Chapter Introduction
Section 1: Early Humans
Section 2: The Neolithic
Revolution
Visual Summary
What is civilization?
These cave paintings in Lascaux,
France, illustrate the animals early
people hunted 17,000 years ago
during the Ice Age. Images like
these give us glimpses into the life
of early humans. In this chapter,
you will learn how humans
gradually shifted from temporary to
permanent settlements and began
establishing civilizations.
• How do you think the first
humans got their food?
• How would you define
civilization?
Early Humans
What important
developments took place in
the Paleolithic Age?
The Neolithic
Revolution and the
Rise of Civilization
How does agriculture affect
our society?
The BIG Idea
Physical Geography Human life developed in
different stages over millions of years, and by
10,000 B.C., Homo sapiens sapiens had spread
throughout the world.
Content Vocabulary
• prehistory
• hominid
• archaeology
• Australopithecus
• artifact
• Homo sapiens sapiens
• anthropology
• “out-of-Africa” theory
• fossil
Academic Vocabulary
• theory
• survive
People and Places
• Olduvai Gorge
• Paleolithic Age
Before History
Scientists use fossils and artifacts as
clues to how early humans lived.
Before History (cont.)
• Prehistory is the time before writing was
developed.
• Archaeology is the study of past societies
through the analysis of artifacts such as
tools, weapons, art, buildings.
• Anthropology is the study of human life and
culture.
• Anthropologists use artifacts and fossils to
create a picture of peoples’ everyday lives.
Before History (cont.)
• Methods of dating fossils and artifacts:
– Radiocarbon dating
– Thermo-luminescence
– Microscopic and biological analysis
Archaeological Finds
On which of the following fossils
would radiocarbon dating be useful?
A. Dinosaurs
B. Humans
C. Tools
D. Rocks
A.
B.
C.
D.
A
B
C
D
Early Development
Using remains and technology,
scientists identify important stages in
human development.
Early Development (cont.)
• Hominids are the earliest humanlike
creatures that first appeared in Africa four
million years ago and slowly changed
over time.
• Skeletal remains were found by Louis and
Mary Leakey at Olduvai Gorge in 1959.
Early Development (cont.)
• Types of early hominids:
– Australopithecus:
• “southern ape”
• one example was named "Lucy"
• approximately 3.5 million years old
Early Development (cont.)
– Homo habilis:
• “handy human”
• lived 2.5 to 1.6 million years ago
• larger brain
• may have used stone tools
Early Development (cont.)
– Homo erectus:
• “upright human”
• lived 1.8 million to 100,000 years ago
• first hominid to have arms and legs in modern
human proportion
• probably the first to leave Africa
Early Development (cont.)
– Homo sapiens:
• “wise human”
• lived around 100,000 to 200,000 years ago
• rapid brain growth
• mastered fire
Early Development (cont.)
– Neanderthals
• descended from Homo sapiens
• lived around 100,000 years ago to 30,000
years ago
• made clothes from animal skins and buried
their dead
Early Development (cont.)
– Homo sapiens sapiens:
• “wise, wise human”
• also descended from Homo sapiens
• appeared in Africa between 150,000 and
200,000 years ago
• first to have modern anatomy
Early Development (cont.)
• spread around the globe around 100,000 years
ago in search of food and hunting grounds,
replacing populations in Europe and Asia
(“out-of-Africa” theory)
• all human life belongs to this subgroup of
human beings
The Paleolithic Age
Early humans used fire, made tools,
and adapted to survive.
The Paleolithic Age (cont.)
• The Paleolithic Age refers to the early
period of history when humans used
stone tools.
• Paleolithic people were hunter-gatherers
who lived a nomadic lifestyle. They made
tools, clothing, shelter, and fire.
• The roles of men and women were probably
considered equal due to the division of labor.
The Paleolithic Age (cont.)
• The ability to start fire helped Paleolithic
humans spread farther around the globe
including to colder climates.
• Art found in caves around the world shows
its importance to early humans.
Chauvet Cave
Which was not a way humans used
fire in the Paleolithic Age?
A. Warmth
B. Light
C. Cooking
D. Clothing and shelter
0%
A
A.
B.
C.
0%
D.
B
A
B
C
0%
D
C
0%
D
The BIG Idea
Ideas, Beliefs, and Values Systematic agriculture
brought huge economic, political, and social changes
for early humans.
Content Vocabulary
• systematic agriculture
• civilization
• domestication
• monarch
• artisan
• priest
• culture
Academic Vocabulary
• revolution
• role
People and Places
• Neolithic Revolution
• Mesoamericans
• Çatalhüyük
• Bronze Age
• Iron Age
The Neolithic Revolution
Civilization developed from the
agricultural revolution of the
Neolithic Age.
The Neolithic Revolution (cont.)
• The Neolithic Revolution was marked by
the shift from hunting of animals and
gathering of food to systematic agriculture.
• During the Neolithic Age (8000 to 4000 B.C.)
humans began planting crops. The
domestication of animals also occurred
during this period.
Number of Farms in the U.S., 1940–2004
The Neolithic Revolution (cont.)
• Spread of agriculture around the world:
– 8000 B.C.: People in Southwest Asia grew
wheat and barley and domesticated pigs,
cows, goats, and sheep.
– 7000 B.C.: Mesoamericans in the Western
Hemisphere grew beans, squash, and
maize. They domesticated dogs and fowl.
Spread of Farming
The Neolithic Revolution (cont.)
– 6000 B.C.: In Africa, people grew wheat,
barley, yams, and bananas.
– 5000 B.C.: In China, farmers grew rice and
domesticated dogs and pigs.
• As a result of a steady food supply, Neolithic
people began living in settled communities,
called Neolithic farming villages.
The Neolithic Revolution (cont.)
• In Çatalhüyük, people were able to enter
other occupations other than farming. Skilled
workers, such as artisans, made weapons
and jewelry and traded them with
neighboring people.
The Neolithic Revolution (cont.)
• Effects of the Neolithic Revolution:
– A surplus of food encouraged trade and
the division of labor.
– Skilled workers, such as artisans, began to
emerge. They developed more refined
tools, weapons, and farming techniques.
The Neolithic Revolution (cont.)
– Roles of men and women changed. When
men’s jobs took them away from
settlements, women stayed behind to raise
children. Men began to play a more
dominant role.
– Villages developed into more complex and
wealthy societies. To protect their wealth,
they built armies and city walls. These
farming villages led to the development
of cities.
The Neolithic Revolution (cont.)
– Discovery of how to make metal tools
brought an end to the Neolithic Age, which
was followed by the Bronze Age and the
Iron Age.
Civilization Emerges
Some villages grew into cities and
became early civilizations.
Civilization Emerges (cont.)
• A civilization is a complex culture in which
large numbers of human beings who share a
number of common elements live together.
Civilization Emerges (cont.)
• Common characteristics of the new
civilizations:
– Cities first developed in river valleys.
Large-scale farming was needed to feed a
large population.
– Governments were developed to maintain
the food supply, protect the population,
and organize and regulate human activity.
They were usually led by monarchs.
Civilization Emerges (cont.)
– Religions were developed to explain the
forces of nature and their roles in the
world. Priests supervised rituals and
became very important people.
– Social structures arose based on
economic power. There were an upper
class of rulers, priests, and warriors; a
middle class of free people, farmers, and
artisans; and a slave class.
Civilization Emerges (cont.)
– Writing was developed for record keeping
and creative expression.
– Significant architecture, paintings, and
sculptures were seen in new civilizations.
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