4 million to 1 million BCE
Southern and Eastern Africa
Australopithecines - Walking
Upright
What Mary Leakey and Donald Johanson found were
Australopithecines, a humanlike being what walked
upright.
What are the benefits of walking upright?






Travel longer distances more easily
Carry food and children
Uses about half the energy of four-limbed movement
Could see above the grass to see predators.
Australopithecine also had an opposable thumb.
What are the benefits of this?


Carry objects and make tools. (Although
Australopithecine did NOT have tools!)
2.5 million BCE to 1.5 million BCE
East Africa


Before
Australopithecine
vanished, a new
hominid appeared,
Homo habilis. Homo
habilis dates to 2.5
million years ago.
Louis and Mary Leakey
discovered a hominid
fossil at Olduvai Gorge
in Tanzania. They
found tools made of
lava rock with this
fossil which were used
to cut meat and crack
open bones.
EARLY TOOLS
1.6 million BCE to 30,000 BCE
“upright man”
Found in Africa, Asia, and Europe
HOMO ERECTUS AND TECHNOLOGY






About 1.6 million years ago, before Homo
habilis died out, another species appeared in
East Africa.
Homo erectus, or “upright man.”
Evidence = Turkana Boy = most complete
skeleton
Homo erectus was different physically and
behaviorally. They were more intelligent
They used this intelligence to develop
technology – ways of applying knowledge,
tools, and inventions to meet their needs.
Became skillful hunters and invented more
tools for digging, scraping, and cutting.
HABILIS TOOLS ERECTUS TOOLS
MORE ON ERECTUS
Homo erectus was the first hominid to use fire
What are the benefits of fire?


Warmth
Cook food
Protection – frighten away animals
Hunting – drive animal into the place you want them to
go
Place to socialize (around campfire)






They were the first hominids to move out of Africa

(India, China, Southeast Asia, Europe.)
HOW ARE ERECTUS AND LUCY
DIFFERENT
 Physically, Homo erectus had bigger brains,
shorter and thinner arms, had longer legs, a
more human-like pelvis
 Turkana Boy was 5’3 only 8 years old
(grows fast like an ape)
 FYI…Homo erectus became less hairy.
The ability to sweat allows for hunting
during the day
 Need more food for larger brain
HOMO SAPIENS= US




Many people believe Homo erectus developed into
Homo sapiens, or “wise men.”
Scholars argue about when homo sapiens first
appeared but the general consensus in that they first
appeared in East Africa around 200,000 years ago.
Homo sapiens resembled Homo erectus but had
much larger brains.
Neanderthals and Cro-Magnon are early groups of
Homo sapiens.
NEANDERTHALSPHYSICAL
DNA tests prove that Neanderthals are not
ancestors of modern humans.
 Lived 200,000 to 30,000 years ago.
 Neanderthals were powerfully built with heavy
slanted brows, well-developed muscles, and thick
bones. They had low, sloping foreheads, chinless,
forward jutting jaw, large front teeth, and heavy
brow ridges.
 Pelvis is not as wide as modern human – could not
run long distances because had to support big
frame

NEANDERTHALS- CULTURAL



Evidence shows that
Neanderthals tried to explain
their world.
They developed religious
beliefs and performed rituals.
About 60,000 years ago,
perhaps they had a funeral for
a man in Shanidar Cave,
located in northeastern Iraq.
During the funeral, family
members covered his body
with flowers.
Bone flutes found at other
locations.



Survived harsh winters
by living in caves or
temporary shelters
made of bones and
animal skin
Made stone blades,
scrapers, and other tools
to cut up and skin their
prey.
Had clothing
MORE ON NEANDERTHALS
 Had fire
 Based upon discovered
weapons they hunted close to
animals – high risk of injury
 Never learned to fish (no
evidence of)
 Vanished
mysteriously 30,000
years ago, when modern
humans appear.
MODERN HUMANS (CROMAGNONS)






Appeared 40,000 years ago.
Made new tools like bone needles to sew clothing
made of animal hides, axes, spears.
Planned hunts, studied animals’ habits, and stalked
their prey.
Made jewelry from bone, ivory, and shell
Superior hunting strategies allowed them to survive
more easily. Developed weapons that could be thrown
over longer distances. (much safer)
Produced cave paintings
Spear Thrower
Knife
Bone Needle
Bone Harpoon
Lunar Calendar?
What makes humans special?
Language and Technology
 With language, modern humans can
communicate their ideas. Therefore,
technological change happened very
quickly. Before modern humans, tools
hadn’t changed much in a million years.
The rate of technological change by
modern humans was very fast. These
new technologies allowed people to
adapt to a changing world.