To Parents and Students: This Week I am going to have to respond to - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

To Parents and Students: This Week I am going to have to respond to many of the questions by saying, “Well, That’s the Mystery of History!” Much is unknown. Prehistory is the time before written records were kept.

Because these people didn’t write down their history we have to do our best to figure out what happened.

Trust is an important concept in science. Most people believe that scientists strive for

• truth. But if scientists make sensitive and not-explicitly-mentioned initial assumptions, how

much can you trust their conclusions? Human palaeontology is a part of science that deals with the discovery, reconstruction and interpretation of fossil man.

Prehistory is the time before written records were kept. Because these people didn’t write down their history we have to do our best to figure out what happened.

Trust is an important concept in science. Most people believe that scientists strive for

• truth. But if scientists make sensitive and not-explicitly-mentioned initial assumptions, how

much can you trust their conclusions? Human palaeontology is a part of science that deals with the discovery, reconstruction and interpretation of fossil man.

http://creation.com/neanderthal-children-s-fossils Evolutionists do not know where Neandertal Man came from or where he went. One faction of evolutionists believes modern men,Cro-Magnons, killed the Neanderthals, while others believe Neanderthal interbred with Cro-Magnon Man, eventually becoming modern man. Neandertal Man disappeared about 30,000 years ago in the evolutionary timescale— a more or less ‘absolute’ date, despite evidence of younger Neandertals.6 http://creation.com/neandertal-manthe-changing-picture Some believe Neandertal Man was just a unique variant of modern man who lived in Europe and adjacent Asia and North Africa after the Babel dispersion in the Ice Age (the aftermath of theFlood — http://creation.com/neandertal-manthe-changing-picture

Neandertal Man was then reclassified as Homo sapiens neanderthalensis, just a particular type of modern man. http://creation.com/neandertal-manthe-changing-picture

Early Humans

1. What is a hunter-gatherer? 2. What is a Stone Age? 3. Why was the ability to make fire so important? 4. How could early humans travel from Africa to Australia without a boat? 5. Explain a few ways man has adapted to his environment. 6. How do we know humans continued to advance and become more intelligent? 7. What are some positives and negatives of being nomadic?

Questions

These are the questions that we are going to answer:

Soooo… What do we know about the Past???

Turn and Talk with your Group about your conceptions of Early Humans.

Video (Show first four.)

65 Million Years Ago

Dinosaurs died out about 65 million years ago. The first human- like hominids did not appear until around 3 million years ago. No matter what you may have seen in the movies, early man did not live during the same period in history as dinosaurs!

Not that early man had it easy, but he did not have to fight dinosaurs!

3 Million Years Ago

3 million years ago, our planet was teeming with life! There were deer, giraffes, hyenas, sheep, goats, horses, elephants, camels, beavers, cave lions, ants, termites, woolly mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, giant sharks, dogs with huge teeth, and all kinds

• f birds and plants and fish.

3 Million Years Ago…Early Humans

It was during this time that the higher primates, including apes and early man, first appeared.

• There was a difference between apes

and man. Early human-like hominids could stand upright. Apes could not.

• Hominids are humans and other

creatures that walk upright on two feet.

Very Early Humans

It was during this time that the higher primates, including apes and early man, first appeared. Their hands were different, too. Ape hands were made for climbing and

• clinging. Man’s hands were jointed

differently, which allowed them to make and use tools. There was a difference between apes and

• man. Early human-like hominids could

stand upright. Apes could not.

Very Early Humans

How do scientists know about an early man who lived 3 million years ago? The discovery of “Lucy” may answer some of their questions.

But who in the world is “Lucy”?

• In 1974, a skeleton was found in

Africa.

• The bones were those of a female,

about 20 years old or so when she died.

• Scientists named her Lucy (after a

Beatles song).

• Tests showed that she lived more than

3 million years ago.

• Anthropologists could also tell from her

bones that she was small and had walked

• n two legs…a key step in human

development.

