World History

Chapter 1:

The First Humans (Prehistory)

Chapter 1 Objectives

• Explain the methods scientists use to uncover early human existence

• Describe the nature of human life during the Old Stone Age

• Identify the important developments of the New Stone Age

• Define civilization and identify the characteristics of a civilization

Section 1

PREHISTORY

• PERIOD IN WHICH OUR ANCESTORS EXISTED ON EARTH BUT HAD NOT YET INVENTED WRITING

• OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THEM COMES FROM SCATTERED AND SCARCE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

• BECAUSE OF LACK OF WRITTEN EVIDENCE WE CAN ONLY SPECULATE ON WHAT THEY THOUGHT ABOUT, HOW THEY ORGANIZED THEMSELVES, HOW THEY INTER-RELATED WITH EACH OTHER, AND WHY AND HOW THEY BEHAVED THE WAY THEY DID

How do we learn about prehistory?

• Archaeology • Anthropology

Otzi – The Iceman

PALEOLITHIC LIFESTYLE• EXCLUSIVELY HUNTERS AND

GATHERERS

• NO PERMANENT SETTLEMENTS– LIVED IN TEMPORARY SHELTERS

AND MOVED WHENEVER FOOD SUPPLIES RAN LOW

• LIVED IN BANDS OF APPROX. 30 PEOPLE

• COOPERATED TOGETHER TO OBTAIN FOOD AND FOR DEFENSE

• PRIMITIVE, NOMADIC PEOPLE BY MODERN STANDARDS

PALEOLITHIC LIFESTYLE

• Men• Hunting large game-

far from camp

• Women• Raise Children• Gather food around

camp

Both: Hunt Food – Greater equality in society

PALEOLITHIC ACHIEVEMENTS • MADE AND USED TOOLS

– VARIETY OF MATERIALS

• STONE

• WOOD

• BONE

– CORRESPONDED TO IDEAS THEY HAD IN THEIR MINDS FIRST

– PRESERVED THEM FOR FUTURE USE

– TAUGHT OTHERS HOW TO MAKE AND USE THEM

– LATER GENERATIONS WOULD IMPROVE ON WHAT THEY HAD BEEN TAUGHT AND MAKE BETTER ONES

• RESULTED IN CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT IN HUMAN TECHNOLOGY

PALEOLITHIC ACHIEVEMENTS • SPOKEN LANGUAGE

– CAPACITY TO DESCRIBE THINGS– TO NAME THINGS– SHARE KNOWLEDGE,

EXPERIENCES, AND FEELINGS WITH OTHERS

• RELIGIOUS BELIEFS– BELIEVED FORCES OF NATURE

WERE LIVING THINGS THAT HAD TO BE APPEASED IN ORDER TO PERSUADE THEM TO BEHAVE IN A BENEFICIAL MANNER

– PRACTICE OF BURIAL OF DEAD

PALEOLITHIC ACHIEVEMENTS

• ART– PAINTED ON ANY

AVAILABLE SURFACE BUT ONLY ONES DONE IN CAVES HAVE SURVIVED

– MOTIVATED BY MAGIC

• DESIRE TO ENSURE SUCCESSFUL HUNT

Section 2

BIRTH OF NEOLITHIC AGE• DISCOVERY OF

AGRICULTURE – 8000 BCE

– MIDDLE EAST

– BARLEY AND RYE

– MOST LIKELY DISCOVERED BY WOMEN

• ANIMAL DOMESTICATION– SHEEP AND GOATS

• TOGETHER, THEY MADE POSSIBLE A MORE RELIABLE SOURCE OF FOOD THAN HUNTING AND GATHERING HAD

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE NEOLITHIC AGE

• ESTABLISHMENT OF PERMANENT SETTLEMENTS

• POPULATION GROWTH AND CONCENTRATION OF PEOPLE

• TRADE– TRADED FOOD SURPLUS TO OTHER REGIONS

IN EXCHANGE FOR COMMODITIES FARMERS NEEDED BUT DIDN’T PRODUCE THEMSELVES

• SALT• VOLCANIC GLASS• IRON ORE

• INTERNAL TRADE WITHIN NEOLITHIC VILLAGES ALSO DEVELOPED– EXCHANGE OF FOOD FOR ITEMS SUCH AS

POTTERY, TOOLS, ETC.– DIVISION OF LABOR

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE NEOLITHIC AGE

• AWARENESS OF PRIVATE PROPERTY

• DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL HIERARCHY AND GOVERNMENT– RULING ELITE EMERGES

AS SOME PEOPLE ACQUIRED MORE LAND THAN OTHERS

• GAINED POWER OVER THOSE WHO DIDN’T OWN AS MUCH AS THEY DID

SPREAD OF AGRICULTURE

• AGRICULTURE LATER APPEARED IN OTHER PARTS OF WORLD– EITHER INDEPENDENTLY

OR AS RESULT OF EXPOSURE TO OLDER AGRICULTURAL REGIONS

• NEOLITHIC AGE DID NOT APPEAR EVERYWHERE AT THE SAME TIME– FIRST IN MIDDLE EAST– LATER IN OTHER PARTS

OF WORLD

Agriculture and the Development Civilization

NEOLITHIC TECHNOLOGY

• POTTERY CONTAINERS– FOR STORING FOOD

AND WATER

• WHEEL AND SAIL– IMPROVED WATER

AND LAND TRANSPORTATION

• PLOW– MADE

AGRICULTURE EASIER AND MORE PRODUCTIVE

NEOLITHIC TECHNOLOGY• DISCOVERY OF METAL

• FIRST METAL TO BE USE WAS COPPER– EASILY SHAPED– ENABLED BROKEN TOOLS AND

WEAPONS TO BE RECAST AND RESHAPED

• NEXT METAL WAS BRONZE– ALLOY OF COPPER AND TIN– HARDER AND MORE DURABLE THAN

COPPER– MADE POSSIBLE BETTER TOOLS AND

WEAPONS WITH SHARPER CUTTING EDGES

Emergence of Civilization

•Two innovations changed History

•1 – Systematic agriculture: growing of food on a regular basis (farming)

•2 – Domestication: taming of animals

What was the result of systematic agriculture and domestication?

• Growth of Government

• Religion

• Layered Social Structure

• Writing

• Artistic Activity

• New Inventions