The First People
Scientist Study Remains
-writing not invented until about 5,000 years ago
-prehistory= time before writing
-1959, bones found in Africa
-hominid = early ancestor (relative who lived in the
past) of humans
-discoveries of ancient bones gives us info about
early humans
Hominids and Early Humans
-as time passed,hominids became more like modern
humans
-4 hominids
1) Australopithecus “southern ape”
--stood upright, walked on 2 legs
2) Homo habilis “handy man”
-->used stone tools (chopper)
3) Homo erectus “upright man”
-->walked upright
-->used stone tools (axe)
-->controlled fire (cook food, heat, protection)
4) Homo sapiens “wise man”
-->every person alive belongs to this group
-->migrated around the world
-->LEARNED to create fire
-->used a WIDE variety of tools
-->developed language
Stone Age Tools
-Stone Age = first humans lived during this time
-Stone age divided into 3 parts based on tools used
1) Paleolithic Era “Old Stone Age” = people
used stone tools
*I will learn other two parts later!
-first tools used to process food
-sharp edge = cut, chop, scrape roots, bones, meat
-People started to make better tools, hand ax - break
tree limbs, to dig, to cut animal hides
-learned to attach wooden handles = spear = throw =
hunters could hunt larger animals
-deer, horses, bison, mammoths
Hunter-gatherer Societies
-society is formed = community of people who share
a common culture
-->culture - languages, religions, and art
-lived in small groups
-cave
-had to move to find food and water
-hunter-gatherers = people who hunt animals and
gather wild plants, seeds, fruits, and nuts
-hunters → men
-gatherers → women
-LANGUAGE
-->way to communicate to resolve issues
-ART
-->carved animals out of stone, ivory, and bone
-->painted images of people and animals on cave
walls
-RELIGION
-->know little, BUT graves with food and artifacts