Warm-up Wednesday, September 12th

1. Warm-upWednesday, September 12th • What early tools might tell scientists about hunter-gatherer societies?

2. AustrolopithecusAfarensis: Lucy and her relatives • Scientists use Latin names to group living things • Lucy was given the name Australopithecus which means “southern ape” and afarensis refers to the Afar triangle, the part of Africa where Lucy was found • Lucy was shorter than humans today- between 3 to 4 feet tall • Discovered by Donald Johanson • mix of ape and human features • had a large head- brain only 1/3 the size of ours • Lived 3 to 4 million years ago • Biped, the capability to walk on two feet

3. Homo Habilis: Handy Man • Discovered by Louis and Mary Leakey • Lived 1.5-2 million years ago • Combined ape and human features • Walked on two feet • Taller than Lucy • Brains were twice the size of Lucys • Remains only found in Africa • Lived in groups • Tools were found • Animal bones as digging sticks and rocks as chopping tools • Sharp pieces of stone for cutting

4. Homo Erectus: Upright Man • Discovered in 1891 by Eugene Dubois on the island of Java, off the southern coast of Asia • At this time, Lucy and Handy Man had not yet been discovered • Lived on Earth longer than any other hominid group from 1.8 million to 200,000 BCE • Believed to be the first hominids to migrate out of Africa because remains have been found in both Africa and Asia • Taller and thinner than earlier hominids • Strong bones, good walkers and runners • Forehead was round and smooth but still had a large ridge above the eyes, a thicker skull, and a jaw that stuck out • More complex tools • Strong hand axes made of stone • Used fire • Ate more meat • Built oval huts • Sat and slept on animal skins • Decorated their bodies with yellow-colored mud called ocher • Moved from place to place

5. Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis: Neanderthal Man • Discovered “Wise Man” in 1856 in Germany’s Neander Valley • Modern humans belong to this group • Lived from 230,000 to 30,000 years ago in Africa, Europe, and Asia • Walked upright, shorter and stockier than modern humans but much stronger • Large brains • More than 60 types of tools have been found • Worked together • Lived and traveled in groups • Hunted in an organized group • Sense of community

6. Homo Sapiens Sapiens: Doubly Wise Man • First appeared 150,000 years ago • Originated in Africa • High, rounded skulls, large brains, small teeth, and slender bones • Ability to create better tools, shelter, and clothing • Left paintings on the walls of caves • Carved and shaped images out of clay, bone, flint, and ivory • Created music instruments • Painted animals, mythical creatures and used their handprints to sign their work

7. How Early Hunter-Gatherers Lived • Archaeologists know very little • Lives were often harsh • To survive and grow they developed technology The Development of Tools • Paleolithic Era (means “old” and “stone”) • Time when humans learned how to make tools out of stones • Lasted from 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 years ago • At first, tools were simple: chopping down small trees, cutting meat, scraping animal skins clean. • Over time- tools became better: weapons, hunting larger animals

8. The Use of Fire • During Paleolithic era- fire was used: light at night, cooking meat and plants, scare off dangerous animals • Man is no longer restricted in his movement to a limited range of climates Wandering Bands • The culture of early societies was simple. • Lived in small groups or bands: 10-12 adults and their children • Nomads- move from place to place with the seasons • Built temporary shelters- another major advance • Men hunted, women gathered

9. Later Stone Age Peoples Neanderthals • Appeared in Europe and Asia 200,000 years ago • Name comes from Neander Valley in Germany • Appeared in late Paleolithic Era and only group to survive Stone Age • First people to bury their dead- believed in life after death Modern Humans • Appeared about 100,000 years ago and were called “Homo sapiens” (wise people) • Similar to Neanderthals- made tools, used fire, and hunted animals • Taller and less muscular and developed a complex language • Language- organize hunt, warn of danger, pass knowledge or skills on • No evidence of Neanderthals after about 28,000 years ago

10. Homo Sapiens spread out to populate, or become inhabitants of, almost every land area of the world. The Human Migration • Archaeologists disagree on where modern humans came from or how they spread • Study fossils and genetic information Two Theories about Migration • “Out of Africa” theory suggests that humans migrated from Africa to new places, replacing those that already lived there. • Another theory is that large-brained humans developed separately in many different parts of the world. New Evidence • New evidence from a skull found in 2007 suggests that humans were already in their modern form when they migrated from Africa. • A 2008 genetic study gives a boost to the “out of Africa” theory. • Still, many questions about human migration remain unanswered. • 30,000 years ago, Homo sapiens were living in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia

11. Quick Facts- DO NOT WRITE!! • Reasons for migration include: • The land on which they live no longer provides enough food for growing populations • They need to escape immediate weather problems, such as flooding, or long-term climate problems, such as drought • As population grow, people may want more space or need to escape overcrowding that causes disease or conflict • Conflicts over food, land, or power sometimes push people to explore new lands • Many people have a strong drive to explore that drives them toward new lands.

12. Adapting to Varied Environments • As human migrated they had to adapt to new environments. A Changing Climate • During the past two million years- including the Stone Age- the Earth has had four long ice ages. • The last great Ice Age began about 70,000 years ago, soon after modern humans appeared. • Well-watered grasslands became deserts • Sea-level dropped- exposing land bridges • Many animals had to migrate to find food • People had to follow the herds for food Staying Warm • Ice-Age hunter gathers learned to adapt • Built huts out of mammoth bones and covered with animal skin • Using bone needles, they sewed snug clothing from animal skins and furs • Kept fires burning day and night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRRlEyplGQ8&feature=player_embedded

13. Forming Larger Communities • Some adapted to change by forming larger communities • Hunters could work together • Better defense against other nomadic groups • Clans formed (25-50 people) • Communities began to trade Developing Complex Cultures: The Evidence of Art • Communities became more and more complex Paintings in Caves • Discovered Lascaux cave paintings in 1940 • Some images were carved but most were painted • Made pigments by grinding up minerals of various colors What Do They Tell Us? • Humans are capable of complex thoughts and actions Developing Complex Cultures: Religious Beliefs and Practices • Religious beliefs and practices are a sign of a more complex culture

14. Burial Practices • Ice Age people buried their dead • Children covered with ivory beads in Russian grave Early Religious Practices • Cave paintings, statues, and burial sites suggest how early humans reacted to mysterious and powerful sources. • Suggest that they believed in animism- natural world is filled with spirits. The Next Big Change • By the end of the Paleolithic Era, humans… • Occupied many regions of the world • Developed a complex spoken language • Variety of tools and weapons • Adapted to different environments • Still lived in small groups as hunter-gatherers • Around 10,000 years ago Neolithic Era began