Early Humans

Before History

Archaeology and Anthropology

• Much of history is studied through written records.
• Prehistory: The time before writing was developed.
  • Prehistoric humans are studied through archaeology as well as biology.
• Archaeology: The study of past societies by analyzing what the people left behind.
  • Archeologists study artifacts, which are objects made by humans.
  • Artifacts include tools, art, and buildings.
• Anthropology: The study of human life and culture.
  • Prehistoric humans are studied through artifacts and human fossils.
• Fossils are the remains of organisms preserved as rocklike structures.
• Archaeologists and anthropologists both examine the remains of the past to understand ancient societies.
  • By analyzing the remains, scientists can determine what kind of systems and culture the people of the society had.

Dating Artifacts and Fossils

• To figure out the origins of the first humans, scientists must date the fossils and artifacts.
• A method of dating called radiocarbon dating measures the amount of radioactive carbon left in a living thing after it dies.
  • Radiocarbon dating can date objects up to around 50,000 years.
• Thermo-luminescence measures light given off by electrons trapped in the soil surrounding the object.
  • This method can date objects up to around 200,000 years ago.
• Biological analyses of organic remains give scientists information about human evolution and the animals prehistoric humans killed.

Early Development

Hominids to Homo Sapiens

• Hominids were human-like creatures that walked upright.

  • Hominids lived as early as 4 million years ago in Africa and evolved over time.

• Olduvai Gorge: The location in East Africa where the oldest hominid at the time (1959) was discovered at 1.8 million years old.

• Australopithecus: A type of hominid known to be the common ancestor for many types of early human life.

  • Means “southern ape".

• The existence of the Australopithecus proved that hominids walked on two legs before creating tools.

• The hominid Homo Habilis came after the Australopithecus and may have used stone tools.

  • Means “handy human”.

• The hominid Homo Erectus had the arm and leg proportions that modern humans have.

  • Means “upright human”.

• Homo Sapiens were more complex hominids.

  • Means “wise human”.
  • Neanderthals and Homo sapiens sapiens descended from them.

• Homo sapiens sapiens: Hominids that have similar anatomy to modern humans and existed in Africa 150,000-200,000 years ago.

• “out-of-Africa” theory: The theory that Homo sapiens sapiens replaced earlier hominids in Europe and Asia after spreading out to other parts of the world.

• Neanderthals died out by 30,000 B.C. which may have been from conflicts with Homo sapiens sapiens.

  The Paleolithic Age

  • The Paleolithic Age is the early period of human history where humans used stone tools (2,500,000 to 10,000 B.C.).

Hunting and Gathering

• Paleolithic people relied on hunting and gathering for food.
  • Diet included nuts, fruits, wild grains, buffalo, and fish.

The Paleolithic Way of Life

• Early humans used flint to create stone tools and later attached them to wooden handles.
  • Tools continued to advance which made hunting and everyday tasks easier.
• Early humans followed animal migrations and the cycle of plant life.
  • This made them nomads, who were people who move from place to place to survive.

The Roles of Men and Women

• Both men and women needed to find food.
• Women stayed near the camp to raise the children and gather food close by.
• Men traveled farther from the camps to hunt larger animals.

Adapting to Survive

• Early humans found shelter in caves and simple structures made from wooden poles and animal hides.

Use of Fire

• Homo erectus first learned to make fires, which were vital to living in colder climates as hominids migrated.
  • Early humans probably used friction to start fires.
• Fire gave warmth, provided safety from wild animals, and allowed early humans to cook food.

The Ice Ages

• Began around 100,000 B.C. and ended around 8000 B.C.
• Ice covered many parts of the world, and brought harsh conditions for humans.
• Early humans migrated across new bridges of land as water levels went down.

Creating Art

• Early humans created art in caves with natural paints and paintbrushes.
• Painting may have been part of a ritual to bring success.

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