Early FarmersChapter 1, Lesson 2

The Stone Age

• The Stone Age consists of a large period of time that Archaeologists have broken down into two periods:

• 1. The Old Stone Age • 2. The New Stone Age

The Old Stone Age

• A period of time during the Stone Age that lasted about 3.5 million years ago to about 10,000 years ago.

• Little progress was made during this time.• People relied on pebbles or stone tools, and

hand axes.• As time progressed people began to use wood,

horn, antler, and bone tools. • Out of all of these tools, bone proved to be the

most useful for barbed fishhooks, needles and for leatherworking.

New Stone Age• The New Stone Age began about 10,000 years

ago and lasted to about 5,000 years ago. • Humans made great progress in technology in a

shorter period of time.• Technology – a way that humans produce items

that they use.• New stone-working techniques, such as polished

rocks tools, came into use.

Skara Brae

• A stone age village from about 4,500 years ago

• Located in Scotland• Discovered in 1800s • Skara Brae offers clues about life during

the Stone Age.

Europe

Skara Brae

Skara Brae

Domestication• Domestication is the taming of wild animals.

Domestication• About 10, 000 years ago, humans began to realize

that animals could be useful to them.• Humans began to tame dogs, goats, cattle and

sheep.• Domesticated animals depend on humans for

survival.

• Animals were used to plow the fields.• Animals also contributed to the development of

agriculture.• Agriculture is the raising of plants and animals

for human consumption.

Early Farming• Archaeologists have discovered, through plant

remains, that the first plants to be domesticated was grain, such as wheat, rice, barley, etc.

Harvest• Harvest – to gather together.

Excavation site• An archaeologist digs up artifacts at an

excavation site.

Surplus• Surplus is an extra supply.• Families could now raise more crops than they

needed and sell the extra, or surplus.

Social Divisions• Because of the surplus, a village could divide up

the work, called social divisions.• A toolmaker could exchange tools for food, etc.

Nomads• Nomads were people that traveled from place to

place and did not have a permanent home. • Most nomads used horses, donkeys, and camels

for travel and for transporting goods.

Climates• Climates – the average weather conditions of

places over a long span of time.

Carbon Dating• All living things contain carbon. Scientists can

determine how old something is by determining what happened to the carbon over time.