The Stone Age
Objective: To understand what life was like for people during
the Stone Age
The Dawn of
Modern
Humans
 Scientists believe that
Humans, the species Homo
sapiens, emerged between
100,000 and 400,000 years ago
in Africa.
The first humans had faced a struggle for survival. For
thousands and thousands of years, they had two concerns:
finding food and protecting themselves.
 The people who had lived in the early part of the Old Stone
Age were nomads. Nomads are people who wander from
place to place, instead of settling down.
 Groups like this whose food supply depends on hunting animals and
collecting plant foods were called hunter-gatherers. They found
food by hunting and gathering nuts, berries, and roots.
 They adapted to their environments by making simple tools.
 The early ages of humankind are based on the kind of tools
used: first stone, then copper and bronze, and then iron.
 The term
Paleolithic Age
(pay-lee-oh-lith-ik)
means Old Stone
Age, referring to
the crude stone
tools of the time.
 These early modern
humans used many tools
- more than 100
different ones. They
used stone, bone, and
wood. They made knives,
hooks, and bone needles.
 These tools were an
important part of their
survival. They helped
with hunting.
 Scientists think that these people worked
with one another in planning large-scale hunts
of animals.
 Hunting was aided by improved communication skills.
10,000 BC
 Humans learned to use
tools to make fire.
 They made clothes from animal skins.
These advancements along with shelter would help
them survive in a wide variety of environments.
Much of the Old Stone Age overlapped the Ice Age, when the
earth was colder than it is now. Huge sheets of ice (glaciers
covered much of the land.
 Scientists
believe the
first homo
sapiens
came from
Africa.
 From Africa, they believe that they
migrated to Eurasia, Australia, and the
Americas.
 Another group of early
humans, the
Neanderthals, lived
around 200,000 to
30,000 B.C. They lived
in caves or built
shelters of wood or
animal skins.
They were once thought to be rough and wild people.
 Now
scientists
think that
they may
have held
religious
beliefs.
 One site
suggests
that they
buried their
dead.
 Artifacts found near their grave sites show
that they also had music.
These people found ways to survive the
freezing cold of the Ice Age.
 About 30,000 years
ago, though, the
Neanderthals
strangely
disappeared.
 DNA evidence suggests that they were not an
ancestor of modern humans.
They may have also had more skill at speaking than did the
Neanderthals. Because they had these skills, the Cro-Magnons
were better at finding food. That may explain why Cro-
Magnons survived and Neanderthals did not.
 Early man also created
works of art (known as
pictographs), including
painting. Thousands of
years ago, artists
mixed charcoal, mud,
and animal blood to
make paint.
 They used this paint to draw pictures of
animals on cave walls and rocks.
History of the
World
The Neolithic Revolution
 For centuries, humans
lived by hunting and
gathering. Humans lived
in small groups of only
20 or 30 people. They
often returned to a
certain area in the same
season each year
because they knew it
would be rich in food at
that time.
 Over the years, some
humans realized that
they could leave plant
seeds in an area one
year and find plants
growing there the
next year. This was
the beginning of a new
part of human life:
farming.
 Scientists think
that the climate
became warmer
all around the
world at about
the same time.
Humans' new
knowledge about
planting seeds
combined with
this warmer
climate to create
the Neolithic
Revolution — the
agricultural
revolution that
occurred during
the Neolithic
period.
 The Neolithic Age, or New Stone Age, went from
about 8000 B.C. to around 3000 B.C.
Instead of relying on gathering food, people began to produce
food. One early farming method was slash-and-burn farming.
That meant cutting trees and burning them to clear a field.
The ashes were used to fertilize the soil.
 Along with growing food, they also began to raise
animals. They tamed horses, dogs, goats, and pigs.
Domestication is the taming of animals and plants.
• domesticated animals
 Societies during the Neolithic Era (New Stone Age)
developed agriculture (domesticated plants)
• made pottery
Archaeologists have studied a site in the Zagros Mountains of
northeastern Iraq. It is called Jarmo. The people who lived in
this region began farming and raising animals about 7000 B.C.
Villages Grow and
Prosper
 People began to farm
in many spots all over
the world. The study
of one village, Catal
Huyuk, in modern-
day Turkey shows
what early farming
communities were
like.
 The village grew on the good land near a river. Some workers grew
wheat, barley, and peas.
Others raised sheep and cattle. Because these
workers produced enough food for all the people,
others could begin developing other kinds of skills.
Population = 6000
Some made pots out of clay that they baked—the first pottery.
 Others worked as weavers. Some artists decorated
the village. Archaeologists have found wall paintings
that show animals and hunting scenes.
 They have found evidence that the people had a
religion, too.
 The people of Catal
Huyuk used volcanic
rock, called obsidian,
to make mirrors,
knives, and jewelry.
They also began to
trade these items.
 Early farming villagers had problems, too. If the farm crop failed or the
lack of rain caused a drought, people starved. Floods and fires caused
damage and death. With more people living near each other than before,
diseases spread easily. Still, some of these early villages grew into great
cities.
 Two other villages that developed during the
Neolithic Era were Jericho (starting around 9000
BCE) and near Aleppo in Syria (starting around
5000 BCE).
When did the Agricultural Revolution begin?
When was population growth the greatest?
Use the Chart to
answer the
questions
Compare and Contrast the
Paleolithic Age with the
Neolithic Age

The stone age

  • 1.
    The Stone Age Objective:To understand what life was like for people during the Stone Age
  • 2.
  • 3.
     Scientists believethat Humans, the species Homo sapiens, emerged between 100,000 and 400,000 years ago in Africa.
