PRE-HISTORY

PALEOLITHIC AND NEOLITHIC SOCIETIES TO THE RISE OF

CITIES

EVOLUTION OF HUMAN SOCIETY

• The Hominids – Australopithecus

• Appeared in east Africa about 4 million to 1 million years ago • The term means "the southern ape" but it belongs to hominids • Walked upright on two legs, well-developed hands • Fashioned stone tools, probably knew how to use fire later

• Homo erectus • Flourished 1.5 million to 200,000 years ago, east Africa • The term means "upright walking human" • Large brain, sophisticated tools, definitely knew how to control fire • Developed language skills in well-coordinated hunts of large animals

• Migrations of Homo erectus – First migrated to north Africa – Between 500,000 and 200,000 years ago migrated to Asia and

Europe

HOMO SAPIENS

• Homo sapiens – The term means "consciously thinking human" – Evolved as early as 250,000 years ago – Brain with large frontal regions for conscious and reflective

thought – The advantages of intelligence over other species

• Migrations of Homo sapiens – Beginning more than 100,000 years ago, spread throughout

Eurasia – Several ice ages between 120 and 25 thousand years ago – Land bridges enabled them to populate islands of Indonesia and

New Guinea – Arrived in Australia at least 60,000 or perhaps as long as 120,000

years ago – Between 40,000 and 25,000 years ago, migrated to North

America • The natural environment

– Homo sapiens used knives, spears, bows, and arrows – Brought tremendous pressure on other species

PALEOLITHIC AGE

• Homo sapiens – The term means "consciously thinking human" – Evolved as early as 250,000 years ago – Brain with large frontal regions for conscious and reflective

thought – The advantages of intelligence over other species

• Migrations of Homo sapiens – Beginning more than 100,000 years ago, spread throughout

Eurasia – Several ice ages between 120 and 25 thousand years ago – Land bridges enabled them to populate Indonesia and New

Guinea – Arrived in Australia between 60,000 and 120,000 years ago – Between 40,000 and 25,000 years ago, migrated to North

America • The natural environment

– Homo sapiens used knives, spears, bows, and arrows – Brought tremendous pressure on other species

PALEOLITHIC CULTURE• Neandertal peoples

– Named after the site of the Neander valley in S.W. Germany – Flourished in Europe and S.W. Asia between 100 and 35 thousand years ago – Careful, deliberate burials-evidence of a capacity for emotion and feelings

• Cro-Magnon peoples – The first human beings of fully modern type, appeared 40,000 years ago – Classified as Homo sapiens sapiens – A noticeable interest in fashion and artistic production

• Social Organization– Small family units, clans of generally no more than 15-20 people– Organized hunting bands, led by elders with greatest knowledge of hunting,

gathering– Women could be leaders

• Venus figurines – Besides jewelry and furniture, there were also Venus figurines and paintings – The figurines reflect a deep interest in fertility

• Cave paintings – Best known are Lascaux in France and Altamira in Spain – Subjects: mostly animals; Purposes: aesthetic, "sympathetic magic

ORIGINS OF AGRICULTURE

• Neolithic era – "New stone age" - refined tools and agriculture – Time period: from about 12,000 to 6,000 years ago – Most likely, Paleolithic women began systematic cultivation of

plants – Paleolithic men began to domesticate animals – "Agricultural transition" is better than "agricultural revolution"

• Early agriculture – The earliest evidence found between 10,000 to 8000 B.C.E. – Slash-and-burn cultivation involved frequent movement of

farmers – About 5000 B.C.E., agriculture well-established in Asia and

Americas • The spread of agriculture

– Advantages of cultivation over hunting and gathering– Developed indigenously in several different cultural hearths – Agriculture provided a surplus

EARLY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY

• Population explosion caused by surplus • Emergence of villages and towns

– Jericho, earliest known Neolithic village (north of the Dead Sea) – Agricultural society, supplemented by hunting and limited trade – Mud huts and defensive walls

• Specialization of labor – Neolithic site of Çatal Hüyük (south-central Anatolia)

• Developed into a bustling town with more than 8,000 inhabitants• Craft industries - pottery, metallurgy, and textile production

– Ruling class, priestly, craftsmen, and merchants were common • Social distinctions

– Agriculture brought about private land ownership – Social classes emerged, as seen in Çatal Hüyük site

• Beliefs – Neolithic peoples celebrated deities associated with life cycle– Increasing deification, anthropomorphism of nature, seasons– Increasing masculinization of deities

ORIGINS OF URBAN LIFE

• Emergence of cities – Tended to emerge in hostile environments– Harsh environments required stronger

organization– Cities were larger and more complex – Cities influenced life of large regions

• Earliest cities in Southern Mesopotamia • Other hearths of urban civilization– Indus River Valley– Nile River Valley– River Valley of the Huang He– Coastal Jungles of Mexico