2 pages
katherinabe
MalesHIST410Week1Lecture.pptx
Week 1 Lecture
HIST410
Dr. Males
Spring 2022
SSU
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
Chapter 1 Out of the Ice Age: Peopling the Earth
Learning Objectives
Where in the evolutionary record do humans begin?
Why did the population of Homo Sapiens grow so rapidly?
Why was the Ice Age a time of abundance?
What does its art tell us about Ice Age Society?
When did Home Sapiens migrate to the Americas?
How did human life change when the Ice Age ended?
Human Evolution
DNA evidence now dates that all humans share a common ancestor in Africa
Approximately, 150,000 years ago these ancestors were in the “Cradle of Civilization
Other evidence can take back common evolutionary human relations as far back 5 to 7 million years ago accordingly to the “Theory of Evolution”
Human Evolution
Homo habilis
Emerged 2.5 million years ago and are believed to be the first toolmakers
However, this theory of toolmaking often sparks a debate regarding actual abilities
Homo erectus
Emerged 1.5 million years ago and were note for standing upright
Many accept these as the first humans as they were known to carve symmetrical flints for tools and weapons
Homo ergaster
Emerged around 800,000 years ago and at least at one site were known to stack the bones of the dead
Demonstrating reverence for e dead
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
Evolution cont.
Species that occurred before the “Homo” or human-like period are referred to as the following:
Australopithecines – Southern Ape-like creatures
Paranthropoi – Next to human
Dan Johansen, 1974
His research determined there wasn’t as a clear of a dividing line to the species
His discovery of “Lucy” in Hadar, Ethiopia dated back to more than 3 million years ago
She was about 3 feet tall but walked on two legs and lived in family groups
Walking on two legs was believed to only be a trait of the “Homo” species
Other evidence –footprints of walking on two feet dating over 3.7 million years ago
Evolution cont..
Homo neanderthalensis
Vanished over 30,000 years ago
These species seemed to be a unique group that does not share any DNA with any living human today
Home Sapiens and Homo Neanderthalensis coexisted around 100,000 years ago
They shared similarities such as appearance and height
Their brains were similar, however, the neanderthal had a slightly larger brain
They shared similar traits with regards to family and religion
However, Neanderthal largely is not giving the name of human
Home Sapien
Neanderthal
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/bringing-a-neanderthal-to-life-the-making-of-our-model.html
Out of Africa
Ancestors migrated out of East Africa about 150,000 years ago
Everyone today shares a chemical component in our cells that a mother in East Africa passed on to her daughters
She is name Eve after the first women in the Book of Genesis
She is not our first ancestor or the only women of the time
There were believed to be about 20,000 Homo Sapiens living in this region at the time
This area at the time was a mixed grassland and woodland
Peopling the World
Migration out of East Africa begins, but why they decided to leave and how were they able to become adaptable to other environments
The migration began about 100,000 years ago
Even though archaeological evidence becomes difficult during this migration, reconstructions of where and when have been made
One reconstruction can be done through differences in blood type, genetic makeup and language among populations in different parts of the world
Greater the differences = the longer ancestors were out of touch with the homeland
Homo sapiens were believed to have migrated to the following:
Middle East by about 100,000 years ago
China about 67,000 years ago
Australia about 50,000 years ago and Europe a little later than that
Asia and America were far more isolated by cold climates
America was about 15,000 years ago
Peopling the World cont.