LUCY

Lucy

In 1974, a partial skeleton was found in Africa. The bones were those of a female, about 20 years old or so when she died. Scientists named her Lucy. About 3 million years ago, when Lucy was alive, she was about 4 feet tall and weighed about 50 pounds. Scientists suspect that she fell into a lake or river and drowned. (Video 1)

In August, 2016, another possible explanation for Lucy’s death was given. (See Full Article, if interested)

Scientists are like detectives. They can tell a great deal from a skeleton, whether it's one year old or 3 million years old!

Video 2 with SafeShare

Fossils & Artifacts

Scientists use many clues to help them put pieces of the past together. One thing they must know is the difference between a fossil and an artifact. Artifacts are remains of things that were made, not remains of living things. Fossils are remains of living things (plants, animals, people), not things that were made.

MEANS: THE OLD STONE AGE. This era was called the stone age because early man used stone to make his tools and weapons.

These clans got their food by Hunting and Gathering Once the food supply ran out they would move to a different area.

Essential Knowledge Were Nomadic: Wandered from place to place in search of food and shelter Invented the first tools and weapons including simple stone tools. Lived in clans of about 20-30 people, used caves for shelter. Learned to make and control fire to keep warm and cook their food. Developed oral, or spoken language Made cave art and statues. The role of men was to do the hunting The role of women was gathering and caring for children

Stone Age…

The Stone Age refers to the materials used to make man-made tools. In the Stone Age, man made tools out of stone. Hunters & Gatherers: The Old Stone Age people were hunters/gatherers. We know this because scientists have found fossils and artifacts, which reveal traces of their

• life. These people did not plant crops. They

gathered wild fruits, nuts, berries, and vegetables.

Stone Age…

Before the Stone Age, these early human-like hominids were taller and smarter than Lucy’s species, but they did not know how to make fire. When they broke camp, they probably tried to bring fire with them by carrying lit branches to use to start a new campfire. If their branches went out, they did without fire until they found something burning.

Stone Age…

Many years passed. During this time, men learned many skills to make their lives easier. Scientists believe they did know how to make fire.

That changed everything!

People began to cook their food, which helped to reduce disease. People gathered around the fire each night, to share stories of the day's hunt and activities, which helped to develop a spirit of community.

Stone Age…

These Stone Age people were about the same size as modern humans. Their tool-making skills were considerably

• improved. Their weapons included stone

axes and knives. Because Upright Man could make fire, he was free to move about in search of food. He did not have to worry about freezing. He made warm clothes from animal skins. At night, he built a campfire to cook his food and to stay warm.

Appeared in Africa between 150,000-200,000 years ago Began to migrate outside of Africa 100,000 years ago. Replaced the Neanderthals by 30,000 B.C.. By 10,000 B.C. humans could be found throughout the world due to migration.

During the last ice age between 100,000 B.C. and 8000 B.C. the water level in the oceans dropped revealing a land bridge connecting Asia and North America

The Ice Age & Modern Human Beings

Man Leaves Home- Ice Age

These individuals began to slowly migrate and these early people began to populate the world. Scientists have found artifacts of their tools and weapons, which help us to understand how they lived, where they went, and how they got there. They did not need a boat. The Ice Age was here! They traveled across giant walkways

• f frozen ice, over what later would become

vast rivers and seas.

“Meso” means middle “Lithic” means stone Mesolithic means middle stone age.

Means middle stone age. It began with the end of the last glacial period over 10,000 years ago and evolved into the Neolithic period “Meso” means middle “Lithic” means stone

Domesticated plants and animals Settled in communities Tools became smaller Pottery and the use of the bow developed

MESOLITHIC Era

Use of Fire Early man learned to use fire to adapt to his environment. It was probably discovered from friction, lightning, or accidental hitting two rocks together. Ice Ages Fire was very important during the ice ages. Without fire man would not have been able to survive. Tools Video clip Cave Art Man has created art for a very long time. There is some argument as to what this art was for. Was it art as art, or art as a form of religion?

Adaptation

Neanderthals

In 1856, miners discovered human bones in the Neader Valley in Germany. Scientists named this discovery neanderthal man, after the valley in which the skeleton had been found. Scientists originally thought that these early men were dim-witted brutes, who walked with bent knees, with their heads slung forward on their big necks. Could these early people really be our ancestors?

Neanderthals

But scientists had made a mistake!

The bones were bent because they were part

• f the skeleton of an old

man suffering from arthritis! Arthritis is a disease that bends and cripples bones.

