The First Humans

1. The First Humans Hominids are the family of mankind and his or her relatives.

2. Vocabulary Terms Archeology Anthropology Migration Technology Innovation Domestication Specialization Paleolithic Neolithic fossil

3. Paleolithic Era • They were nomads–people who traveled from place to place. They followed the movement of the animals they hunted. • Ancient people did not build permanent homes. Instead, they carried tents with them that were light and could be easily moved. • They hunted and gathered for food. • They made tools out of stone, clay, and wood. • Men hunted while women cared for young and gathered food. • They lived in present-day Africa, southeast Asia, China, Japan, and Europe, and they spread out everywhere except Antarctica. • Wooden digging sticks were the first tools that Paleolithic people used. They later used stone axes to cut down trees, and they used spears and bows and arrows to hunt wild animals. Other tools were knives, hammers, needles, clubs, and shields. • The development of controlled fires allowed people to cook food and heat shelters. • They developed art with paintings on cave walls.

4. Neolithic Era • They used slash and burn techniques to clear forests to make farmland. Crops grown on farms became an important source of food. • They domesticated animals such as goats, cattle, and pigs for food. • They used tools such as the plow and the sickle in order to farm. The plow could be used to bring nutrients to the surface of soil before crops were planted, and the sickle could be used to cut grain. • They established agricultural villages, as people no longer relied on hunting and gathering for food. • They began using metals such as copper, lead, and gold for weapons and tools. • Though religion existed before the Neolithic Era, historians believe that it became more formal and organized during this time period. • Huge stone structures called megaliths were created during this era and were probably used for religious or spiritual purposes.

5. Climate • After the last ice age, the climate on Earth was unpredictable. Several times, the global temperature dropped significantly. Global temperatures eventually leveled off and have remained relatively stable for thousands of years. • Animal herds migrated based on the changing temperatures. In cold times, herds moved south. When temperatures started to warm up, herds would move to more northern areas. Because animals were their main source of food, hunter-gatherers followed where the herds migrated. • Once the climate became more stable, animals, humans, and plants had many opportunities to grow and thrive. People started to deliberately plant some crops and gather others. The temperate climate in many areas allowed the crops to grow, and people started planting more crops. The hunter-gather society was slowly replaced with a society that planted and raised crops. This type of society was known as an agricultural society

6. Early Human Migration • Pigs and camels were first domesticated in the Middle East. As a result of changes in the climate, farming and grazing in the area became more difficult, and the animals eventually migrated to Africa and Asia. • Ancient Egypt has been called the "gift of the Nile." Most of Egypt is very dry, but people were able to thrive because they lived near the Nile River. The river would flood every year and make the ground fertile so the people could grow crops. The river was also used for irrigation. • The Yellow River is considered the cradle of agriculture in China. From China, farming spread across Eurasia through migration and contact with nearby societies. • Early humans arrived in Australia about 40,000–45,000 years ago. They migrated over a land bridge from Southeast Asia. • It is believed that the earliest humans lived in the East African Rift Valley, in present-day Ethiopia.

7. Fossils & Artifacts Scientists use many clues to help them put pieces of the past together. One thing they must know is the difference between a fossil and an artifact. Fossils are remains of living things (plants, animals, people), not things that were made. Artifacts are remains of things that were made, not remains of living things.

8. Agricultural Revolution

9. Agriculture is the growing of crops and the domestication of animals. • Agriculture first appeared around 8000 B.C. in the Middle East. However, it developed independently in different parts of the world at different times. For example, it also developed in North and South America even though those continents did not have contact with the Middle East. • The development of agriculture led to more reliable sources of food than hunting and gathering offered. By growing crops and raising animals, people were able to establish permanent settlements. These permanent settlements eventually developed into the first true civilizations. Many civilizations were able to support standing armies with the large amount of food that they grew on their farms. • Domestication allowed people to breed animals instead of hunting them. This involved selective breeding: choosing to breed animals with favorable traits. These traits were passed on to make animals that were stronger, produced more meat or milk, or were tamer. The first animals to be domesticated for agriculture were goats and sheep. • One early problem in agricultural societies was the spread of diseases from animals to humans. Unlike hunter-gatherer societies, farming societies were exposed to diseases like smallpox and measles. These diseases were spread through domesticated animals.