As part of this migration population and social changes would take place
Relationships with each other changed
Size and organizations of groups changed
The view of the world and how they interacted with other species would also change
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
The Last Great Ice Age
While it is believed the Earth has cooling and warming phases
The last cooling phase began 150,000 years ago and emerged from this phase only about 20,000 years ago
The great migration would coincide with this time
It was believed that humans welcomed this cold
Ice Age Hunters would inhabit most of the tundra located in most of Europe not including the British Isles
Hunters favored species of animals they could kill in large numbers by driving them over cliffs or into bogs and lakes
https://www.livescience.com/40311-pleistocene-epoch.html
Ice Age Society and Culture
People at this time were larger and well nourished than we will see during other times in history
Plumpness was considered beautiful
Image of Venus of Willendorf
Most prehistoric art of this time are found in cave paintings
The pieces told stories and were believed to have ritual uses
Animal images were often slashed or punctured as if they were symbolic sacrifices
The Ice Age was the last great era called “Globalization”
Meaning key elements of culture were similar all over the inhabited world
As the ice caps began to melt and the great herds of animals shifted, many communities would follow
Chapter 2: Out of the Mud: Farming and Herding after the Ice Age
Learning Objectives
Why are foragers often better than farmers?
What kinds of Environments are suited to herding?
Where did farming begin, and what were the first crops farmers grew?
Why did people in most areas of the world switch from foraging to farming?
The Problem of Agriculture
The Care and Cultivation of Crops, “Husbandry
This happened in two distinct ways
Some environments people could exploit the animals who had herd instincts and manage the herds, instead of hunting
Breeding enhanced qualities that evolution did not favor
More docile animals
Size differences
Available meat, milk, eggs and fat
Also, increased disease bearing organisms to thrive in this close contact
Other environments required massive human intervention
Tillage of the soil changed the world from post glacial mud to what we know as “civilization”
Preagricultural Settlements
At the end of the Ice Age, approximately 15,000 there was a frontier zone between forest and grassland
This area was located along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean
Areas included present day Iran, Turkey and Iraq
The location provided people who would settle in this region with multiple food resources
So many food options were available that people had no need to migrate
Around 14,000 years ago a permanent settlements were built throughout this region
Preagricultural Settlements cont.
Evidence in this region indicate that the settlements had:
Stone walls and roofs made of reeds
Married within their communities
Laid out foundations for farming
Moving to farming didn’t always provide the necessary food due to ecological disasters that would lead to famine as their diets narrowed
However, some peoples continued to forage, instead of farming
Husbandry in Different Environments
Although agriculture began in certain areas it was carried to other areas through diffusion – carried by people as they moved from one place to another
Herders and Tillers were groups of people who diffused the agriculture
Herders continued a mobile way of life, they bred animals that shared their grassland and were milk-yielding stock. They also relied heavily on the meat, milk and other parts of the animals
Violence between the herders and farmers was common until about 300 years ago
Tillers would become farmers
Locations required the soil to be loose enough for the tools of the day such as the dibble – pointed stick for poking holes in the ground
Sufficient water sources were necessary
Flooding and layering with silt or dredging was also necessary to keep the soil nutrient rich
Husbandry in Different Environments cont.
Examples of different locations and adaptions to farming in these areas would include:
Swamplands as the soil was rich, most and easy to work with simple technology
Uplands were regions of high altitude that are not typically good for farming but ancient peoples adapted such as:
The Andes
Highlands such as in Mesoamerica and the Old World
Alluvial Plans where mud carried by overflowing rivers or lakes
The Spread of Agriculture
Agriculture would spread throughout the world as noted below
European agriculture began around 6,000 years ago
Asian agriculture began around 8,000 to 9,000 years ago
The Americas agriculture began around 3,000 years ago
African agriculture began about 9,000 years ago
Pacific Island agriculture is still be debated
Why did farming spread?
Theories regarding the spread of farming include:
Population pressure – as populations grew food resources need to mee the demands
The Outcome of Abundance – this theory believes that husbandry was a result of abundance
The Power of Politics – food during this time symbolized power and prestige
Cult Agriculture – religious connections lead to the belief in farming
Climatic Instability – as global warming presented the need to a steady food supply increased
Agriculture by accident – viewing how seeds would grow into plants in the wild
Production as an Outgrowth of Procurement – believed that food production was not a different strategy of foraging but more of an extension
Questions? Reference: Fernandez-Armesto, F. (2011). The World: A History. Prentice Hall.
