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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.