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The Rise of manThe Rise of man

Tracing Human Behavior From its Tracing Human Behavior From its RootsRoots

Sociology: SRHSSociology: SRHS

Mr. MiersMr. Miers

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Bipedal Hominids Bipedal Hominids

• Australopithecus- “Lucy” 3.2 Million Australopithecus- “Lucy” 3.2 Million years agoyears ago

• Homo-Ergaster- “Working Man” 1.9-Homo-Ergaster- “Working Man” 1.9-1.4 Million years ago (Fire!!!)1.4 Million years ago (Fire!!!)

• Homo Heidelbergensis- Found in Homo Heidelbergensis- Found in Heidelberg, Germany- 600,000-Heidelberg, Germany- 600,000-200,000 years ago (first to bury 200,000 years ago (first to bury dead) some evidence of artdead) some evidence of art

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So easy a caveman can do it!So easy a caveman can do it!

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Neanderthals Neanderthals • 350,000-24,000350,000-24,000• Found in Neander Found in Neander

Valley, GermanyValley, Germany• Large Nose, Short Large Nose, Short

Body due to cold Body due to cold environmentenvironment

• Cavemen- some Cavemen- some language, art and language, art and consciousness exists consciousness exists but limited due to lack but limited due to lack of communicationof communication

• Some argue that they Some argue that they were interbred out of were interbred out of existence existence

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250k yrs ago

Today

Big Eras3-9

10k1.8 mil. yrs ago

27k

How, when, and where How, when, and where did we become human?did we become human?

Meet our closest ancestor, Meet our closest ancestor, Homo Homo erectuserectus..

Homo erectusHomo erectus was one of the was one of the hominid groups that was developing hominid groups that was developing increasingly large brains in both increasingly large brains in both Africa and Asia between about Africa and Asia between about 500,000 and 200,000 years ago. 500,000 and 200,000 years ago.

This is a reconstructed This is a reconstructed Homo erectusHomo erectus skull, found skull, found in northern China. It dates to some time after 1.6 in northern China. It dates to some time after 1.6 million years ago.million years ago.

Brain Development

500k – 200k yrs ago

Big Era 1 Big Era 2Homo erectus

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Homo erectusHomo erectus was a traveler! was a traveler!

Homo erectus began migrating

to southerly parts of Eurasia sometime after

about 1.8 million years ago.

200k yrs ago

Today

Big Eras3-9

10k1.8 mil. yrs ago

27k

Big Era 1 Big Era 2Homo erectus

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200k yrs ago

Human Origins: Homo sapiens in Africa

Homo sapiensHomo sapiens(that’s us!) evolved (that’s us!) evolved from from Homo erectusHomo erectus

By 200,000 years ago, people whose By 200,000 years ago, people whose skeletons were like those of skeletons were like those of Homo Homo sapienssapiens were already living in Africa. were already living in Africa.

Between that time and about 100,000 Between that time and about 100,000 years ago, people who were both years ago, people who were both anatomically and genetically “like us” anatomically and genetically “like us” emerged in eastern and southern emerged in eastern and southern Africa. Africa.

This is a reconstructed Homo sapiens skull, found in Israel. It has been dated to about 90,000 years ago.

100k yrs ago

S.W. Asia

200k yrs ago

Human Origins: Homo sapiens in Africa

To

day

Big Eras3-9

10k

year

s ag

o

Big Era 2

Big Era 1

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Migrations of Homo sapiensMigrations of Homo sapiens

Possible coastal routes of human migration

Possible landward routes of human migration

Migrations in Oceania

Human Origins200,000-250,000

years ago

Southwest Asia100,000 years ago

Europe40,000 years ago

Siberia40,000 years ago

Australiaas many as 60,000

years ago

North America12,000-30,000

years ago

Oceania1600 B.C.E.-500 C.E.

Chile12,000-13 ,000

years ago

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Language!Language!

• Homo sapiensHomo sapiens had language had language– so they could exchange complex ideas with each so they could exchange complex ideas with each

other.other.– they could store and add to the ideas of previous they could store and add to the ideas of previous

generations.- History meant survivalgenerations.- History meant survival– Continued Non-Verbal CommunicationContinued Non-Verbal Communication

• Because they swapped ideas, they kept findingBecause they swapped ideas, they kept finding– new ways of doing things.new ways of doing things.– new ways of living.new ways of living.

Language SharedIdeas

New Ideas

Learning

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Language made Language made collective learning possible.collective learning possible.

• The histories of knowledge The histories of knowledge and skills humans built up and skills humans built up are called “culture.”are called “culture.”

• No other animal can store No other animal can store and accumulate and accumulate knowledge and skills in knowledge and skills in this way that is why we are this way that is why we are on top of the food chain.on top of the food chain.

• We call this ability We call this ability “collective learning.” or “collective learning.” or Neuro-Plasticity Neuro-Plasticity

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Life as a Series of Life as a Series of Cause and EffectCause and Effect

- Human emotions and social Human emotions and social interaction during the rise of man interaction during the rise of man was as important as the ability to was as important as the ability to walk upright…? But Why?walk upright…? But Why?

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Cyclical Affect Cyclical Affect

• Population Increases/Infant Mortality Population Increases/Infant Mortality Rate Drops/More Hands Make More Rate Drops/More Hands Make More Food/ Population IncreasesFood/ Population Increases

• Small tribal bands of extended family Small tribal bands of extended family became semi-permanent, still became semi-permanent, still remained Hunters and Gatherersremained Hunters and Gatherers

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The Role of the ShamanThe Role of the Shaman

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Art and Religion as a Reflection Art and Religion as a Reflection of Nature of Nature

(or the randomness of it) (or the randomness of it)

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Bring out your dead!Bring out your dead!

