Living in the Stone AgeLiving in the Stone Age

Examining History: Examining History: PrehistoryPrehistory

► PRE-HISTORYPRE-HISTORY- - period before period before written historywritten history

► Approximately 1.75 Approximately 1.75 million years ago, million years ago, the earliest people the earliest people first began using first began using small pieces of rock small pieces of rock as toolsas tools Oldowan stone tools -

earliest known

Homo Habilis – the Tool Homo Habilis – the Tool MakerMaker

►Lived 2 million years Lived 2 million years agoago

►Upright walkingUpright walking►Made stone toolsMade stone tools►No clothes, no fireNo clothes, no fire►Brain about 2/3 size Brain about 2/3 size

of modernof modern

Homo Erectus – Fire and Homo Erectus – Fire and TravelTravel

► Larger brain than HabilisLarger brain than Habilis► Walked upright Walked upright ► Used fire to cookUsed fire to cook► Ate animals – Ate animals –

scavenging or hunting?scavenging or hunting?► More complex toolsMore complex tools► First human to leave First human to leave

AfricaAfrica- spread to - spread to Mediterranean, AsiaMediterranean, Asia

Acheulean Hand Axe

Homo Erectus Family

Homo Sapiens – The ThinkerHomo Sapiens – The Thinker

►Lived 250 000 Lived 250 000 y.a.y.a.

► Includes us todayIncludes us today►Had Had

artart ritualsrituals complex toolscomplex tools languagelanguage complex societycomplex society

Cave painting

Early Homo Sapiens Tools

Who Were the Neanderthals?Who Were the Neanderthals?

►Variety of early Variety of early Modern Humans Modern Humans

►Large brainsLarge brains►DNA suggests they DNA suggests they

intermarried with intermarried with other modern other modern humanshumans

►Lived in Ice Age Lived in Ice Age EuropeEurope

Reconstruction of a Neanderthal woman - National Geographic

•Really did live in caves

•Had complex tools

Mousterian tool kit

The Great Leap Forward The Great Leap Forward 35 000 years ago35 000 years ago

► Two Fundamental Two Fundamental ChangesChanges

Development of modern Development of modern anatomyanatomy

Beginning of innovative Beginning of innovative behaviourbehaviour

More complex tools and More complex tools and more sophisticated weaponsmore sophisticated weapons

Trade for raw materials and Trade for raw materials and ornamentsornaments

Art, sculptures, paintings Art, sculptures, paintings and crafted objects for and crafted objects for beauty and religionbeauty and religion

Paleolithic Bone tools

Cave Art

““Lithos” = stoneLithos” = stonePaleolithic AgePaleolithic Age► Greek “paleo” Greek “paleo”

means “old”means “old”► Upper Paleolithic Upper Paleolithic

age was 50 000 – age was 50 000 – 10 000 years ago10 000 years ago

Neolithic AgeNeolithic Age► Greek “neo” means Greek “neo” means

“new”“new”► Neolithic Revolution Neolithic Revolution

occurred between occurred between 9000 – 4000 BCE9000 – 4000 BCE

Comparing Stone AgesComparing Stone AgesPALEOLITHIC (Older)PALEOLITHIC (Older)► Small groups of 5-Small groups of 5-

10 families10 families► Nomadic to semi-Nomadic to semi-

nomadic nomadic ► Probably Probably

egalitarianegalitarian

NEOLITHIC (Newer)NEOLITHIC (Newer)► People began farmingPeople began farming► Crops plantedCrops planted► Animals domesticatedAnimals domesticated► More complex tools & More complex tools &

weaponsweapons► Stratification beginsStratification begins

Scottish neolithic house

Paleolithic dwelling at Gönnersdorf

Social Structure: Social Structure: Neolithic AgeNeolithic Age

► Factors influencing the Factors influencing the start of agriculturestart of agriculture

End of the Ice Age 9500 End of the Ice Age 9500 BCEBCE

Population growth (cause Population growth (cause or consequence?)or consequence?)

► Permanent towns and Permanent towns and citiescities first city was Jericho, in first city was Jericho, in

Mesopotamia between Mesopotamia between 8000 – 7000 BCE8000 – 7000 BCE

► Trade by barter system Trade by barter system obsidian – most valued obsidian – most valued

traded material traded traded material traded for farm producefor farm produce

► Development of Development of hierarchical class hierarchical class system, occupationssystem, occupations

The earliest agricultural sites

Religion & Art in Paleolithic Religion & Art in Paleolithic AgeAge

► The Paleolithic Age was the first to The Paleolithic Age was the first to develop fine art – drawing and sculpturedevelop fine art – drawing and sculpture

► Cultural explosion Cultural explosion more tools, jewellery, and sculptures/ figurines more tools, jewellery, and sculptures/ figurines

of clay, ivory and stone emergedof clay, ivory and stone emerged

► Spiritual practices – Spiritual practices – graves found jewellery and spears made of graves found jewellery and spears made of

mammoth tusks mammoth tusks suggests a ritual burial with a view of an suggests a ritual burial with a view of an

afterlifeafterlife

Prehistoric Cave ArtPrehistoric Cave Art

Painting at Lascaux Painting at Lascaux Caves France 15 000 BCECaves France 15 000 BCE

Clay bison found 900m from entrance of cave at Tuc d'Audoubert, Ariege

Religious beliefs?Religious beliefs?

Venus of WillendorfVenus of Willendorf

► Figures similar to Figures similar to this are common at this are common at Paleolithic sitesPaleolithic sites

► 30 000 years old30 000 years old

► Fertility and goddess Fertility and goddess worship?worship?

STONEHENGESTONEHENGE

► Stonehenge is located on Salisbury Plain in EnglandStonehenge is located on Salisbury Plain in England► Created 2800-1500 BCECreated 2800-1500 BCE► Stonehenge is an example of a Neolithic megalith Stonehenge is an example of a Neolithic megalith

(megalith = Greek for “big stones”)(megalith = Greek for “big stones”)► Exact purpose is unknown: religious rituals, Exact purpose is unknown: religious rituals,

agricultural markers or astronomical observatories?agricultural markers or astronomical observatories?

Mystery of StonehengeMystery of Stonehenge► Built in 3 major stages over 1300 years Built in 3 major stages over 1300 years

Tribal, Beaker, Battle Axe folk people Tribal, Beaker, Battle Axe folk people

► Megaliths stones 45 tons and Heel Stone is 31 tonsMegaliths stones 45 tons and Heel Stone is 31 tons► Understanding of astronomy and mathematics Understanding of astronomy and mathematics

sunrise, eclipses of sun and moonsunrise, eclipses of sun and moon

► Show changing seasons for agriculture?Show changing seasons for agriculture?► Religious ritual?Religious ritual?

Major Innovations of the Major Innovations of the Stone AgeStone Age

► More complex human societies More complex human societies from semi-nomadic to permanent cities;from semi-nomadic to permanent cities; domestication of animals; leisure timedomestication of animals; leisure time

► Development of social hierarchiesDevelopment of social hierarchies► Development of alliances and cooperationDevelopment of alliances and cooperation► Marriage customs Marriage customs ► Development of trade goods and routesDevelopment of trade goods and routes► Religious rituals Religious rituals ► Refined sense of artistic beautyRefined sense of artistic beauty

All these lead to:All these lead to:The first The first

CivilizationsCivilizations