HistoryPrehistory, Ancient history and The Middle Ages

History is the study of things that happened in the past.

History tells us things about how our ancestors lived: the food they ate, the clothes they wore and the tools they used.

History also tells us about important events, like the discovery of a new land or the invention of a new machine.

The things that happened in the past affect our world today.

History helps us to understand the present.

PREHISTORY

PALEOTITHIC NEOLITHIC METAL AGES

PREHISTORY 

Prehistory is the oldest and longest period of human history.

It began more than one million years ago with the origins of the human race.

It ended about 5,500 years ago, with the invention of writing.

Paleolithic (hunters)Human prehistory began with the

Paleolithic Period.•During this time, human beings

were nomads who moved from place to place.•They lived by hunting and

fishing, and by gathering plant products, like fruits, seeds, nuts and roots.•They also learned to use fire

and to make tools.

Neolithic (farmers)

The Neolithic Period began about 10,000 years ago.•During this period, human beings learned to cultivate plants and raise animals.•They became more sedentary because they didn’t need to move around to find food.

•Neolithic peoples built villages and towns.•They also manufactured products, like cloth, baskets and pottery.

The Metal Ages

The Metal Ages began about 6,000 years ago.•During the Metal Ages people started using metals, like copper, tin, bronze and iron, to make tools and weapons.• People often used precious metals, like gold and silver, to make jewellery.

• They also used wheels to create new forms of land transport.• People started building the first

cities.

SPAIN IN PREHISTORIC TIMES

Paleolithic period

Some of the most important discoveries from the Paleolithic Period are cave paintings.

These paintings can tell us many things:_ Paleolithic people hunted large mammals, such as bison, mammoths and horses._ They camped along large rivers and near seacoasts.

Some of the most famous cave paintings in the world are in the Altamira caves in Santillana del Mar (Cantabria).

Paleolithic human remains

Neolithic period

Neolithic people built the first villages and towns on the peninsula.

They cultivated wheat, oats and other grains. They also raised herds of goats and sheep.

People learned to weave natural fibres to make cloth.

They also baked clay pots in kilns to make them stronger.

Neolithic is the birth of arable and livestock farming

Neolithic Revolution

birth of arable farming

sedentary

They realize that from seeds of

trees grow new ones

animals migrate to

cooler places

temperature increases

They start to grow plants

Men keep and raise

the animals

birth of livestock

Wheat, rice and maize

first crops

First domestic animals

goat, sheep, ox, horse and dog

Metal ages

During the Metal Ages, people started using large blocks of stone called megaliths to build monuments. The most important megalithic monuments in Spain are called dolmens.

ANCIENT HISTORY

Ancient Greece The Roman Empire

ANCIENT HISTORYAncient history began with the invention of writing, about 5,500 years ago (the first writing system was inventing in Mesopotamia).

It ended with the fall of the Roman Empire, about 4,000 years later.In ancient times, major civilizations developed along large rivers in Mesopotamia, Egypt, India and China.Later, the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome developed along the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea.

Ancient GreeceGreek civilization began to develop about 3,000 years ago.The ancient Greeks were farmers, but they also founded prosperous cities, like Athens and Sparta.Ancient Greeks invented democracy as a new form of government. They were famous for their interest in philosophy, science and art.

The Roman EmpireThe city of Rome was founded in 753 B.C.E.Rome had a powerful army. They conquered many territories in Europe, Asia and North Africa.The Romans spoken a language called Latin. Many modern languages, like Italian, French, Spanish and Portuguese, come from Latin.The Romans built many cities with impressive monuments, like temples, amphitheatres, circuses, bridges and aqueducts.

SPAIN IN ANCIENT TIMES

Iberians and Celts Roman Hispania

Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians

Iberians and CeltsTwo groups of people lived on the Iberian Peninsula: Iberians and Celts.The Iberians lived along the Mediterranean coast. The Celts occupied the northern and central areas of the peninsula.

Both groups lived in small towns and cities that were built on hills, with walls around them for protection.

Most Iberian and Celtic people lived by growing crops and raising animals, but there were also many merchants and artisans.

Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians

The Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians established colonies along the eastern and southern coasts of the Iberian Peninsula, places like Ampurias, Cartagena and Cádiz.

They were especially interested in buying metals, such as silver, tin and copper.

They introduced the Iberians the use of money.

Roman HispaniaThe Romans invaded the Iberian Peninsula and conquered the Iberians, Celts and Carthaginians. Then they named their new territory Hispania.

• Hispania was part of the Roman Empire for more than 500 years. During that time, people in Hispania spoke Latin and followed Roman laws and customs.

• Today, we can see many Roman monuments all over Spain, such as the aqueduct in Segovia, the theatre in Mérida .

Aqueduct of Segovia

Theatre of Mérida

THE MIDDLE AGES

The Middle Ages began in the 5th century C.E. and ended in the 15th century. During this time, Christianity became the main religion in the old Roman territories. A new religion, Islam, also appeared during the Middle Ages.

The Middle Ages in Western Europe

• In the beginning of the Middle Ages, there were many wars in Western Europe. This made it difficult for merchants to travel, so commerce decreased. Cities became smaller and poorer and many people moved to the countryside

•  The Catholic religion became important in all aspects of daily life.

• Society was divided into three main groups: knights, clergy and peasants.

• A new social and economic system developed, called feudalism.

•  In the 13th century, medieval cities started growing and becoming prosperous again.

• Beautiful new palaces, cathedrals, town halls and other public buildings were also built.

The Middle Ages in Spain

Muslim Spain Christian Spain

Inside the Great Mosque of Córdoba. Romanesque church (San Martín de Frómista) Palencia

Muslim Spain

In 711 C.E., Muslim armies conquered a big part of the Spanish territory. It was called Al-Andalus.

Al-Andalus was one of the most advanced societies in Europe.

The Muslims of Al-Andalus built many beautiful monuments, such as the Alhambra in Granada and the Great Mosque of Córdoba.

Christian Spain

• Muslims didn’t conquer the mountainous areas in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. In those areas, many Christians lived and established independent kingdoms.

• Between the 9th and the 15th centuries, the Christian kingdoms expanded to the south. Eventually, they reconquered the Iberian Peninsula.

• Granada was the last Muslim kingdom on the peninsula. It fell to the Christians in 1492.

• In the Christian kingdoms of the north, most people lived in the countryside, in small towns and villages. There weren’t many big cities.

• They built many castles, cathedrals, churches and monasteries that we can see today. A good example is the Gothic Cathedral of Burgos.

THE END