Early Humans

Early Humans

• Paleolithic Age - People hunted and gathered their food and moved from place to place
• Neolithic Age - The people raised animals, farmed, and settled in single locations.

Paleolithic Age – Old Stone Age

• Began about 2 million years ago.
• People got their food from hunting wild animals, gathering nuts, berries, and other plants.
• They lived their lives out in the open and rarely stayed in one place long.

Paleolithic Age

• Nomads – People moved from place to place
• Many Dangers
• Attacks from other tribes
• Days without food
• No permanent shelter

QUESTION

How did the people of the Neolithic Age create a stable food supply?

ANSWER

• The people of the Neolithic Age created a stable food supply by creating their own food source. They raised their own animals and farmed their own crops.

Neolithic Age – New Stone Age

• Neolithic Age – A shift from hunter gatherer to agriculture (farming)
• Began when people learned to farm and produce their own food.
• Humans began to cultivate plants systematically, selecting the best seeds for replanting.

Farming Techniques

• Early farmers practiced slash-and-burn agriculture, clearing fields by burning vegetation, and developed techniques such as crop rotation and irrigation to improve yields.
• Selective Breeding: Over generations, humans selected plants with desirable traits, leading to the development of crops
• First Crops: Wheat, barley, lentils, peas, flax, and chickpeas were among the first crops to be domesticated

Farms

• Early farmers learned how to domesticate animals – raising and using them for their own purposes.
• People settled down and lived in one place.
• Farming and raising animals allowed for a more reliable and predictable food source, leading to population growth.
• Food: Animals provided a steady source of meat, milk, and other products.
• Labor: Animals like oxen and donkeys were used for plowing field

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Neolithic Age – New Stone Age

• Permanent Settlements: People began building permanent homes, leading to the formation of villages and eventually cities.
• People built towns and villages.
• People in settlements were able to build permanent shelters and form larger communities.
• Many settlements were located east of the Mediterranean Sea where the land was fertile.

Neolithic Age – New Stone Age

• What are the benefits of farming?
• Develop cities
• Growth of community
• Created their own food source
• What are some dangers of farming?
• Drought
• Disease
• Dead soil

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhzQFIZuNFY

From Hunting to Farming

• Farming – People began to domesticate plants and animals
• People no longer needed to move from place to place
• Permanent Settlements: People began building permanent homes
• They built pens for animals
• Since there was enough food, people could learn new skills
• Potters or weavers, toolmakers, boatbuilding

Agriculture leads to Cities

• Farming Changed the way people lived – no longer wonderers
• Humans had a stable food supply by creating their own food source.
• Surplus - an amount more than what is required or necessary
• Farming provided new sources of clothing – people used animal and plant fibers to make cloth

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Making permanent shelters

• People packed mud bricks together to build round or rectangular houses.
• Sometimes they added stones and tree branches to strengthen the walls and floors.
• Houses gave people protection from harsh weather and wild animals.
• Allowed people to form larger communities.

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Development of new jobs

• Having a stable food supply allowed people to develop new jobs.
• They could develop more specialized skills.
• Pot makers
• Tool makers
• Focusing on one job allowed them to get better at their work.
• The development of different jobs encouraged people to become highly skilled at their crafts.

New Tools

• Neolithic people developed advanced tools to improve farming, such as plows and irrigation systems.
• Stone tools became more refined, and the use of metals began to emerge.
• Innovations in pottery and textile production improved storage and clothing.
• Tools made from bone
• Woven baskets
• Clay pottery
• Bronze tools

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Establish communities

• Living in communities allowed people to organize themselves more efficiently.
• They could divide the work of producing food and other things they needed.
• With basic needs met – they could invent ways to be safer and more comfortable.

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Beginning to trade

• People trade to get the resources they did not have in their own area.
• The growth of trade allowed people to make use of more resources.
• It brought them in contact with people from distant places.
• These contacts helped spread ideas and knowledge around the ancient world.

Jericho

• Jericho is one of the earliest known cities, with evidence of settlement dating back to 9,000 BCE.
• Located near the Jordan River in the West Bank, Jericho's development was fueled by its access to water and fertile land.
• Key features included a large stone wall, tower, and complex housing structures.
• Jericho was a center for trade and agriculture, with evidence of grain storage and early forms of irrigation.

Çatal Hüyük

• Çatal Hüyük, located in modern-day Turkey, is one of the largest and best-preserved Neolithic sites.
• It flourished around 7,500 BCE and was known for its densely packed houses, often accessed via rooftops.
• The city had a strong focus on agriculture, but also engaged in trade, particularly obsidian.
• Religious practices were evident, with shrines and figurines found throughout the settlement.

Jericho

Stonehenge