Theme #1 :Early Societies-From the beginning of time

• 13 bya -Big Bang
• 4.5 bya-Earth forms
• 4 bya -first life
• 3.5 bya –photosynthesis
• 380 mya -first vertebrate land animals
• 230 - 65 mya dinosaurs

The story of human evolution

• Between 36 and 24 mya -primates emerged in Asia and Africa
• 24 mya,a subgroup  called hominoids emerged. quadrapeds
• 5.6 mya, the first hominids. While hominids have evolved from hominoids. Bipedal (as early as 3.6 mya)
• Hominids are further subdivided into as genus, of which australopithecus (southern –ape )and homo are important
• Australopithecus - relatively small brain size in comparison to homo, large back teeth and limited dexterity of the hands. Upright walking was also restricted, as they still spent a lot of time on trees.
• Positive feedback mechanism increased favorable characteristics of homos       

• 2.5 mya ice age –forests got replaced by grasslands due to lower temperatures, homos were better suited.
• Scientists distinguish amongst several types of homo
• Homo habilis (the tool maker),
• Homo erectus (the upright man), (5mya )
• Homo heidelbergensi  found in Heidelberg, Germany (800,000 – 10,000 ya )
• Homo neanderthalensis. Those found in the Neander valley  (130,000 -35000 ya)
• Homo sapiens (the wise or thinking man)./modern humans (40,000 ya)
• Modern human beings  two  models of origin
• Regional continuity model (with multiple regions of origin)
• Replacement model (with a single origin in Africa). Complete replacement everywhere of all older forms of humans with modern humans

Life of Early Humans

Ways of obtaining food: Gathering, Scavenging and Fishing, Hunting (about 500,000 ya), planned hunting (about 35,000 ya),

Tools Axe and chopper. About 35,000 years spear throwers and the bow and arrow

Patterns of residence:

·         Trees,

·         Caves and open-air sites began to be used (Between 400,000 and 125,000 ya)

Modes of communication: language and art

·         Hominid language involved gestures or hand movements;

·         That spoken language was preceded by vocal but non-verbal communication such as singing or humming;

·         That human speech probably began with calls like the ones that have been observed among primates

·         Evolution of the vocal tract was equally important. this occurred around 200,000 years ago

·         Hundreds of paintings of animals (done between 30,000 and12,000 Years ago) have been discovered

Settling down

• Between 10,000 and 4,500 years ago, learnt to domesticate certain plants and animals..
• the last ice age came to an end about 13,000 years. Warmer, wetter conditions. Favorable for the growth of grasses such as wild barley and wheat.
• At the same time, as open forests and grasslands expanded, the population of certain animal species such as wild sheep, goat, cattle, pig and Donkey increased.
• Around 10,000 Years ago farming and pastoralism began in the Fertile Crescent, extending from the Mediterranean Coast to the Zagros Mountains in Iran.
• New kinds of stone tools came into use. Tools such as the plough were used in agriculture.
• Gradually, people became familiar with metals such as copper and tin.
• The wheel, important for both pot making and transportation, came into use.
• About 5,000 years ago, even larger concentrations of people began to live together in cities