• As grief, love, trust, and personal As grief, love, trust, and personal relationships develop, we find it relationships develop, we find it harder to let go of the dead. We harder to let go of the dead. We want to believe that the person we want to believe that the person we knew continues on in some other knew continues on in some other form. We begin to keep our dead form. We begin to keep our dead close, create ceremonies for them, close, create ceremonies for them, adorn them with earthly things.adorn them with earthly things.

• Graveyards as a cultural gold mine!Graveyards as a cultural gold mine!

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At first, changes in technology At first, changes in technology were very slow. The hand Axe is were very slow. The hand Axe is the only development for 1.5 the only development for 1.5 million years.million years.

After about 100,000 years ago, the After about 100,000 years ago, the pace of change began to increase. pace of change began to increase. The population explodes. Social The population explodes. Social interaction increasesinteraction increases

Evidence appears from about that Evidence appears from about that time of humans living in east, time of humans living in east, central, and southern Africa. They central, and southern Africa. They were:were:

How did collective learning change How did collective learning change human culture?human culture?

For example, Blombos Cave

Making more advanced and varied tools.Making more advanced and varied tools.

Experimenting with body decoration and abstract symbols.Experimenting with body decoration and abstract symbols.

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Remains discovered at Blombos Remains discovered at Blombos Cave are one example of the more Cave are one example of the more complex culture some humans complex culture some humans were developing as many as were developing as many as 90,000 years ago.90,000 years ago.

Photos: Arizona State University, College of Liberal Arts and SciencesPhotos: Arizona State University, College of Liberal Arts and Scienceshttp://clasdean.la.asu.edu/news/images/bone/http://clasdean.la.asu.edu/news/images/bone/

View looking out of View looking out of Blombos Cave to Blombos Cave to the Indian Oceanthe Indian Ocean

Bone points from Bone points from the cavethe cave

Ochre piece with scrapeOchre piece with scrapemarks. A person may havemarks. A person may havescraped the ochre to scraped the ochre to get powder to use to makeget powder to use to makebody paint.body paint.

The people who lived in this The people who lived in this seaside camp:seaside camp:

Made sharp stone spear points Made sharp stone spear points using methods that appeared in using methods that appeared in Eurasia only 50,000 or more Eurasia only 50,000 or more years later. years later.

Made objects from bone, the Made objects from bone, the earliest use of this material earliest use of this material known.known.

Scored bits of bone and ochre Scored bits of bone and ochre with marks that may have had with marks that may have had symbolic meaning.symbolic meaning.

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Storing up and building on new skills and new knowledge is what set our Storing up and building on new skills and new knowledge is what set our species on the path of continuing cultural changes that led to the world we species on the path of continuing cultural changes that led to the world we live in. Diversity is simply human reaction to nature, when culture is applied, live in. Diversity is simply human reaction to nature, when culture is applied, just think of the phenomenon's that are created!just think of the phenomenon's that are created!

(example: As Homo-Sapiens settled away from the equator, sunlight (example: As Homo-Sapiens settled away from the equator, sunlight exposure was weakened, this creates a lightening of the melanin pigment in exposure was weakened, this creates a lightening of the melanin pigment in skin, this in turn, created an abundance of vitamin D which created skin, this in turn, created an abundance of vitamin D which created extremely strong bones) extremely strong bones)

Monte Alban, Oaxaca, Mexico, 200 BCEMonte Alban, Oaxaca, Mexico, 200 BCEGreat Zimbabwe, Southern Africa, 1300-1500 CEGreat Zimbabwe, Southern Africa, 1300-1500 CE

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From about 40,000 years From about 40,000 years ago, archaeological ago, archaeological evidence shows faster and evidence shows faster and faster cultural change and faster cultural change and increasing complexity.increasing complexity.

Humans began to:Humans began to: Create both naturalistic and Create both naturalistic and

abstract art.abstract art. Make more specialized tools.Make more specialized tools. Weave and knot fiber.Weave and knot fiber. Decorate clothing.Decorate clothing. Make jewelry.Make jewelry. Build semi-permanent Build semi-permanent

structures.structures. Solidifying polytheistic religious Solidifying polytheistic religious

rituals rituals

The engraved horse The engraved horse panel in the Cave of panel in the Cave of Chauvet-Pont-D’Arc Chauvet-Pont-D’Arc in southern France. in southern France. The image is about The image is about

31,000 years old. 31,000 years old. (http://www.culture.g(http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/arcnat/ouv.fr/culture/arcnat/

chauvet)chauvet)

Venus of the Kostenki I site in Venus of the Kostenki I site in Russia dated to about 23,000 years Russia dated to about 23,000 years ago. This stone female head is ago. This stone female head is wearing headgear of woven wearing headgear of woven basketry. (New York Times, Dec. 14, basketry. (New York Times, Dec. 14, 1999. Photo: Bill Wiegand, 1999. Photo: Bill Wiegand, University of Illinois.)University of Illinois.)

Acceleration!Acceleration!

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Approximate geographical range of Neandertals, 100,000-28,000 years ago

Approximate geographical range of Homo sapiens by 28,000 years ago

Did Homo sapiens meet Neanderthals?Did Homo sapiens meet Neanderthals?

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Labor Roles and Labor Roles and Job Specification Job Specification

• DEVELOPED THROUGHOUT THE DEVELOPED THROUGHOUT THE AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTIONAGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION