =

Primary Sources - 1st-hand, or eyewitness accounts of the eventPrimary Sources - 1st-hand, or

eyewitness accounts of the event

secondary sources - second-hand accounts of events written by people who weren’t

there

secondary sources - second-hand accounts of events written by people who weren’t

there

Radiocarbon DatingRadiocarbon DatingAn important method used by scientists to determine how old something is

all living things have carbon

some of the carbon is radioactive

some radioactive carbon stays in animals and plants for thousands of years after they die

scientists measure the radioactivity of artifacts to tell how old they are

Discoveries of Early Humans


• Richard and Mary Leakey – archaeologists

• In 1924, they began searching for prehistoric humans in East Africa



• 1959 – Mary Leakey found the oldest hominid – Australopithecus



• 1960 – Jonathan Leakey, Richard and Mary’s son, discovered “Homo Habilis”



• Donald Johanson discovered a female Australopithecus in Africa

• Named the remains “Lucy”

Neanderthals

discovered in 1856, in Neander Valley, GermanyAre not considered ancestors of humans, but similar to humanswore animal skin clothing

supposed to have died out 20,000 years agomay have been able to speakmade tools out of animal bones and stones

Cro-Magnons1st discovered in 1868, Francealso called “Homo-Sapiens,” like humansconsidered to be our ancestorsthought to have appeared 40,000 years agohad calendars, spoken languagewere hunters and toolmakers

The Lascaux CavesThe Lascaux Caves

The Paleolithic EraThe Paleolithic EraPaleolithic = the Old Stone Age

- between 2 million & 12,000 yrs ago

The Paleolithic EraThe Paleolithic Era

• 1.5 million years ago, glaciers covered much of Europe and North America with ice and snow

• This is called the “Ice Age”

As the glaciers melted, the Ice Age endedpeople & animals slowly spread out to the rest of the

world

How people lived during the Paleolithic Era

How people lived during the Paleolithic Era

• Nomads-Hunters/gatherers

• Lived in caves / tents

Inventions & discoveries of the Paleolithic Era

Inventions & discoveries of the Paleolithic Era

• Tools & weapons made of stone & bone

• Language

• Fire

• Uses of fire

• Keep warm

• Cook food

• Hunt animals

• Keep animals away at night

The Neolithic EraThe Neolithic Era• Three important changes

• Agriculture – farming

• People began to plant crops instead of gathering them in the wild

domestication of animals

domestication of animals

• Animals began to work for people

settled communitiessettled communities

• People needed to live in one place for a long time in order to farm their crops

• They had tame animals to eat and to help them farm the land

• They did not need to hunt and gather as much anymore

More Inventions of the Neolithic Era

More Inventions of the Neolithic Era

•irrigation•People learned to dig ditches to bring water for crops to dry land

• The plow

•Cloth weaving

Pottery- making

• The specialization of labor

• ppl began to specialize in different jobs

• They began to trade their wares with each

• other = barter economy

•some ppl became merchants – brought

• goods to sell from town to town

The First Governments

The First Governments

How did they begin?•Maybe to settle arguments over property rights and boundaries.•Maybe, they were connected to religion.•We don’t really know

The Rise of CivilizationThe Rise of Civilization

• What is a civilization?

• A community of citizens that had the following features:

• Cities and government

• Job specialization/advanced technology

• Social classes and religion

• Writing and record keeping


• Cities and Government

• Cities were centers of government

• Different officials oversaw tax collection, the army and law enforcement

• They were also centers of trade and barter


• Job Specialization and Advanced Technology

• In a hunting/gathering society, everyone is needed in order to produce enough food.



• In an agricultural society, a few people could grow enough food for all



• Other people began to do other jobs:

• Pottery-makers, weavers, metalworkers, builders, priests, soldiers



• As people specialized in one area, they became experts

• This led to the development of advanced technology

• People learned how to build huge stone cities and temples

The Rise of CivilizationThe Rise of Civilization• This era is called “The Bronze Age”

• People became experts at metalworking

• They made weapons, tools, and jewelry out of bronze


• Social Classes and Religion

• People became divided by their role in society

• Some were considered more important

• Some were less important

• This is called social class


• Social Class and Religion• Government and religion were closely

tied• Many rulers considered themselves gods• Many cities had their own religion• Religions were polytheistic – many gods


• Writing and Record Keeping• Cities became more complex• People needed a way to record events


• Writing and Record Keeping• Merchants needed to keep track of sales

and inventory• Rulers needed to write down laws and

taxes


• Writing developed

The Rise of CivilizationThe Rise of Civilization• The first writing was pictographs

• Gradually, writing became more complex and symbolic

River ValleysRiver Valleys

River ValleysRiver Valleys• Ancient Civilizations started in river valleys

• The soil was richest there

• Rivers served as natural “highways” connecting people and goods

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Education

lascaux caves

threeeras stone age

archeology iron age

people couldgrow

communities people

archeology bonze age

stone tools andweapons

old stone age