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Scientists debate the exact time when man first appears,
but it is widely accepted that the first hominids (or human-like
beings) appeared between 4 and 5 million years ago.
Homo sapien (or man as we know him today) first appeared
between 50,000 and 200,000 years ago.
How Do We Know About History?
We know about history through the discovery of artifacts and
fossilized remains found throughout our world. Many scientists
have dedicated their lives to the discovery and study of these remains
and artifacts. Anthropologists are scientists who study the
bones and remains of prehistoric man to determine things like the size
of their brain, or if they walked upright. Paleontologists
work along side anthropologists examining many of the same remains.
The paleontologist works and learns about what the time period that
early man lived in was like. Archeologists work with
objects left behind by early man, including the excavation of the
dwellings that early man lived in.
Now That We Have It, How Do We Know When It Came From?
It is easy to see the BIG picture when it comes to dating
fossils and artifacts. If you find the remains from a group of
people, and then find different fossils and artifacts under the first
remains, it is clear that those near the surface are more recent and
those that are deeper came earlier. But knowing what came first is
only a small part of the process, and doesn't help us determine WHEN
they occurred. Scientists use a process known as radiocarbon
dating to determine how old artifacts are in years. When
living things like trees and cotton plants die, they stop absorbing
carbon. Scientists use a formula to determine the rate of carbon
decay to come up with an artifact's age. Unfortunately,
radiocarbon dating becomes ineffective on REALLY old objects (more than
50,000 years old), but scientists have determined the rate of decay for
other elements to help date all kinds of artifacts.
Is There a Chill in The Air?
Climate played a very important part in man's early development.
Between 2 million and 10 million years ago, the earth experienced four
different periods of EXTREME cold (brrrrrr!) known as the Ice Ages.
Much of the earth was covered with ice and glaciers, and only a small
part near the equator was suitable for man to live. During these
periods, as the ice formed, the level of the oceans and seas dropped
200-300 feet in some places, exposing areas of land that connected Asia
to North America, Great Britain to Europe, and Japan to Korea.
These areas were called land bridges because early man could
cross them in search of warmer climates and food.
Survivor - 2 Million B.C.?
If you have ever watched the show "Survivor" you know
that people are placed in a deserted location and are forced to survive
by finding their own food. Early man did not have the convenience
that you and I have today. An individual's way of life is called
their culture. Culture includes languages, food, religion
and artistic accomplishment. Tools were one of the first
technological advances of early man. The first tools were probably
sticks that were used to dig. Over time, man learned how to use
rocks, stones and bones to make tools to aid them in daily life.
Eventually, they learned how to make fire for warmth, cooking and
protection, and learned how to turn the skin of animals into clothing.
The first stone tools signify a period of time known as The Stone Age.
The Stone Age is broken up into three different categories.
Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) - 2 million years ago to 12,000 B.C.
Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) - 12,000 B.C. - 8,000 B.C.
Neolithic (New Stone Age) - 8,000 B.C. - 5,000 B.C.
Who Were The First People?
As we learned earlier, hominids are
human-beings and human-like ancestors. These people had a skeletal
system similar, but not exactly the same as ours. The earliest
known hominids date back nearly 4 1/2 million years ago, and they were
known as hunters and gatherers because that is how they got their food!
Australopithecus or "Southern Ape" was the first hominid,
able to walk the earth on two legs. Australopithecus was much
smaller than we are today, ranging from 3 1/2 - 5 feet tall, with small
brains and large teeth. They ate fruits and nuts, were able to
catch fish, and scavenged leftover meat from animals that were already
killed. They were nomadic (constantly wandering), lived in
small groups, the did NOT make tools, and probably had no possessions
with them.
Homo Habilis was the oldest hominid to make tools. Not much
is known about Homo Habilis, but scientists are making progress.
They lived in Africa between 2.5 million - 1.3 million years ago.
They had larger brains than Australopithecus and stood slightly taller.
Because Homo Habilis made tools out of stone, they are considered the
first hominid to live in the Paleolithic period. Homo Habilis did
NOT know how to make fire, and lived in small groups for protection from
wild animals such as lions. Some historians believe that Homo
Habilis was able to use fire from nature (like those created from
lightening hitting dry areas) to cook meat scavenged from animals that
were already killed. They also ate many of the same things that
Australopithecus ate.
Homo Erectus was another Paleolithic hominid. They were
first found in Africa between 1.6 million - 250,000 years ago.
