Unit 1: Origins
of Civilization
Early Humans

The earliest humans could not read or write, so naturally
there are no written records that tell us about their life.

We rely on fossils, artifacts, and the work of
archaeologists and anthropologists to construct the
very ancient past.

Archaeologists – someone who examines the past
through remnants and artifacts to analyze the way in
which earlier humans or cultures lived (ie: what they ate,
how tall they were, how they survived)

Anthropologists – someone who studies social and
physical characteristics of humanity through
examinations of history and past (ie: how they
interacted with each other)
Early Humans
 Fossil
evidence shows that humans
originated in East Africa over 2.5
million years ago.
Evidence of African origin
 In
1974, Donald Johanson found
a complete skeleton of an
adult female in Ethiopia.
Named LUCY after the Beatle’s
song. It is the oldest known
human fossil.
 Mary
Leakey discovered humanlike
footprints in 1978 in Tanzania that
proved they walked upright and had
feet exactly like ours.
Stages of Early Human
Development
Create a timeline across your notes and chunk the
following time spans together
 4,000,000
BCE – 1,000,000 BCE
 1,500,000
BCE – 250,000 BCE
 250,000
 30,000
BCE – 30,000 BCE
BCE – 10,000 BCE
 2,500,000
BCE – 8,000 BCE
8,000 BCE
4,000,000 BCE
Paleolithic Age
Paleolithic Age
 Means
“Old Stone” Age
 Humans
 Hunters
 Small
made tools
(men) & gatherers (women)
bands of 20-30 humans
 NOMADIC
place)
(moved from place to
Stage 1
4,000,000 BCE
Stage 1
4,000,000 BCE – 1,000,000 BCE
Australopithecines

Hominids  any member of the family of twolegged primates that includes all humans

Opposable thumbs
Homo Habilis “Man of Skill”

Found in East Africa

Created stone tools

Found shelter in caves

Left behind cave paintings
Stage 2
4,000,000 BCE
Stage 2
1,500,000 BCE – 30,000 BCE
Homo Erectus “Upright Human Being”

Bipedalism – the ability to walk upright on
2 feet

Used larger and more varied tools

Migrated to Europe and Asia

First to use fire c. 500,000 BCE
Stage 3
4,000,000 BCE
Stage 3
200,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE
Homo Sapiens “Wise Human”
Neanderthals
(200,000 BCE-30,000 BCE)
Stage 3
4,000,000 BCE
Stage 3
200,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE
Homo Sapiens “Wise Human”
Neanderthals
(200,000 BCE-30,000 BCE)
• 1st to bury their dead
• Made clothes from
animal skins
• Lived in caves and tents
Stage 3
4,000,000 BCE
Stage 3
200,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE
Homo Sapiens “Wise Human”
Neanderthals
Cro-Magnons
(200,000 BCE-30,000 BCE)
(40,000 BCE-10,000 BCE)
• 1st to bury their dead
• Made clothes from
animal skins
• Lived in caves and tents
• Homo Sapiens Sapiens
(wise, wise human)
• Most closely related to
modern humans
Stage 4
4,000,000 BCE
Stage 3
200,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE
Homo Sapiens “Wise Human”
Neanderthals
Cro-Magnons
(200,000 BCE-30,000 BCE)
(40,000 BCE-10,000 BCE)
• 1st to bury their dead
• Made clothes from
animal skins
• Lived in caves and tents
• Homo Sapiens Sapiens
(wise, wise human)
• Most closely related to
modern humans
• Around 30,000 BCE they
replaced Neanderthals
End of last Ice Age
~ 10,000 BCE
The Neolithic Age

As the ice melted, the Neolithic Age emerged from
the Paleolithic Age.

“Neolithic” -> “New Stone” Age

10,000 BCE – 4,000 BCE

Gradual shift from:
Nomadic lifestyle

Hunting & Gathering 
settled, stationary lifestyle
Systematic agriculture and the
domestication of animals