Prehistoric People

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Prehistoric People
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Discovering the past

• Archaeologists, Anthropologists,
  Paleoanthropologists
• Artifacts
• Fossils
• Study of culture
• A peoples unique
• way of life

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Mary and Louis Leaky

• Paleoanthropoligists
• Zinjanthropus East Africa Man, 1959
• Laetoli footprints - 1978
• Humanlike Australopithicines

Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania
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Australopithicenes

• 4 million to 800,000 years ago
• Early hominids (upright creatures)
• Small brains shorter than modern humans
• Lucy (p. 5)
• Nearly complete
• skeleton
• Donald Johanson
• Hadar, Ethiopia

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Hominids

• First apelike humans
• Walked upright
• Opposable thumbs
• Rift Valley in Africa
• Appeared 4 million
• years ago

The Rift Valley

• Homo Habilis man of skill
• made tools of lava rock
• Olduvai Gorge 2.5 mill. yr. old remains
• Homo erectus - 1.6 million years ago
• credited with mastering fire
• More intelligent and adaptable
• Migrated to India Asia and Europe
• Developed spoken language

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Human Development

• Homo erectus walked upright, developed
  technology
• Homo Sapiens modern man, wise man
• appeared in Africa 150,000 -120,000 BCE

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• Paleolithic Age The Old Stone Age
• ended 8000 BC
• Man developed spoken language
• stone tools are made
• humans learn to control fire

• Neolithic Age The New Stone Age
• Human skills improve
• Polished tools and pottery are made
• Agriculture appears
• Animals domesticated and herded
• Crops are raised

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• Homo sapiens - the most highly developed
  ancient people, evolved into modern man during
  the past 400,000 years.

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Paleolithic Culture

• Nomads
• Hunters and gatherers
• Small groups
• Developed tools
• Bones
• stones
• wood
• Art
• Sculptures, cave painting
• Necklaces of shell, teeth and claws

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Neolithic Revolution

• Discovery of Agriculture
• Climate improved after the ice age
• Planting discovered by women (probably)
• Steady food supply
• Domestication of Animals
• Horses, dogs, goats, pigs
• Herds kept in enclosures
• Source of food and milk
• Assistance with heavy work
• First Farming Villages
• Jarmo in the Zagros Mts.
• Catal Huyuk in present day Turkey

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Development of Cities

• Populations grew
• Food surpluses
• Result of improved techniques and irrigation
• Skilled craftspeople emerge
• Trade developed
• Invention of wheels and sails
• Social classes and governments develop
• Religion becomes organized

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Civilization

• Advanced cities
• Produce and trade a variety of goods
• Specialized workers
• Merchants, artisans, farmers, officials
• Complex institutions
• Governments and religion (Theocracy)
• Record keeping
• Written language
• Lunar calendar
• Advanced technology
• Wheels, sails, plows, irrigation systems, use of
  metal

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River Valley Civilizations
Silt from flooding rivers provided rich soil for
farming