Homo Erectus lived in the African woodlands and grasslands first, and
probably migrated (moved to other locations) to European and
Asian forests and plains. Early Homo Erectus enjoyed the same diet
as Homo Habilis and Australopithecus, but about 500,000 years ago they
began to hunt for food instead of scavenging. They were able to
make stone weapons, and learned to use them to kill rabbits, wild pigs
and deer. Homo Erectus learned how to make clothing from animal
skins, and learned how to make fire. The discovery of fire was
very important to Homo Erectus - they were now able to cook food, keep
wild animals away from campsites, and move into caves. Fire and
clothing provided warmth, and with this new warmth, Homo Erectus was
able to travel to colder climates. Skeletons of Homo Erectus found
in Europe and Asia indicate that they were among the first to migrate
from Africa. Some scientists believe that Homo Erectus may have
developed some primitive form of early language, enabling them to become
more organized, share stories and experiences, communicate, and just
maybe share and spread their own history!
And in the winner...by knockout....Homo Sapiens!
Homo Sapiens are the earliest known ancestors with a skeletal
system most like ours today. The most important of the Homo
Sapiens were the Neanderthals (named because of the discovery of
remains in the Neander Valley of Germany). They were pretty tall
by early human standards, and had thick bones and muscular bodies
(necessary in order to survive colder climates that Neanderthals were
now migrating to). Often portrayed in the movies as stumbling and
bumbling idiots, the Neanderthals were far more advanced than Homo
Erectus. In fact, they were skilled enough to make very sharp
stone tools to be used as knives and spears. They lived in small,
wandering tribes - and in cold weather they stayed in caves, but most
fossil evidence shows they lived around lakes and river shores.
While there is some limited evidence of early Neanderthal shelters, man
had not moved into permanent homes just yet. Neanderthals also
ceremoniously buried their dead with tools and weapons - the strongest
indication yet that these early men believed in an afterlife (why else
would they need tools and weapons?). Fossil evidence of healed
injuries also leads us to believe that Neanderthals practiced some form
of early medicine and cared for the sick and wounded members of their
tribe! Homo Sapiens Sapiens (No, there isn't
an echo in here!)
Homo Sapiens Sapiens are modern humans - like you and I, and
originated in Africa nearly 50,000 years ago! 30,000 years ago,
Homo Sapiens Sapiens had migrated over land bridges to every continent
in the world. Although there is some debate as to what happened to
the Neanderthals, most scientists conclude they they intermarried with
Homo Sapiens Sapiens and were gradually absorbed. Found all over
Africa, Europe and Asia, one early species of Homo Sapiens Sapiens was Cro-Magnon.
They were taller and slimmer than their Neanderthal counter-parts and
were advanced hunters and gatherers, used the most advanced tools, lived
in permanent houses and even made cave paintings and sculptures! The
Cro-Magnons Did WHAT?
Cro-Magnons didn't just make tools for survival, they were
technologically advanced enough to make tools that improved the quality
of their lives! They used ivory, bones and antlers to make
hammers, bone needles and hoes! The stone axe enabled Cro-Magnons
to make canoe-like boats and begin traveling on water. They also
learned to make great hunting weapons like spears and the bow and
arrow. Obviously, these new weapons enabled them to hunt in groups
and kill large animals - like the wooly mammoth!
Did Cro-Magnons have a Government?
Not like the government we have today, but there is some
evidence that Cro-Magnons had some kind of social structure.
Archaeologists have found large stone Cro-Magnon houses that held up to
100 people. New weapons meant Cro-Magnon probably cooperated with
other tribes of Cro-Magnon people. But just because a bunch of
Cro-Magnons started "hanging out" together doesn't necessarily
mean they had rules. Or does it? Some Cro-Magnon fossils
uncovered by scientists had more elaborate burial sites than
others. This indicates that certain members of the Cro-Magnon
society were viewed with higher respect than others. Most likely, they
were leaders, elders or the best hunters. 
Old
McDonald had a Neolithic Farm
Between 8,000 and 5,000 years ago, after the final ice age, the
Neolithic Revolution signaled an end to hunter-gatherer societies and
brought in agriculture in it's place. This period gives us the
first sign of domesticated animals (like goats, chickens, cattle and
dogs) and the first domesticated plants! This shift from hunting
to farming was not the same everywhere. The climate of a region
was particularly important in determining which crops and animals could
be domesticated. Bananas and Yams were grown in Africa, Barley and
Wheat were grown in the Middle East, Corn and Potatoes were grown in the
Americas and Rice was grown in Asia!
So Man Learned to Farm......Big Deal!
Learning to farm WAS a big deal! The amount
of food available to early man increased significantly. People
stopped starving to death, enabling the population to grow! And
early man was finally able to stop chasing animals around and were able
to settle down in communities near land favorable for crop growth!
Eventually during the Neolithic Period (often called the Agricultural
Revolution) early man learned to fertilize fields (probably the result
of those fine animals that were recently domesticated), invented the
loom and began weaving textiles (yes, man did domesticate sheep),
invented an early form of the wheel, baked clay bricks, developed
seasonal calendars (necessary to determine best times to plant crops)
and we even start to see communities with similar belief in deities
(Gods)! Over time, these early farming communities would settle
down near rich soil along river banks, becoming the world's first
civilizations!!!!!
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