Neanderthals

Still, Neanderthals were different from

• ther species of early humans. They were

tall and smart, and used caves as their

• homes. They were great hunters.

Considering how smart they were, and how advanced for their time, scientists are puzzled that the Neanderthals were one of many early people groups to die out. Many early people groups died out in these early

• days. But why the Neanderthals? It is a

history mystery.

Neanderthals

These Stone Age people learned to cure and store food for the long winter. They used traps, which allowed them to catch food while they were busy doing something else. Fisherman used nets woven from vines and fishhooks. Some groups built rafts and canoes to catch bigger fish in deeper waters. They made clothing and jewelry. They invented the bow and arrow. Neanderthals are the closest relation to modern humans. This group did not live a life of constant struggle for survival because they worked together to provide food for their tribe.

• Found in the Neander Valley in Germany.
• Thought to have lived between 100,000 and 30,000 years

ago.

• Used stone tools, and buried their dead. It is thought they

had some primitive religious beliefs.

Neolithic

Neolithic means new stone age. Also known as the Agricultural Revolution. “Neo” means new “Lithic” means stone Developed Agriculture and weaving (better clothing) Domesticated Animals Used Advanced Stone Tools Made Pottery (for food storage)

Lascaux France

The existence of cave paintings was discovered by accident. Around 1940, during World War II, some kids were playing in a field in Lascaux, France. They stumbled across a cave entrance. It had been hidden by the tree roots. The walls were covered with cave paintings!

Once people knew the paintings existed, they looked for more such caves, and found them.

Cave Paintings

Cro-Magnon man did something rather unusual. For some reason, he drew paintings deep inside dark caves, on cave walls. His paintings were added to the paintings already on the cave walls, left by other Cro-Magnon men. Over time, a cave might accumulate hundreds

• f paintings. Colors used

most often were brown, yellow/tan, dark red, and coal black.

Cave Paintings

To reach the deepest part of the cave, where other paintings could be found, Cro-Magnon man had to crawl through the maze like tunnels of the cave, holding a spoon-like oil lamp to light his way, while carrying his carefully prepared paints.

A Mystery

It was quite dangerous. Cro-Magnon man had no idea if he might run into a cave lion. He might fall into a hole and die. There are many history mysteries. This is one of them. Why did he do it? Perhaps it was a coming of age ceremony, or perhaps it served a religious purpose. Maybe it was a sort of, “I was here.”

Cave Paintings

Animals were well drawn and filled in with natural colors to give them even more shape and substance. They drew stick figures for hunters. They drew stencils of hands.

Gathering was a more reliable source of food and so in Paleolithic society it is thought that it may have been Matriarchal, or female dominated. Women were often seen at the time as symbols of life and fertility. Many ancient religions were centered around the worship of the earth and the woman was often representative of the earth and life because of the fact that women gave birth. It is thought that early man often drew, or made representations of what he/she wanted to happen. Fertility statues for having many children, paintings of successful hunts etc.

A tour of the Cave Paintings of Lascaux, France by Rick Steves

Then something happens….

• Like the discovery of fire… this new

discovery changed EVERYTHING!

Domestication!

35

Have you ‘herd’ about pastoralism?

Domestication of plants

and animals was a HUGE change.

It resulted in the new way of living we know as FARMING (AGRICULTURE)…

…which included both PASTORALISM (herding sheep, goats, cattle, horses, and camels), and…

36

Crop-growing and…

Today

37

the development of…

FARMING COMMUNITIES

Today

http://ngm.national geographic.com/20 11/03/taming-wild- animals/musi-phot

• graphy

Recap

We know about early Stone Age people because scientists have found fossils and artifacts that reveal traces of their life. Man went through many stages to evolve into the humans of today! Since this covers many, many years, you might say it took man a long time to grow up!

Early Humans

1. What is a hunter-gatherer? 2. What is a Stone Age? 3. Why was the ability to make fire so important? 4. How could early humans travel from Africa to Australia without a boat? 5. Explain a few ways man has adapted to his environment. 6. How do we know humans continued to advance and become more intelligent? 7. What are some positives and negatives of being nomadic?

Questions