The Stone AgeThe Stone Age

The Early HominidsThe Early Hominids

Early CivilizationsEarly Civilizations

The Neolithic PeriodThe Neolithic Period

The Question of EvolutionThe Question of Evolution

• The origins of humankind are strongly debated today by scientists and theologians

• Scientists agree evolution is strongly supported by fossil evidence

• Theologians look to written word in Bible

The Question of EvolutionThe Question of Evolution

• Archaeologist, study ancient cultures through the recovery of artifacts and human remains

• Culture, is a people’s way of life based on their customs, art, and ideas

• Artifacts are ancient human made tools or goods

• Anthropologists study human cultures

The Early HominidsThe Early Hominids• Australopithecus, a

ground dwelling ape believed to be earliest ancestor of man

• Homo habilis believed to have lived 2.5 million years ago fossils were discovered in Tanzania, Africa

• Habilis walked like man and had a developed and usable thumb

The Early HominidsThe Early Hominids• Homo erectus appeared

in Africa around 1.8 million years ago

• Erectus used fire and were first to migrate to areas in Europe, Asia and Middle East

• Homo sapiens sapiens, birth of the thinking man

• Adapted to his climate by wearing fur clothes and using fire

The Paleolithic Period The Paleolithic Period 600,000-10,000 B.C.600,000-10,000 B.C.

• Hunter-gatherer culture clans (clans typically had 20-30 members)

• Diet consisted mostly of plants

• Moved to regions seasonally and traded with other clans as they traveled

The Paleolithic Period The Paleolithic Period 600,000-10,000 B.C.600,000-10,000 B.C.

• Sewed animal skins into clothes and shelter

• Used stone tools like stone axes and stone spears

• In time made specialized items like: flints, needles, spear launchers and ritual items

• Gender roles not specific

The Paleolithic Period The Paleolithic Period 600,000-10,000 B.C.600,000-10,000 B.C.

• Introduced cave paintings that reinforced rituals

• Warfare was over territory and short termed

• Did not suffer diseases because of small populations and movement

• Were not materialistic because they constantly moved

The Neolithic Period 10,000-The Neolithic Period 10,000-3,000 B.C.3,000 B.C.

• The Middle East was the natural home of wheat and barely which were easy to grow

• Animals in this region were easy to domesticate (sheep, goats, horses, pigs and cows)

• Animals provided a food source and labor source

• This leads to sedimentary living

The Neolithic Period 10,000-The Neolithic Period 10,000-3,000 B.C.3,000 B.C.

• Living in a fixed settlements lead to the beginning of ownership of belongings

• This leads to an established social order

• Emergence of slavery

The Neolithic Period 10,000-The Neolithic Period 10,000-3,000 B.C.3,000 B.C.

• Various ways to become a slave in Middle East– Parents sell children– Sold themselves into slavery– Born into slavery

• Slaves could buy their freedom• Child could be free if father was free• Being a slave was based on bad luck or

parents status. It was not based on race.

The Neolithic Period 10,000-The Neolithic Period 10,000-3,000 B.C.3,000 B.C.

• Because villages had more people warfare changed

• Fighting was now worth while because losers became slaves and their goods and property went to the victors

• Build of walls to protect villages

The Neolithic Period 10,000-The Neolithic Period 10,000-3,000 B.C.3,000 B.C.

• Neolithic Revolution (agriculture revolution) was the transition from a hunter-gather society to a food producing society

• Humans settled down to cultivate crops and domesticate animals

• Slash and burn farming is the practice of clearing forest areas of trees and then burning the area to make a clear field for crops (ash acted as a fertilizer)

The Neolithic Period 10,000-The Neolithic Period 10,000-3,000 B.C.3,000 B.C.

• As families grew around each other they formed a clan

• Groups of clans formed a tribe

• Tribes were unified based on common speech, culture, religion and occupied land

The Neolithic Period 10,000-The Neolithic Period 10,000-3,000 B.C.3,000 B.C.

• Wonder of world around them led to belief that spirits inhabited animals, plants and weather (animisms)

• This led to the worshipping of spirits and belief in afterlife

• Spirits or gods of fertility emerge (female)

• Emergence of shamans to heal and ward off evil spirits

The Neolithic Period 10,000-The Neolithic Period 10,000-3,000 B.C.3,000 B.C.

• Emergence of bronze (copper and tin)

• Simple science is seen through emergence of inventions (pottery and weaving) and domestication and husbandry of animals

• Specialized skills emerge like weavers, and metal workers

The Neolithic Period 10,000-The Neolithic Period 10,000-3,000 B.C.3,000 B.C.

• Emergence of government was based on beliefs of clan or tribe

• Enforcement of behavior was to maintain order and protection of tribe

• Incest, rape, threat to peace of tribe and witchcraft were punishable by death

• Elders determined rulings

The Neolithic Period 10,000-The Neolithic Period 10,000-3,000 B.C.3,000 B.C.

• The family was the basic socialization unit

• Marriage is monogamous

• Extended families supported each other

• Men and women develop roles within the family