PREHISTORY

PREHISTORY

tHE Distant Past

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What is prehistory?

In your notebook, jot down what you think 'prehistory' means?

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Prehistory

So wHAT DO ARCHAEOLOGISTS STUDY TO LEARN ABOUT PREHISTORY?

fOssils

How do we know the ages of these fosssils?

radioactive dating:measuring the radioactive material in bones or other materials

archaeologists also look for artifacts when excavating

What do artifacts tell us about the people that once lived there? keep this question in mind...

Where Did Human Ancestors Live?

First human remains found in Africa so focus was there More bones recovered such as “Lucy” 3.5 feet tall female

hunter-gatherers: nomadic people who live by hunting animals and gathering plants early humans learned to make tools, which were essential for survival, age was called the “Paleolithic Age” (Old Stone Age) which ended 2,500 to 10,000 years ago

CAUSE: early humans also discovered how to create fire

EFFECT: cook meat, light during night, aid in hunting, scare of large animals, provide heat

After the Paleolithic Era...

group known as Neanderthals appeared in Europe and parts of Asia first to bury their dead last new group of early people called “Homo Sapiens” developed complex language

CAUSE: Homo Sapiens, because of language, could develop new skills EFFECT: they could survive under harsh conditions and live in new places

Question: How did fire help early humans survive?