Unit 1: The Prehistoric
Reading One: Prehistoric Overview
Knowledge of Early History
The millions of years before people used written
records is called prehistory. Our knowledge of
prehistory depends on archaeology, the study of the
life and activities of early humans and their
ancestors. Archaeologists learn about early people
by excavating and examining the remains of their
campsites or settlements. Archaeologists today rely
on sophisticated scientific tools including the use of
radioactive elements to advance our knowledge of
prehistory. Scientists are able to assign dates to
objects from the remote past.
To learn how early people lived, archaeologists
use all existing evidence at an excavation. For
instance, they examine, catalog, and date the bones
of early people; the bones of animals found in the
same area; and the weapons, tools, and other
utensils located near the skeletal remains. Other
techniques such as pollen analysis and aerial
photography also help archaeologists unlock the
secrets of the past. The archaeologist’s search
reveals surprising details of the ordinary lives of
people who lived many thousands of years ago.
Measuring Time. Prehistory spans millions of years. For this reason, a chronology, or
arrangement, of events in the order in which they occurred is a help. Students can better
understand the causes and consequences of past events. The knowledge of when events occurred
helps to determine whether one event may have influenced another. It also helps to explain the
relationship between developments.
Dates are sometimes arranged in a sequence called a time line. A time line places events in
chronological order. The sequence and possible cause and effect relationships between events
can then be seen. Time lines may use years, decades, centuries, or any other convenient division
of time. Refer to the time line on pages 4-5. Decide what cause and effect relationships exist.
The study of history requires a knowledge of terms for measuring time. For example,
Americans and Europeans commonly use the initials B.C. and A.D. as broad divisions of time.
B.C. means before Christ. A.D., from the Latin term anno Domini, means in the year of the Lord.
As time approaches the birth of Christ, the numbers marking the years decrease. For example,
100 B.C., or 100 years before Christ, came before 99 B.C. Although current dates are not usually
labeled A.D., the year 2011 could be written A.D. 2011. Since not all people in the world date
time by the birth of Jesus Christ, historians will sometimes use the initials C.E. to refer to the
“Common Era” instead of A.D. Likewise, time before the birth of Jesus could be referred to as
B.C.E., or “Before Common Era”.
Other terms often are used to refer to spans of time. A decade is a 10-year period, such as 1981
to 1990. A century refers to a 100-year period, such as 1901 to 2000. Certain periods, such as the
Ice Age or the Stone Age, refer to periods of time so long that we call them ages.
The Stone Age. The terms years, decades, and centuries are not adequate to refer to the time
from about 2 million B.C. to about 3500 B.C. now called the Stone Age. Because the Stone Age
encompasses an enormous time span, the age is even further divided. The subdivisions of the
Stone Age are based on advances in stone tools made by Stone Age people.
The period from the beginnings of human life to about 10,000 B.C. is called the Old Stone
Age, or Paleolithic Age. Tools during this time were made by breaking and chipping away at
breakable and sharp stones. The oldest stone tools used for chopping date back to this period.
From about 10,000 B.C. to about 8000 B.C., people made finer stone tools, such as blades,
arrowheads, and barbs. This period is called the Middle Stone Age, or Mesolithic Age. People
who learned to polish stone tools, make pottery, and farm and raise animals lived in the New
Stone Age. This period, also called the Neolithic Age, begins about 8000 B.C. and ends about
3500 B.C.
Human existence occupies only a small fraction of time when compared to the whole history
of the earth. Thinking about the 4.5-billion-year history of the earth puts human history in
perspective.
HUMAN BEGINNINGS
Archaeological evidence
indicates that hominids,
ancestors of present-day
humans, have been on earth
about 4 million years.
Remains of early people
and their tools show the
slow development of the
basic capabilities that
distinguish humans from
other animals. These unique
characteristics include: (1)
upright posture; (2) the use
of language; (3) the ability
to have and use ideas.
These abilities could be realized only very gradually through the physical, social, and mental
development of early hominids.
Because of the scarcity of evidence there is much that scientists still do not know about the
whole story of the earliest humans. New evidence is discovered every year that changes the
story. Although scientists recognize many different species of hominids that lived at one time
we can categorize them into 5 main groups.
Australopithecus: The earliest hominids lived from roughly 4 million
years ago until 1 million years ago. They lived in the grasslands of
Africa. The first evidence discovered of Australopithecus was in 1974
by an archaeologist named Donald Johanson. Johanson and a fellow
worker, Tom Gray, were exploring a small gully at an East African site
when they saw a bone sticking out of the ground. Johanson and Gray
soon uncovered almost half of the skeletal remains of a female hominid.
