Early Man Study Guide Name ___________________________

Vocab

Archaeologists

Paleoanthropologists

Prehistory

Evidence

Fossils

Excavate

Artifacts

Extinct

Migration

Ice age

Glacier

Tundra

Culture

Society

Domesticate

Economy

Livestock

Nomad

Agriculture

Division of labor

Environment

Maize

Subsist

Major Cultural Developments in Early Humans

· Hunting and Gathering

· Creation and use of tools

· Use of fire

· Human migration throughout the world

· Development of Agriculture

· Organizing societies

· Governance

Stone Age Man - from scavenger to hunter to farmer

Homo Habilis – existed 2.5 mya – 1.5 mya - used stones as tools, were mostly scavengers, one of the first tools was a hand axe,

Homo erectus – existed 1.8 mya – 300,000 years ago – lived in Africa, Asia, and Europe, used fire for warmth, cooking, and hunting, found that pine resin could be used as fuel for fire

Neanderthals- existed 230,000 – 30,000 years ago – lived in Europe and Middle East, first to bury their dead, hunted with heavy stone tipped spears which were hard to throw

Homo Sapiens (modern humans) appeared on the Earth about 200,000 years ago, they were the most advanced hominid, had the largest brain,

What kinds of tools did early man use?

· Hand axe was one of first tools – used for ripping meat from bone

· heavy stone tipped spears used by Neanderthals

· lighter weight antler-tipped spear used by homo sapiens;

· fire used by homo erectus

Reasons early man was able to survive –

· they tamed fire

· they were able to learn new things

· they worked together

· they lived and travelled together in small bands

Migration

Know the migration patterns of humans - where they began and how, and when they moved from place to place

Early humans first appeared in Africa.

125,000 years ago they began to migrate East. Over the next 100,000+ years they migrate to the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Australia, and eventually over the Bering Land bridge into North and South America.

They travelled in small bands of up to 20 people because small bands of people were easier to move and feed

What influenced the migration of early man?

Early man was concerned with survival. They were hunters and gatherers and where they went was dictated by weather and food.

The ice age caused man to seek out warmer climates and areas where game was plentiful

Culture

Each group had its own culture based mainly on its location and available resources.

Each group made different kinds of clothes, lived in different kinds of shelters, made different tools.

Over time cultures changed because of new ideas, changes in climate or the land, as well as contact with other cultures.

The increased use of language helped early man develop their own culture as they passed on knowledge and ideas and joined together to form societies

Larger societies found they couldn’t rely only on hunting and gathering for food.

Early Farmers

Why did early societies change from food collecting to food producing?

Bands of people grew larger and they could not rely on hunting and gathering for their needs. They needed a more reliable source of food.

What were the effects of the development of agriculture?

Reliable source of food, development of economy, permanent settlements, population growth, division of labor, development of government to run the settlements, conflicts over land, insects, disease, harm to environment, new tools, further development of language…culture

Effects were both, positive and negative

What were some of the crops grown and livestock raised by early farmers?

Wheat, barley, rice, millet, peppers, squash, beans, potatoes, maize (corn), other veggies

Sheep, goats, cattle, chicken, pigs, water buffaloes, alpacas, llamas, turkeys,

Where did early people commonly form societies?

Near rivers and coastlines where there was a plentiful supply of water for drinking and for irrigation of crops, and where the soil was fertile from flooding