Humans evolved from apes around 4 million years ago in Africa, with the earliest humans classified as Australopithecus emerging around 2 million years ago. The oldest human bones found in Africa date back 160,000 years, confirming that modern humans evolved in Africa. Early humans explored out of Africa around 1 million years ago, beginning the process of mankind colonizing the planet. During the Stone Age beginning around 30,000 years ago, early humans adapted to new environments and climates as they moved north out of Africa. The first settled civilizations in Africa emerged between 8,000BC-3,000BC before the Sahara dried up around 3,000BC, as North Africa became the site of ancient Egypt, one

1. Africa’s First People By Chris Gluck

2. Why did I chose this topic? I chose this topic because I wanted to learn more about it

3. What I already knew Before researching this topic I already knew that we evolved from apes Also that human history started in Africa

4. Essential Question How did Africa’s first people live and adapt to the environment?

5. When did we go from apes to humans? 4 million years ago ape-like creatures walk upright 2 million years ago the first creatures to be classed as humans These creatures are called Australopithecus

6. What are the oldest human bones found in Africa? The oldest human bones found in Africa is parts of a human scull dating back 160,000 years. This discovery adds detail to a crutial period in human evolution This also confirms the hypothesis that modern humans evolved in Africa

7. Did these early humans always live in Africa or did they venture out? They did explore other lands out of Africa About 1 million years ago they explored northwards out of Africa This movement started the process by which mankind has colonized the planet

8. Stone Age This is a time when humans had a technology based on sharp flint tools Early in the Stone Age humans started moving out of Africa. Later in the Stone Age they painted what they did when they hunted, or invasions, or of wars. These paintings can be as old as 30,000 years.

9. Adapting to new habitats and climates When the Australopithecus moved north out of Africa the encountered many new habitats and climates They would have had to adapt to these things to survive Also, they would have had to change there ways of living in these different conditions

10. First civilized part of early man Around 8,000BC-3,000BC Neolithic (new Stone Age) communities progress from hunting and gathering to a partly settled way of life. At about 3,000BC the Sahara starts to dry up and brings an end to the first settled culture of Africa

11. Changing places At the same time that Africa’s first settled communities got wiped out, around 3,000BC, North Africa becomes the place of one of the world’s first great civilizations, Egypt.

12. Questions I still have Did the humans that explored North out of Africa always survive?

13. Works Cited http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_where_the_first_people_to_live_in_Africa http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ab24 http://www-cdn.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1295624