That night the archaeologists sat around their campfire talking of their
discovery. They began referring to the ancient hominid as Lucy. Australopithecus were smaller
than us with males being 4 feet tall and females 3 feet. They most likely lived in the grasslands.
Although they could walk on two legs, they were built to spend much of their time climbing in
trees. Their diet was mostly plants but they probably used very simple tools like termite sticks to
gather insects. Australopithecans went extinct probably about 1 million years ago due to climate
change and competition for food.
Homo Habilis: The next group of homonids are known as Homo
Habilis. The name means “man with ability”. It is probably the species
we know the least about. The first evidence of this species was found by
Mary Leaky in a place called Oldavai Gorge in east Africa. Homo
Habilis lived from 2.5 million to 1.5 million years ago in eastern and
southern Africa. Although they were roughly the same size as
Australopithecus they had a larger brain. This suggests that they were
more intelligent. Because of this they are assumed to be the first humans
with the capability of making more complex stone tools that they used to pound bones and cut
meat. Recent theories suggest that this is the species that modern humans may have evolved
from.
Homo Erectus: A third stage in early human development occurred
around 1.5 million years ago with the emergence of Homo Erectus.
Homo Erectus means, “Up Right Man”because they were the first
species to stand straight and walk only on two legs . Because they could
walk easier they were the first human species to leave Africa and move
into Europe and Asia. Homo Erectus looked much more like humans
today in size and shape. They could be 6 feet tall. There brain was not as
big as ours, but bigger than Homo Habilis. This allowed them to make
and use larger and more complicated tools like the Hand ax. Homo Erectus appears to have died
out about 70,000 years ago probably when climate changes made it harder for them to find
enough food to feed their larger bodies.
Homo Sapien Neanderthal: Around 250,000 years ago, a fourth group of
humans emerged with Homo sapiens (“wise human being”). By 100,000
B.C.E., two groups of Homo sapiens had developed. One type was the
Neanderthal, whose remains were first found in the Neander valley in
Germany. Neanderthal remains have since been found in both Europe the
Middle East and Asia; and have been dated to between 100,000 and
30,000 B.C.E. Neanderthals would have been about the same size as
humans today, but had thicker bones and muscles. They were strong and
built to live in cold climates. Their larger brain allowed them to build very complex tools, and
they may have been the first humans capable of speech. We will learn more about how they
lived in the next chapter. About 30,000 years ago they went extinct probably due to competition
for food with modern humans.
Homo Sapien Sapien: Homo Sapien Sapien (“wise, wise human
being”) is “us”. We are the only remaining human species today. The
first modern humans appeared in Africa between 200,000 and 150,000
years ago. Recent evidence indicates that they began to spread outside
Africa around 100,000 years ago. Our species had the largest brain of all
the human species which allows us to make all the complex tools and
abilities we have today. 100,000 years ago, modern humans were
probably a little smaller than we are today, which made us better able to
survive because our bodies needed less food. Humans that lived in the
Prehistoric are called “Cro Magnon Man” because the earliest fossils
were found in a place called Cro Magnon in France.
Early Human Migrations Some tropical African hominids left their homelands for reasons not
clear to us and migrated to places throughout Eurasia. The human population increased and
spread. Evidence of hominids living in England, Spain, France, China, and Indonesia dates from
750,000 to 500,000 years ago. Their routes from Africa can be seen on the map. The remains of
one skeleton, now called Java man, were found off the coast of southeast Asia on the island of
Java. Another, called Peking Man, was found in a cave near Peking, China.
Hominids learned to use and control fire. Burned bones found in the Chinese cave show that
some people cooked their food. Fire also allowed early hominids to keep warm in cold climates
and to frighten away animals at night. Without the use of fire and clothes, early humans could
not have survived outside tropical climates. Despite the controlled use of fire, the tools found at
these sites were still very simple.
15,000 years ago North America was connected to Asia by glaciers and lower sea levels by a
strip of land known as the Bering Land Bridge. Some time after that, modern humans crossed the
Bering Land Bridge into North America as they followed herds of animals. They were the only
humans to ever live in the Western Hemisphere. There are theories that suggest modern humans
may have entered North America from Europe using boats even earlier. There is still much to be
discovered. When the climate warmed the land bridge was flooded, cutting off these people
from the eastern hemisphere for thousands of years.