basics of prehistory weltanschauung history/prehistory dating techniques relative….stratigraphy...
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Basics of PrehistoryBasics of Prehistory
Weltanschauung
History/Prehistory
Dating Techniques
Relative….Stratigraphy
Absolute….C-14, KAr
Evolution of HominidaeEvolution of HominidaeEarliest HominidsEarliest Hominids
Early BipedalismEarly Bipedalism
Don Johanson…Afar Depression of N. Ethiopia...Lucy, 1974, Australopithecus afarensis....ca. 3.2 MBP…almost 50%
Tim White…..Awash area, N. Ethiopia, 1994… Ardipithecus ramidus ("ground man-root”) ca. 4.4 to 4.5 MBP
Mary Leakey, Tim White…..Laetoli, N. Tanzania, Footprints, 1979, ca. 4.0 MBP
Michel Brunet….North central Chad, July 2001. Sahelanthropus tchadensis (“Toumai”)... ca. 6 -7 MBP
Early Early BipedalismBipedalism
Australopithecus afarensis (Lucy)
Discovered by Donald Johanson at Hadar in Ethiopia. Its age is about 3.2 million years. Lucy was an adult female of about 25 years. About 40% of her skeleton was found, and her pelvis, femur (the upper leg bone) and tibia show her to have been bipedal. She was about 107 cm (3'6") tall (small for her species) and about 28 kg (62 lbs) in
weight.
Early BipedalismEarly Bipedalism
Laetoli Footprints (ca. 3.6 MBP).
In 1978, fossil footprints of an extinct human ancestor were discovered by Mary Leakey and Tim White. The Laetoli footprints are the most unique evidence of early hominid bipedalism. The prints were impressed in volcanic ash in that location 3.6 million years ago, in sight of the Sadiman volcano 20 kilometers away, whose subsequent ash falls buried them under 30 meters of deposit.
Early BipedalismEarly Bipedalism Ardipithicus ramidus
Ardipithecus ramidus is one of the earliest hominids found. Ardipithecusramidus translates literally as "ground man-root" and is thoughtto be 4.4 to 4.5 million years old. Originally it was named as a member of the Australopithecine family, but it was later reclassified. Fragments of 17 different specimens were found including part of a child's mandible, some isolated teeth, a fragment of basi-cranium,and three bones of a left arm of a single individual.
Early BipedalismEarly Bipedalism
Cranium of Sahelanthropus tchadensis (Toumai)...recovered in Chad, July 2001. Dated at about 6-7 MBP. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v418/n6894/fig_tab/nature00879_fs.html
Early BipedalismEarly Bipedalism
AustralopithicusMany different variations…on average:
About 4’ tall
500 cc skull capacity
Fully bipedal
Gracile (africanus)
Robust (robustus)
Early BipedalismEarly Bipedalism
Homo habilisVery similar to late gracile Australopithecines
Larger skull capacity
More efficient blood circulation to brain (Fig. 6-10)
Genus Homo or Australopithecus?
Early BipedalismEarly Bipedalism
Pebble Tools…..Evidence of Culture?
Lithic TechnologiesEarliest Evidence of Culture
Core Flake
Blade
HOMO ERECTUS(PITHECANTHROPUS ERECTUS)
Skull capacity: (Note: Australopithecus average Skull capacity 500cc)
Average: 900ccRange: 750cc - 1100cc
Associated Culture:
Hand Axe CultureEarly use of fire
Base camps
Hand Axes
Representative Sites:Trinil, Java
Zhoukoudian, China
Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania
Mauer, Germany
Ternifine, Tripoli
Acheulean
By 1,000,000 Years Ago ... An adaptive radiation had occurred.
“Dragon Bone Hill”
Homo erectus from Zhoukoudian cave, China
Pioneers of Modern HumanityPioneers of Modern Humanity
Discovered by Johann Fuhlrott in 1856 in a small cave at Feldhofer in the Discovered by Johann Fuhlrott in 1856 in a small cave at Feldhofer in the Neander Valley in Germany. The find consisted of a skullcap, thigh bones, part of Neander Valley in Germany. The find consisted of a skullcap, thigh bones, part of a pelvis, some ribs, and some arm and shoulder bones. The lowera pelvis, some ribs, and some arm and shoulder bones. The lowerleft arm had been broken in life, and as a result the bones of the left arm were left arm had been broken in life, and as a result the bones of the left arm were smaller than those of the right.smaller than those of the right.
There were actually two earlier Neandertal finds. A partial cranium of a 2.5 year old child found in 1829 in Belgium was not recognized until 1936. An adult cranium found on Gibraltar in 1848 gathered dust in a museum until it was recognized as a Neandertal in 1864.
Homo sapiens neanderthalensis
By 100,000 Years Ago ...
Homo sapiens Homo sapiens neanderthalensisneanderthalensis
1550cc skull capacity
Mainly confined to SW Europe
Very robust skeleton
Comparison of top view of Chimpanzee, Homo erectus, and Neandertal skulls.
Wesley Niewoehner from the University of New Mexico
Homo sapiens neanderthalensis
First hominid known to have buried the dead.
Earlier cultures had core tool lithic technologies, Mousterian is characterized by flake tools.
Flake tool technology…
Mousterian Culture
Levallois flakes
consciousness…
aesthetics….
religion
Homo sapiens sapiensHomo sapiens sapiens
….had “grown into” a wide variety of local habitats throughout theOld World by cultural adaptation.
Upper Paleolithic Sequence in Southwestern France and Northern Spain
Magdalenian 15,000-10,000BC
Chatelperronian 38,000-28,500BC
Aurignacian 28,500-22,000BC
Gravettian 22,000-18,000BC
Solutrian 18,000-15,000BC
By 40,000 Years Ago….
AltamiraLascaux
Solutrian Laurel-leaf Points“Venus” figurines
Burins
Backed blades
Pech Merle
Lascaux - southwestern France
In this panel of Back-to Back Bison, reserves around the limbs in the background, distortion of shapes, choice of surface, symmetrical composition, are all used to create a three dimensional effect...
Upper Paleolithic Art (ca. 12, 000 BP)
Altamira - northern Spain
Upper Paleolithic Art (ca. 12, 000 BP)
In this representation of a horse, red is ocher, black charcoal. Undulations in cave wall and ceiling were incorporated in the composition of the paintings.
Summary of Early Fossil Summary of Early Fossil EvidenceEvidence
This chart shows rough sequence of fossil hominids.
10,000BP ------------------------------Homo sapiens (full culture, worldwide distribution)
100,000BP ----------------------------Homo sapiens (Neandertal, et al.)
1mBP ----------------------------------Homo erectus (Radiation thru Old World)
2mBP ----------------------------------Homo habilis (Earliest Culture?)
3mBP ----------------------------------Australopithecus var. (Fully bipedal)
4mBP ----------------------------------Ardipithecus ramidus (Earliest hominines?)
5mBP ----------------------------------
Post Pleistocene Post Pleistocene AdaptationsAdaptations
Mesolithic and Archaic - After last glaciation in Europe and New World.
NeolithicNeolithic
domestication of plants and animals
The Neolithic Revolution
Sedentary, population increase, specialization in division of labor
Jericho; Jarmo - early villages
occurred independently in several “hearths”
Early CivilizationEarly Civilization
Developed in various places at different times….
Sumerian Civilization - Early Phases (Developed in the Fertile Crecent region.)
generally in area of earliest domestication.
Sumerian Early Dynasty 3200-2800 BCE
Sumerian Protoliterate 3500-3200 BCE
Sumerian Ubaid Phase 3800-3500 BCE