Chapter 1: The First Civilizations

Section 1Early Humans

Daily Focus Skills Transparency 1–1Chapter 1

Early HumansHistory is the story of humans in the past, and historians are the people who study and write about humans of the pastArchaeologists hunt for evidence buried in the ground.Anthropologists study how humans developed and related to each other.

The early period of human history is called the Stone Age.

The earliest part of the Stone Age is called the Paleolithic period.

Paleolithic people were nomads, traveling from place to place to hunt and search for food.

Early HumansPaleolithic women cared for children and gathered berries,

nuts, and grains.

Paleolithic men hunted animals using clubs, spears, traps, and bows and arrows.

Paleolithic people adapted to their environment.

Over time, they learned to create shelters from animal hides and wooden poles.

Paleolithic people discovered fire, which kept them warm, lit the darkness, and cooked food.

Early HumansDuring the Ice Ages, thick sheets of ice covered parts of

Europe, Asia, and North America.

Paleolithic people developed spoken language and expressed themselves through art, which may have had religious meaning.

During this time, humans created tools such as spears and hand axes using stone called flint.

Cave art from Grotte Chauvet, France.

Review Questions

How did spoken language help the Paleolithic people?

Language made it easier for people to work together and pass on knowledge.

Neolithic TimesIn the beginning of the Neolithic Age, people

began to domesticate, or tame, animals.

Domesticated animals carried goods and provided meat, milk, and wool.

People in different parts of the world began growing crops about the same time.

Historians call this change the farming revolution.

Because farmers needed to stay close to their fields, they built permanent homes in villages.

Neolithic TimesOne of the oldest villages is Jericho in present-day Israel and Jordan.Another Neolithic village is Çatal Hüyük in present-day Turkey.Permanent villages provided people with security and steady food.

The surplus food led to a larger population.

Not all people in a village were farmers.

Some made pottery, mats, and cloth.

They traded these goods for things they did not have.

Neolithic Times

People continued to create new technology.

They created better farming tools and began working with metal, copper, and tin.

They also began working with bronze.

Review Question

Why was farming important to the Neolithic people?

Farming allowed people to settle in one place, and it provided a steady food supply.

Review Questions

Who are archaeologists and what do they study?

Archaeologists are scientists who hunt for, dig up, and study artifacts.

Review Questions

Analyze Why was the ability to make a fire so important?

Fire kept humans warm, scared animals away, and was used to cook food.

Review Questions

Compare Compare the technology of the Paleolithic Age with that of the Neolithic Age?

Paleolithic: stone, bone, and wooden tools and weapons; Neolithic: metal tools and weapons

Review Questions

Explain Why were Paleolithic people nomads?

They moved around to hunt animals and gather other foods.

Review Questions

How did domesticating animals help the Neolithic people?

Animals supplied meat, milk, and wool. They also carried goods and pulled carts.

Tools

One of the most important advances of prehistoric people was the creation of stone tools. Tools made hunting, gathering, building shelter, and making clothing much easier. The first tools were made of stones. Early humans quickly learned that grinding, breaking, and shaping the stones to create sharp edges made them more useful. As technology advanced, people began making specific tools such as food choppers, meat scrapers, and spear points. In time, people learned that hitting a stone in a particular way would produce a flake—a long, sharp chip. Flakes were similar to knives in the way they were used.

1. Why do you think early people chose stones to make their first tools?

Stones were easy to fashion into tools.

2. How were flakes created?

By chipping stones pieces until they flaked into the right shape

“Tools” Questions

Section 1 Conclusion

Summarize the impact of farming on the human race.

Early Farming 7000–2000 B.C.