Modern Humans

1. Modern Humans Emma, Julian, Kelly, and Nathen

2. Introduction Modern Humans lived a short life. Modern Humans made fire, houses, and came up with the idea about domesticating animals and planting crops. Join us as we learn more about this fascinating group of hominids.

3. Dates and Places of Existence • Modern humans originated from Europe. [1] Later some of them moved to Asia, They lived between 25,000 and 10,000 B.C. [2]

4. Description of Physical Appearance • Modern humans look like what people look like today, but obviously, they wore different clothes. Homo Sapien Sapiens (modern humans) were just a little shorter than the average human today. The average male looked like us because they were civilized, and they were usually taller than the girls. The girls were also civilized-looking and shorter than people today. Homo Sapien Sapiens had different skin colors, depending on where they lived [3]

5. Food • The modern humans would plant seeds of different vegetables like corn. The modern humans were hunters, and they would also gather varieties of seeds like berries, roots, and nuts. They also ate fish. They would catch fresh game. It would be hard for the hunters to catch the fish because since the fish move fast, they wouldn’t always be able to catch the fish. [4]

6. Shelter • Modern humans would build permanent homes that would last long and throughout the harsh winter. In the summer, they migrated and followed the animals and then lived in tents wherever they ended up. Their winter homes were ice age huts, in tepee style, built from woolly mammoth bones, branches, and covered with animal skin. [5] • They made sure their hut was well done because they used them for several years. Modern humans would dig holes and insert poles into those holes. At the point of the tepee, they would tie animal guts to hold the poles together, and then lay fur over the hut to cover the inside of the hut. Of course, there are many ways to build a hut, and this was just one example. [6]

7. Description on Daily Life (Farmers or Hunters) • Modern humans were first hunters, but then as time went by, they evolved into farmers. They evolved because they figured it was easier than going around the forest chasing after food and looking for berries. After everybody kept dropping little seeds as they were looking for food, the seeds grew naturally into crops. They later found out they could plant food in there backyard anytime they wanted. That’s how they became farmers, but they also learned that it would be easier to find meat if they took baby cows and other animals when young. They could raise them and/or train them, and then if the modern humans got hungry, they just killed one and ate it. During their daily life, they would work and play with friends. [7]

8. Tools • Early humans made lots of tools like spears, harpoons, and also things like arrowheads, knives, bows, and axes. [8] • They used all these things to survive. They used them to hunt, cook, and fish. [9] • They used other tools to do a lot of other things like chopping wood making homes, and making clothes. [10]

9. Fire • The modern humans would make fire with a stick and a stone (flint and tinder). [11] • The modern humans would use the fire to cook, for heat, for light, and to make jewelry shine. [12] They would have to use special tools to make a fire. [13] • The fire would protect them from dangerous animals and when there was rain, the rain would extinguish the fire, and if it would get extinguished, the predators would attack them. [14]

10. Religion and Ceremonies • Early humans buried their dead. There is proof. Peter Beaumont found an infant buried in a cave. The skeleton was one hundred percent complete. These clues make people believe early humans were religious. [15]

11. Communication • Modern humans communicated in a way of writing, but not writing letters. They communicated on the walls of caves. Scientists looked at modern humans’ bones and skulls to see if they had a larger brain or small brain. Depending how big their brain is, they can communicate by painting. [16]

12. Clothing • In cold weather, early man learned to soften leather to make warm clothes that were comfortable. They would sew it together with animal guts using bones as needles. In warmer weather, they would sew together grass or bark because they are usually naturally cool objects, better for warm-weather clothing. Modern humans would wear necklaces that were made out of feathers, teeth, shells, and flowers, and sometimes even bones. Some people decorated themselves by painting, and making tattoos, from natural dyes. They would do that because we believe that they might have a signature design. [17]

13. Painting and Carvings During the Paleolithic era, people used art to express their emotions. Modern humans painted scenes showing rocks, rivers, and animals. They painted on cave walls, rocks, and roofs. Another part of art they did was making jewelry from shells and bones. As well as jewelry, they made pottery, firing it to give it a good luster and lots of durability. They also made little statues of ivory and bone. Modern humans crushed up colored rocks to make paint. They used chalk for white, charcoal for black, and iron oxide for red paint. Modern humans used animals hair to make paintbrush bristles just as we do now. [18]

14. Questions! • What were the modern humans clothes made out of and how did they put them together? • How did they make their shelter and what was it made out of? • Were there houses meant to be stationary and did they take time building these homes? Why or why not?

15. Answers • They made their clothes out of leather or animal hides, and sometimes even grass or bark. • They made their shelter tepee style, and they made it out of branches and bones, and then covered it in animal hides. • Yes, their houses were meant to be stationary, and they took time on them because they used them for many years.

16. Conclusion • In the end Kelly, Nathen, Julian, and Emma thought that the modern humans were really interesting. We learned that the modern humans weren’t very different from the humans today. The humans today and Homo Sapien Sapiens were very much alike in physical appearance, except for the height. Modern Humans were shorter than us because Modern Humans were the most civilized group of early humans. Now today in human lives, we use many of the methods that modern humans did.

17. Endnotes [1] California Vistas Ancient Civilizations, Macmillan McGraw-Hill, NY, 2007, p. 81. [2] Facchini, Fiorenzo, “A Day with Homo Sapiens,” Twenty-First Century Books, Connecticut, 2003, pp. 1 - 49. [3] “Homo Sapien Sapiens.” Homo Sapien Sapiens. http://www.earlyhumans.mrdonn.org/. [4]Ibid. [5]Ibid. [6]Ibid. [7] MacMillan McGraw-Hill, p. 74. [8] Kearns, Marsha, “Homo Habilis,” Early Humans, Creative Teaching Press , CA, 1993, pp. 8 – 10. [9] Ibid. [10]Ibid. [11] MacMillan McGraw-Hill, p. 75. [12] Ibid. [13] Ibid. [14] Ibid. [15] MacMillan McGraw-Hill, p. 91. [16] Ibid, p. 83. [17] Mrdonn.org. [18] MacMillan McGraw-Hill, p. 83.

18. Bibliography California Visits Ancient Civilizations. Macmillan/MacGraw Hill: New York, NY, 2007. “Homo Sapien Sapiens.” Homo Sapiens. http://www.earlyhumans.mrdonn.org/. Kearns, Marsha.“Homo Sapiens.” Early Humans. Creative Teaching Press: CA, 1993. “Otzi the Iceman.” Early Human Class Presentation by Lonnie Johnson on October 28, 2010.