WHI.

2 - Early Man

Setting the Scene

P1 Humans, HOMO SAPIENS, emerged in AFRICA between 100,000 and 400,000 years ago
P1 From AFRICA they migrated to EURASIA (Europe and Asia), AUSTRALIA, and the AMERICAS

P1 They adapted to the ENVIRONMENT by making CLOTHING, and simple TOOLS

P1 PALEOLITHIC Age means Old Stone Age – referring to crude stone tools of the time

P2

P2 The Paleolithic Age extended from the first use of stone tools to the time when humans first PLANTED
crops and kept DOMESTICATED animals
P2 Paleolithic humans are known as HUNTER-GATHERERS because they lived by hunting wild animals
and gathering wild grains, fruits, and roots
P1 The Paleolithic Age produced important developments, use of STONE tools, use of FIRE, and the first ART
works
P2 Paleolithic cave paintings in SPAIN and FRANCE are most famous, however, paintings have also been
found in AFRICA and AUSTRALIA
P2 Scientists believe these paintings played a part in RELIGIOUS practices.
P1 The NEOLITHIC (New Stone Age) began with the development of FARMING
P2 Tools of STONE continued to be used, but were better than those of the Paleolithic Age
P2 Farming led to people SETTLING in stable communities
P3 Most early settlements occurred near reliable sources of WATER
P3 With a good location and, agriculture provides FOOD and other RESOURCES in large amounts.
P4 With a SURPLUS of food, only some people must be farmers, others can practice trades or
provide service. This is called SPECIALIZATION OF LABOR
P4 Agriculture creates opportunity for manufacture of POTTERY, WEAVING OF CLOTH and
other goods

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P4 SOCIAL classes and practice of a wider range of CULTURAL and RELIGOUS activities also
occur
P5 RULERS and PRIESTS (NOBLES), FARMERS, SLAVES
P2 Approximates dates of Early Human Ages
P3 STONE AGES
P4 Paleolithic 400,000 – 8000 B.C.
P4 Neolithic 8000 – 4000 B.C.
P4 Copper and Bronze Age 4000 – 1000 B.C.
P4 Iron Age started approximately 1000 B.C.
P2 People began to keep WRITTEN records during the IRON Age, so PREHISTORY ended and
HISTORY began
How did physical geography affect the lives of early humans?
P1 How Geography Affected Early Humans
P2 Humans first emerged in East AFRICA

P2 As the climate warmed about 100,000 years ago, humans moved first into the EASTERN
MEDITERRANEAN, then to ASIA and AUSTRALIA. By 30,000 years ago they reached EUROPE.
Humans also migrated across the land bridge – BERINGIA – to North and later South AMERICA
P2 The environment of new areas caused new HUNTING techniques, TOOLS, and CLOTHING to develop
P2 Humans learned to survive in DIFFERENT geographic conditions
How did hunter-gatherers organize themselves and make use of tools and fire for survival?
P1 How Hunter-Gatherer Societies were organized
P2 Hunter-gatherers were NOMADIC (moved from place to place)
P2 They traveled in small family groups called CLANS
P2 They had NO WRITTEN LANGUAGE, but probably had an ORAL or spoken language
P2 The invention of FIRE gave early humans protection, warmth, and ability to cook food
P3 Played a role in expansion into colder climates in EUROPE, ASIA, and the AMERICAS
P2 Tools were made by chipping stones into shapes to be used for slicing, chopping, and scraping. Stone
was also used for arrow and spear tips
P3 Tools of the NEOLITHIC period used stone, and bone to make awls, needles, fishhooks, and
arrowheads.
What advances led to the rise of settled communities?
P1 People of the NEOLITHIC Age made improvements to their lives that allowed them to be more
productive and establish settled communities:
P2 POLISHING of tool edges rather than chipping

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P2 DOMESTICATION (taming) of animals – goats, sheep, pigs, etc.

P2 WEAVING of cloth to replace animal skins
P2 Making of BASKETS and BOWLS , including baked pottery
P2 Development of AGRICULTURE, regular planting of seeds
P2 DIVISION OF LABOR – some farming, others trading or making goods
How do Archaeologists study early human societies?
P1 ARCHAEOLOGISTS study past cultures by LOCATING and ANALYZING human remains, tools and
other ARTIFACTS of early human life.
P1 Archaeologists use RADIO-CARBON DATING to determine approximate age of artifacts
P1 Archaeologists use many pieces of evidence to interpret how early man probably lived
What recent findings have changed our ideas about early humans?
P1 As new evidence is discovered, archaeologists must continually re-evaluate their opinions, sometimes
changing their original opinion
Where did the first permanent settlements develop?
P1 First permanent cities developed in the WESTERN portion of the FERTILE CRESCENT near the
Mediterranean Sea
P2 Çatal Hüyük located in modern-day TURKEY
P2 ALEPPO located in modern-day SYRIA
P2 JERICHO located in modern-day ISRAEL

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