What is Prehistory? Important
The span of time before recorded/written history.
If early people did not write or record things, how do we know about them?
Fossils/bones, artifacts, cave paintings, Jewelry
Artifacts
things that people left behind
What are examples of artifacts
Tools, Weapons, Art, Sculptures, Pottery, Ancient Buildings, Monuments, Human Remains, Jewelry.
What shaped the lives of early humans?
Their environment
NomadicImportant
People moved from place to place looking for/following the food and water.Hunting (Men) & Gatherers (Women)
Paleolithic
AKA "Old Stone" AgeCrude tools were made from stone and bones
Hominids
Any member of the two-legged primates that includes all humansOpposable thumb, Complex cognitive ability
Caves importance
Humans during this period found shelter in cavesCave paintings left behind, provided clues about their lives.
Homo Habilis (4,000,000 BCE - 1,000,000 BCE)
Man of Skills" or "Handy Man"First to create stone tools
Homo Erectus (1,600,000 BCE - 30,000 BCE)
Upright Human Being"Bipedalism - walks on 2 legsFirst spoken (Basic) wordsWas the first to make and use fireFirst to leave AfricaMigrated to Eurasia
Neanderthals (200,000 BCE - 30,000 BCE)
Made clothes from animal skinsFirst humans to bury their deadEvidence of religion because they were buried with flowers and other artifacts
Cro-Magnons (40,000 BCE - 10,000 BCE)
Our direct ancestorsHad a larger brain capacityBy 30,000 BCE, they had replaced Neanderthals
Homo Sapien (20,000 BCE - Present)
Wise Man" or "Handy Man"This group is divided into three main subspecies