Chapter (1)

The First Humans: Prehistory - 3500 B.C.

 Early Humans
 The Neolithic Revolution and the Rise of Civilization

Early Humans

The study of history depends on written records, to create their picture of the past. However,
the records just began around 5,000 and 6,000 years ago, while the story of human progress is
much older. The time before records, it is called “Prehistory”.

The Study of Prehistory

Scientists study evidence of the human past (Archaeology and Anthropology).

Scientists examine the evidence in different ways. Archaeology is the study of past societies
through analysis of what people left behind. Archeologists dig up and examine artifacts—
objects made by humans. Artifacts may be tools, weapons, art, and even buildings made by
early humans. Anthropology is the study of human life and culture. Culture includes what
people wear, how they organize their society, and what they value. Anthropologists use
artifacts and human fossils to create a picture of peoples’ everyday lives. Fossils are rocklike
remains of biological organisms—a leaf imprint or a skeleton. Human fossils and artifacts
helps scientists understand when and where the first humans lived.

Hominids to Homo Sapiens

A hominid was a humanlike creature that walked upright. The earliest hominids lived
in Africa four million years ago. They existed for millions of years, slowly changing over
time. The second group descended from Homo sapiens is Homo sapiens sapiens, meaning
“wise, wise human.” These are the first to have an anatomy similar to people today. Physical
evidence suggests that Homo sapiens sapiens appeared in Africa between 150,000 and
200,000 years ago. They probably spread out of Africa to other parts of the world about
100,000 years ago, replacing populations of earlier hominids in Europe and Asia.

The Paleolithic Age

The term Paleolithic Age is used to designate the early period of human history
(approximately 2,500,000 to 10,000 B.C.) in which humans used simple stone tools.
Paleolithic Age is sometimes called the Old Stone Age.

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The Paleolithic Way of Life

Early humans were able to sustain themselves through the use of stone tools. To
create tools, they used very hard stones (hand axes for cutting, spears to kill large animals).

The Roles of Men and Women

The main job of Paleolithic people was finding enough to eat. Both men and women
were responsible for finding the food needed for survival. Paleolithic parents passed on their
practices, skills, and tools to their children to ensure the survival of later generations. Since
women raised children, they probably stayed closer to camp. They played an important role
in acquiring food by gathering berries, nuts, roots, and grains. Women taught the children
which foods were edible. They trapped small animals and kept the camp safe. In the constant
search for food, men had to travel far from camp to hunt herds of large animals. Both men
and women were responsible for finding and acquiring the food needed to sustain life, many
scientists believe there was equality between them. It is likely that both men and women
made decisions that affected the activities of the Paleolithic group.

The Environment Undergoes Changes

Groups of Paleolithic people, especially those groups who lived in cold climates,
found shelter in natural caves. Over period of time, people created new types of shelter as
well. Perhaps most common was a simple structure made of wood poles or sticks covered
with animal hides. The systematic use of fire made it possible to provide a source of both
light and heat within both the caves and the handmade structures in which they lived.

The Neolithic Revolution

The Neolithic era, that period of prehistory that began about 10,000 years ago was a
time of important changes for humankind. The Neolithic age is also called “New Stone Age”,
it is from Greek word (Neo means New). In that age, the develop or changes, not only about
making tools but also people first developed farming, tamed wild animals, and established
villages (people learned to make pottery, weave cloth, and work with metals). Farming and
herding begin in the Near East, the area from Egypt to Mesopotamia. People grow crops, and
tamed animals such as sheep, goats. People began to gather seeds from the wild grasses and
to plant and cultivate grain crops. Over the next few thousand years, people in other parts of
the world also began to raise crops from wild plants and to domesticate the animals that lived
in their area. Farmers settle in Villages. People started to store the extra food in barn, and to
build permanent settlements or villages, and fishing in valley. By 8,000 years ago, in the near
east, farming began, and villages were becoming. One of the earliest known towns, city of

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Jericho, about 7,000 years ago and Catal Huyuk (Chuh-Tul hoo-Yook) in Asia. Villagers
develop special skills. Village living allowed people to learn new skills. People developed
here not only farming but also making tools, weapons, clothing from animal skins, weaving,
making potter – called Artisans. Ideas of trade and private property develop – the artisans
from what they make, led to trade, exchanging things from one another – knows as Barter.
Artisans develop new skills, new technology- bake clay pottery and bricks to make stronger,
turning clay on a flat disk, or potter’s wheel. Using the plow by oxen. Artisan learn to work
with metals – they came to know the knowledge of metalworking spread from the Near East.
Copper was the first metal used. And came to the term Bronze Age – the knowledge of
Bronze-working was discovered first in southwestern Asia about 5,000 years ago. And the
first civilizations also arose.

Civilizations Emerge in Asia and Africa

The first civilizations are in river valleys - Emerge in four great river valleys in Asia
and Africa. Mesopotamian civilization, appeared about 5,000 years ago, between the Tigris
and Euphrates (Yoo-Fray-Teez) rivers. Egyptian civilization developed on the banks of the
Nile river. India in the Valley of the Indus River. Chinese took shape along the Yellow River.
Common, there was water and fertile soil for agriculture. Governments are organized – from
the valleys, people had to learn how to control water and store water for the farming land.
From that they need leadership, cooperation and labor of many people. From that came out
with government, who can lead the big project in systematic, law, and ruler and emerge city
or larger territory. Government and religion are closely connected People believed that there
were gods controlled the sun, the rain, the winds and the other natural forces. The rulers are
seen as gods or as the chosen representatives of the gods. Systems of writing and record-
keeping develop. As the systems of government, religion, and trade became more complex
and organized. Some kind of record-keeping necessary. Write down what taxes were owed or
how much grain were stored. Merchants needed record what they sold and bought, religious
rituals and so on.

Discussion Questions

1. Although prehistoric peoples left no written records, experts have learned much about
life in Stone Age. Explain why this is so.
2. What skills did Neolithic people develop? How did these skills make possible the
growth of civilization?