Chapter 1-The First Civilizations and Empires-

Prehistory- A.D. 5001.1- The First Humans

I. Before HistoryII. Hunter-Gatherers of the Old

Stone AgeIII. The Neolithic RevolutionIV. The Emergence of Civilization

Before History

• prehistory– the period before

history– the period for which we

have no written records

– circa 2,500,000 Y.A. to 4,000 B.C.

Before History

• archaeologists and anthropologists – scientifically

analyze human remains to study the development of early human beings

Before History

• hominids- humans and other human-like creatures that walk upright

Before History

• australopithecines– earliest human-like

beings– lived in Africa 3 to

4 million years ago– they were the first

hominids to make stone tools

Before History

• Homo erectus-“upright human being” – the next stage of

human development– dates from about

1.5 million years ago

– used larger and more varied tools than the first hominids

Before History

• Homo sapiens “wise human being”– emerged around 250,000 years

ago

Before History• Two subgroups developed

from Homo sapiens:– Neanderthals

• lived in Europe and Southwest Asia and died out by 30,000 B.C.

– Homo sapiens sapiens• the first group that looked like

modern humans• appeared in Africa between

150,000 and 200,000 years ago• could be found throughout the

world by 10,000 B.C.

• All humans today belong to this subgroup of Homo sapiens

The Hunter-Gatherers of the Old Stone Age• A basic distinguishing feature of human

beings is their ability to make and use tools– early tools were made of stone– the term Paleolithic Age (“old stone”) refers

to the earliest period of human history• The Paleolithic Age lasted from about 2,500,000

to 10,000 B.C

The Hunter-Gatherers of the Old Stone Age

• Early humans survived by hunting, fishing, and gathering food – eventually learned

• to make more sophisticated tools

• how to use fire• how to change

their physical environment

The Hunter-Gatherers of the Old Stone Age

• Paleolithic peoples were primarily nomads, people who move from place to place

• Even so, they created a human culture that included sophisticated cave paintings

The Neolithic Revolution

• Human survival depends on the systematic growing and storing of food– an accomplishment of the people of

the Neolithic Age– the Neolithic Revolution began after

the end of the last Ice Age (c. 8000 B.C.) • lasted from 8000 to 4000 B.C.• a change from the hunting and gathering

of food to the keeping of animals and growing of food on a regular basis

– an activity known as systematic agriculture

The Neolithic Revolution

• The planting of crops and the domestication (taming) of animals for food and work provided humans with a regular supply of food– Some historians believe that this was the

single most important event in human history

• The ability to acquire food regularly gave humans greater control over their environment and made it possible for them to establish more permanent settlements– As people settled into villages or towns,

they created buildings for protection and for storage, and they began to trade surplus goods

The Neolithic Revolution

• Increased wealth led to the creation of armies and walled cities and to more complex societies– By 3000 B.C., large numbers of

people lived in the river valleys of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China

The Emergence of Civilization• Culture is a people’s way of life.• A civilization is a complex culture in

which large numbers of people share many common elements

• The six basic characteristics of civilization are: – cities– government– religion– social structure– writing– art

The Emergence of Civilization

• Increased food production led to growing populations and to the rise of cities– Governments were formed to protect

the people and to maintain the food supply

– Urban civilizations developed religions to explain the workings of nature and the existence of things

– New social structures dominated by rulers and an upper class of priests, government officials, and warriors arose

The Emergence of Civilization• Abundant food supplies allowed

some individuals to become artisans and craftspeople instead of farmers– They created luxury items for the

upper classes– Writing was used to keep records – The arts thrived, and temples and

pyramids were built as places for worship, sacrifice, or the burial of kings

Click the mouse button or press theSpace Bar to display the answers.

The Paleolithic Age lasted for close to 2.5 million years, whereas the Neolithic Age lasted for 6,000 years.

Neolithic PeriodPaleolithic Period

__ 1. humans and other humanlike creatures that walk upright

__ 2. the keeping of animals andthe growing of food on aregular basis

__ 3. adaptation for human use

__ 4. a person who moves from place to place

__ 5. the shift from hunting of animals and gathering of food to the keeping of animals and the growing of food on a regular basis that occurred around 8000 B.C.

A. hominids

B. nomad

C. Neolithic Revolution

D. systematic agriculture

E. domestication

Define Match each definition in the left column with the appropriate term in the right column.

A

Checking for Understanding

D

E

B

C

IdentifyNeanderthals

• lived between 100,000 and 30,000 B.C.

• lived in Europe and SW Asia

• might be the first hominids to bury their dead

Homo sapiens sapiens

• first appeared 150,000 to 200,000 years ago

• spread all around the world by 10,000 B.C.

• all humans today are part of this subgroup of Homo sapiens

Locate

Africa Europe

Contrast the evidence that archaeologists and anthropologists use to understand the past to that used by historians.

Checking for Understanding

While historians use written records, archaeologists and anthropologists must analyze human remains to understand the period before written records were kept.

Checking for Understanding List the species that emerged during the different stages of human development.

first stage: australopithecines

second stage: Homo erectus

third stage: Homo sapiens with subgroups

Neanderthals

Homo sapiens sapiens

Critical Thinking Analyze  Does the development of systematic agriculture by Neolithic peoples after the end of the last Ice Age deserve to be called a revolution? Why was the shift to systematic agriculture important to the development of civilization?

Possible answer: A regular food supply allowed humans to give up their nomadic existence and live in settled communities. As communities became more complex, government became necessary.

7. Sequencing Information

regular food

supply

rise of permane

nt villages

trading of goods

First CivilizationsMesopotamia

EgyptIndiaChina

Analyzing Visuals Examine the cave painting of a bison shown on page 19 of your textbook. Many cave paintings from the prehistoric period depict similar subjects. What do these paintings tell us about the lifestyles of prehistoric peoples?

The paintings tell us that there was an importance of hunting and animals to nomadic societies.