Splash Screen

Chapter Intro

Chapter Intro

Chapter Trans

Section 1

• 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.)

Section 1

• Methods of dating fossils and artifacts:

– Radiocarbon dating

– Thermo-luminescence

– Microscopic and biological analysis

Before History (cont.)

Archaeological Finds

Section 1

• Hominids are the earliest humanlike creatures that first appeared in Africa four million years ago and slowly changed over time.

Early Development (cont.)

Section 1

– 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.)

Section 1

– Homo sapiens:

• “wise human”

• lived around 100,000 to 200,000 years ago

• rapid brain growth

• mastered fire

Early Development (cont.)

Section 1

– 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.)

Section 1

– 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.)

Section 1

• 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.

• Paleolithic – means “Old Stone”

The Paleolithic Age (cont.)