  • 4.
    The first humanshad faced a struggle for survival. For thousands and thousands of years, they had two concerns: finding food and protecting themselves.
  • 5.
     The peoplewho had lived in the early part of the Old Stone Age were nomads. Nomads are people who wander from place to place, instead of settling down.
  • 6.
     Groups likethis whose food supply depends on hunting animals and collecting plant foods were called hunter-gatherers. They found food by hunting and gathering nuts, berries, and roots.
  • 7.
     They adaptedto their environments by making simple tools.
  • 8.
     The earlyages of humankind are based on the kind of tools used: first stone, then copper and bronze, and then iron.
  • 9.
     The term PaleolithicAge (pay-lee-oh-lith-ik) means Old Stone Age, referring to the crude stone tools of the time.
  • 10.
     These earlymodern humans used many tools - more than 100 different ones. They used stone, bone, and wood. They made knives, hooks, and bone needles.
  • 11.
     These toolswere an important part of their survival. They helped with hunting.
  • 13.
     Scientists thinkthat these people worked with one another in planning large-scale hunts of animals.
  • 14.
     Hunting wasaided by improved communication skills.
  • 16.
  • 17.
     Humans learnedto use tools to make fire.
  • 18.
     They madeclothes from animal skins.
  • 19.
    These advancements alongwith shelter would help them survive in a wide variety of environments.
  • 20.
    Much of theOld Stone Age overlapped the Ice Age, when the earth was colder than it is now. Huge sheets of ice (glaciers covered much of the land.
  • 21.
     Scientists believe the firsthomo sapiens came from Africa.
  • 22.
     From Africa,they believe that they migrated to Eurasia, Australia, and the Americas.
  • 23.
     Another groupof early humans, the Neanderthals, lived around 200,000 to 30,000 B.C. They lived in caves or built shelters of wood or animal skins.
  • 24.
    They were oncethought to be rough and wild people.
  • 25.
     Now scientists think that theymay have held religious beliefs.  One site suggests that they buried their dead.
  • 27.
     Artifacts foundnear their grave sites show that they also had music.
  • 28.
    These people foundways to survive the freezing cold of the Ice Age.
  • 29.
     About 30,000years ago, though, the Neanderthals strangely disappeared.
  • 30.
     DNA evidencesuggests that they were not an ancestor of modern humans.
  • 31.
    They may havealso had more skill at speaking than did the Neanderthals. Because they had these skills, the Cro-Magnons were better at finding food. That may explain why Cro- Magnons survived and Neanderthals did not.
  • 33.
     Early manalso created works of art (known as pictographs), including painting. Thousands of years ago, artists mixed charcoal, mud, and animal blood to make paint.
  • 34.
     They usedthis paint to draw pictures of animals on cave walls and rocks.
  • 36.
  • 37.
  • 38.
     For centuries,humans lived by hunting and gathering. Humans lived in small groups of only 20 or 30 people. They often returned to a certain area in the same season each year because they knew it would be rich in food at that time.
  • 39.
     Over theyears, some humans realized that they could leave plant seeds in an area one year and find plants growing there the next year. This was the beginning of a new part of human life: farming.
  • 40.
     Scientists think thatthe climate became warmer all around the world at about the same time. Humans' new knowledge about planting seeds combined with this warmer climate to create the Neolithic Revolution — the agricultural revolution that occurred during the Neolithic period.
  • 41.
     The NeolithicAge, or New Stone Age, went from about 8000 B.C. to around 3000 B.C.
  • 43.
    Instead of relyingon gathering food, people began to produce food. One early farming method was slash-and-burn farming. That meant cutting trees and burning them to clear a field. The ashes were used to fertilize the soil.
  • 44.
     Along withgrowing food, they also began to raise animals. They tamed horses, dogs, goats, and pigs. Domestication is the taming of animals and plants.
  • 45.
  • 48.
     Societies duringthe Neolithic Era (New Stone Age) developed agriculture (domesticated plants)
  • 49.
  • 53.
    Archaeologists have studieda site in the Zagros Mountains of northeastern Iraq. It is called Jarmo. The people who lived in this region began farming and raising animals about 7000 B.C.
  • 54.
  • 55.
     People beganto farm in many spots all over the world. The study of one village, Catal Huyuk, in modern- day Turkey shows what early farming communities were like.
  • 57.
     The villagegrew on the good land near a river. Some workers grew wheat, barley, and peas.
  • 58.
    Others raised sheepand cattle. Because these workers produced enough food for all the people, others could begin developing other kinds of skills.
  • 59.
    Population = 6000 Somemade pots out of clay that they baked—the first pottery.
  • 60.
     Others workedas weavers. Some artists decorated the village. Archaeologists have found wall paintings that show animals and hunting scenes.
  • 61.
     They havefound evidence that the people had a religion, too.
  • 62.
     The peopleof Catal Huyuk used volcanic rock, called obsidian, to make mirrors, knives, and jewelry. They also began to trade these items.
  • 64.
     Early farmingvillagers had problems, too. If the farm crop failed or the lack of rain caused a drought, people starved. Floods and fires caused damage and death. With more people living near each other than before, diseases spread easily. Still, some of these early villages grew into great cities.
  • 65.
     Two othervillages that developed during the Neolithic Era were Jericho (starting around 9000 BCE) and near Aleppo in Syria (starting around 5000 BCE).
  • 66.
    When did theAgricultural Revolution begin? When was population growth the greatest? Use the Chart to answer the questions
  • 67.
    Compare and Contrastthe Paleolithic Age with the Neolithic Age