The Old Stone Age

The earliest people

Where did we all come from?

Archeologist believe that the first people came from Eastern Africa. From there they migrated to different areas looking for food.

How We Moved….

Hunters and Gatherers

• Paleolithic people lived in small bands of between 20-40 people.

• Everyone contributed to the group

• Generally Paleolithic people were nomads, which means they moved from place to place following the food.

Adaptation

As the people moved from place to place they adapted to their surroundings

Tools

Clothing

Shelter

Early Religion

The first signs of religion were recorded as being around 30,000 years old.

• People worshiped rocks, made idols to worship, and even worshiped animals.

• This type of belief is referred to

as animation.

• About this time we start to see

people taking great care to bury

the dead. (suggesting an after life)

Neolithic Agricultural Revolution

Its difficult to know exactly when it happened

Archeologist have inferred that humans noticed that when seeds landed in the ground…they started to grow into plants.

They started settling into areas to harvest crops

They began to domesticate(tame) animals

Effects of the Agricultural Revolution

People became food producers

Population growth Which led to more interaction with different comunities Greatest change among humans until the Industrial

revolution

Gender differences

Men

Dominated home life

Political affairs

Many became warriors Needed to protect

the possessions they had

Made major decisions as a group concerning the growing of plants

Women

Although their role was not as strong as it once was they still did much to contribute

New Technologies

Began making calendars to help measure the growing season

Refined tools to help with agriculture

Began to weave animal or vegetable fibers to make clothing

The rise of civilization

Civilization is a complex, highly organized social order

The first Civilizations were a result of food surplus• The surplus helped to expand population and support

higher numbers of people

River Valley Civilizations

Large populations began to flourish in areas near rivers

• Tigris and Euphrates (Middle East)

• Nile River (Egypt)

• Indus River (India)

• Yellow River and Huang He (China)

Civilizations in America

In contrast to River Valleys elsewhere, in America, civilizations sprang up in the mountains

• Aztecs and Incas

8 Features of Civilization

There are 8 basic features shared among the earliest civilizations

• Cities

• Organized Government

• Complex Religions

• Job Specialization

• Social Classes

• Arts and Architecture

• Public Works

• Writing

Cities

Large populations of people • River Valley

• Mountains

Organized GovernmentAs cities grew they needed a steady food supply, therefore new governments needed to be establishedFathers passed power to their sons As civilizations grew larger, their organizations became more complex

• Laws • Taxes• Military • Irrigation projects

Job Specialization

As civilizations grew more complex, new technology made it necessary for people to specialize in specific areas

• Brick layers

• Artisans (Pottery Makers)

• Metal Working

• Weapon Building

• Singers, Dancers, and Storytellers

Complex Religions

Polytheistic• Worshiped many Gods

Tried to win the favor of Gods through rituals, ceremonies, animal sacrifice, and sometimes human sacrifice

Social Classes

People were ranked based on the jobs they had or the families they were born in to

Priests and Nobles

Wealthy Merchants

Artisans (Craftsmen)

Peasant Farmers

Slaves

Arts and Architecture

Most art reflected the values and beliefs of those that created them

Public Works

Public projects ordered by Rulers, meant to benefit the citizens of the city

• Irrigation systems

• Roads

• Bridges

• Defense Walls

WritingMany archeologists believe the first writings occurred in temples where priests recorded agriculture information

Most early writing is made up of pictograms, which are symbol drawings that looked like the objects they represented

EmpireGroup of states and territories controlled by one Ruler

• Often larger civilizations fought each other for choice land and resources