Origins of Modern Humans

1. Origins of Modern Humans

2. Who was our earliest Hominid Ancestor? • “Lucy” • Australopithecus afarensis • 3.2 million years ago • Discovered by Donald Johanson • Ethiopia • Larger brain than ape • Jutting jaw, prominent brow bones, flared cheekbones • Under 4 ft. • Bipedal • Small social groups • Simple tools • Ate insects, eggs, fruit • NO spoken language • What were the advantages? • More efficient • Energy/Calorie savings • More offspring

4. Who was Paranthropus boisei? • 1.9 – 1.5 million years ago • heavyset, with gorilla-like face • led by a dominant male whose strength and power holds the group together • Well adapted to the dry arid conditions • huge teeth, strong jaws • Ate tough vegetation like tubers and roots • Became extinct • What were the advantages? • Well adapted to his environment

5. Homo habilis (“handy man”)1.9 – 1.5 million years ago • Africa • 1931-Louis Leakey found stone tool at Olduvai Gorge • 1959-more bones found • 1987-partial skeleton found by Johanson • Larger brain, smaller back teeth • Apelike arms • 5 ft tall, 100 lbs • Meat eater, scavenger • What were the advantages? • Bigger brain led to tool use

6. O what continents did Homo erectus groups migrate after leaving Africa? What do the migration routes of Homo Sapiens reveal about their survival skills and ability to adapt?

7. Homo erectus1.8- million – 200,000 years ago • Africa, Asia, Europe • migrated out of Africa  • Evolved into homo sapiens • Large brain • Smooth, round forehead; single brow ridge; protruding jaw; large back teeth; no chin • Tall, thin, barrel-chested, narrow pelvis • Fully upright stance • Flint hand-axes • Controlled fire • Huts made of tree branches • Meat • Possible spoken language

8. Homo ergaster (Homo erectus too)1.5 -1 million years ago • Africa • long, modern looking noses cooled air • hairless bodies, millions of tiny sweat glands • Bigger brains • complex understanding of the natural world • expert toolmakers • big brains for understanding others in their group

9. Homo heidlebergensis400,000 – 100,000 years ago • Extinct • Africa, Europe, Asia • may be ancestor to neanderthalensis • Blended elements of both neanderthalensis and modern humans

10. Homo neanderthalensis230,000 – 30,000 years ago • Europe, western Asia, Near East • extinct • Larger brain than modern humans • Bulge at back of skull • Bony brows, jutting face, heavy jaw, receding chin • Stocky short limbed bodies • Thick, heavy bones and powerful muscles • Used sophisticated tools • Hunted large animals in groups • Cared for sick, old, wounded • Made clothing • Simple language

11. Homo sapiens (“wise man”)130,000 years ago • Lived at same time as Neanderthal • Lighter skeleton • Large brain • Smaller teeth • finely crafted and diverse tools • more efficient foraging strategies • more complex social organization • the full development of spoken language • artistic expression • Spiritual beliefs

12. 2 million BC-Early People begin using stone tools 30,000 BC-Stone age people create art

13. 9,000 BC-people settle and grow crops 18,000 BC huge glaciers spread across the northern hemisphere

17. Controversy Out of Africa Theory • Homo sapiens started in Africa and migrated to populate the world • Multiregional Theory • evolution and diversification of modern homo sapiens took place across a large geographic region that encompassed Africa, Asia, and Europe. • no single cradle of origin but a "thousand points of light."

18. What makes us Human?

19. Unique Human Traits • self-awareness • meta cognition • “reading” others • morality • collaboration toward common goals • speech • symbolic cognition • nimble thumbs • conscience • imagination • impulse control • altruism

20. The Old Stone Age2 million BC-10,000 BC • Earliest period of human history • Fossil evidence of early hominids found in East Africa by the Leakeys • Johansson found “Lucy” in Africa • Descendants migrated out of Africa and throughout the rest of the world

21. What were the characteristics of the Paleolithic Age?2 million BCE – 10,000 BCE • Paleo = “Old” • foraged for food • nomadic • simple tools • built shelters • egalitarian social groups-2-30 people • genders fairly equal • belief in spiritual world

22. What are the characteristics of Hunter/Gatherers? • small foraging bands • nomadic • dependent on environment but adapted to it • -clothing • controlled fire • simple tools • spoken language

23. What were the religious beliefs of Paleolithic peoples? • Animistic • Cave paintings • “Venus” sculptures • Buried the dead

24. What changed during the Neolithic Period? Dependency on Natural Resources *Before: Moved with their food supply *After: Water and good soil for crops Government *Before: Families (male ruled) evolutionary, from family to village to city. *After: Chief with council. Economy *Before: No real economy *After: Barter system Technology *Before: Stone tools After: Farming, baking and firing pottery, specialized tools, bronze tools and weapons

25. What Changed during the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution?

26. What were the characteristics of the Neolithic Age? • Farming began • settled into permanent villages • New skills & tools • Pottery • Bronze tools & weapons • Domesticated animals • Dog as helper/companion • Cattle, goats sheep pigs • Selective breeding • Food, fertilizer, clothing

27. How did life change during the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution? • More reliable food supply-less varied • Population growth • Division of Labor • Job specialization • Personal property • Conflict? • Cooperation?

28. Life in Neolithic Communities • Organized around kinship and marriage • Clans and lineages basis of land ownership • Matriarchal • Patriarchal society

29. Neolithic Culture • Religion-ancestors-earth-sky • Agriculture-Earth Mother-source of all new life • Male Sky God-all powerful • Burials and ancestor cults (megaliths & ziggurats)

30. Language Diffusion

31. Early Towns and Specialists • Villages grew into towns-farmers • Centers of trade & craft specialization • Elaborate houses and temples, food surpluses

32. Jericho8,000 BCE • 10 acre settlement-mud houses • Several thousand people • Massive stone wall-defense • 12 feet tall and 6 feet thick

33. Catal Huyuk7,000-5,000 BCE • 32 acres-mud houses-elaborately decorated • No defensive wall-but outer houses had no windows facing outside-effective barrier • Long distance trade and fine arts and crafts-religious artifacts

34. What were some new technologies of the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution? • Calendars • Use animals to plow • Stronger, specialized tools • Weaving cloth • pottery

35. Is the word “Civilization” problematic?

36. Characteristics of Civilization • Advanced cities • Specialized Workers • Complex Institutions • Record Keeping • Advanced Technology

37. Advanced Cities: Urbanization

38. Record Keeping: Literacy

39. Complex Institutions: Religion

40. Complex Institutions: Government

41. Specialized Workers: Social Structure

42. How did the First Cities Emerge? • Farmers cultivated land along fertile river valleys • produced surplus • Population expanded • Villages grew into cities

43. Ur: Sumer’s earliest city

44. Ur: Agricultural Economy

45. Ur: Urbanization

46. Ur: Trade

47. Ur: Temple as Center of City Life

48. River Valley Civilizations