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3.1 Hunters-Gatherers
3
Hunter-Gatherers
Lesson 3.1
The Stone Age
The Paleolithic Age
The earliest period in human history is called the Stone Age.
This was the time in which humans used stone to make tools and weapons.
The Paleolithic Age
The first part of the Stone Age is called the Paleolithic Age.
The Paleolithic Age
Early Human History
Early
Human History
Much of what people know about early human history comes from findings made by anthropologists and archaeologists (people who study humans, human culture, and human artifacts).
The Paleolithic Age was about 4,500 years before recorded time.
Recorded time began about 5,500 years ago.
Surviving in the Paleolithic Age
Humans lived near the end of the Paleolithic Age. These people were called nomads.
Nomads regularly moved from place to place in order to survive, following their food source.
Usually, about 20 to 30 people lived together in small groups.
Surviving
in the Paleolithic Age
Finding Food
During this time period searching for food was the main activity for the people.
Paleolithic people survived by hunting and by gathering food.
People may have hunted buffalo, bison, wild goats, reindeer, or other animals.
The people who lived near coastal areas relied on fish for food.
Other people gathered wild nuts, berries, fruits, wild grains, and green plants.
The Role
of Men
The Role of Men
Men and women in Paleolithic
groups had different roles and
tasks to perform.
Men hunted large animals.
These early hunters had to come
up with ways to kill the animals.
Some used clubs, and spears.
Sometimes animals were forced
off cliffs in order to drive them
off to their death.
The Role
of Women
The Role of Women
Women stayed close to the camp,
Usually camps were located near a body
of water such as a stream or in protective
shelters such as caves.
Women had important work to do.
They cared for the children, and they
also searched nearby woods and
meadows for berries, nuts, and grains.
Camp Site
Changing to Survive
Some Paleolithic people lived in regions where the climate was cold.
They used materials that were available to them and made clothing from animal skins to stay warm so they could survive.
Others lived in areas where the people had to use the available resources in order to build protective shelters.
Changing to Survive
The Invention
of Tools
The Invention
of Tools
The methods used by Paleolithic people to hunt and gather food were part of their culture.
The word culture means the way of life for a group of people who share similar beliefs and customs.
The tools they used were also a part of their culture.
Technology
Technology
Paleolithic people used technology, or tools and methods developed from scientific knowledge, in order to perform tasks.
Before the Paleolithic Age, tools were found objects, such as stones, sticks, and tree branches.
People then started making tools from a hard stone called flint.
The people then experimented with flint, finding that if they hit flint with another hard stone, the flint would flake into pieces. Once chipped, these flint stones had very sharp edges.
Large pieces of flint tied to wooden poles were used as hand axes.
The use of flint was a major breakthrough for early people because it gave them a method for cutting.
The Use
of Tools
The Use of Tools
People did not stop with stone tools. They made better and more complex tools, which helped them do other things.
For example, spears and bows and arrows made it
easier to kill large animals.
Harpoons and fishhooks made it possible for
coastal dwellers to catch more fish.
Early humans also used sharp-edged tools to dig
roots and cut up plants.
Paleolithic people got better and better at making
tools, and the tools became smaller and sharper.
Advancements in early technology led to the
development of farming tools and affected where
people settled.
Fire Sparks Changes
Fire Sparks Changes
Paleolithic people had an easier life once they discovered how to make fire. Fire changed their lives.
Fire was used for the following:
- warmth in cold caves
- light when it was dark
- to scare away wild animals
- to chase animals from bushes to be killed
- to gather around a fire to share stories
- to cook food
- to smoke meat that could be stored for later use
Creating Fire
Creating Fire
Archaeologists believe that people learned to create fire by friction.
When they rubbed two pieces of wood together, the wood became heated.
When the wood became hot enough, it caught fire.
Advancements
Advancements
Paleolithic people even developed drill-like wood tools to start fires.
Then, they discovered that iron pyrite, a type of stone, gave off sparks when struck against rock.
The sparks would ignite dry grass or leaves, starting a fire.
Language and Art
Before the Paleolithic Age, early people communicated through sounds and physical gestures.
People eventually began to develop spoken language. People started to express themselves with words in order to communicate information and emotions.
Language and Art
Growth of Language
Growth of Language
As a result of language, people could cooperate during a hunt and discuss their plans.
They could also share skills that they had gained, such as how to make tools.
The spoken language was constantly growing and changing.
New technology and different experiences led to the creation of new words.
Creation
of Art
Creation of Art
The Paleolithic Age also saw people expressing themselves through art.
Thousands of years ago, early artists crushed yellow, black, and red rocks and combined them with animal fat to make paint.
They used twigs and their fingertips to paint on the walls. Later they used brushes made of animal hair.
Paintings of what looked like bison, horses, boars, and deer have been found in caves throughout the world.
Historians think the animals may have been painted to bring hunters good luck or to record the history of a group of people.
The Ice Ages
The Ice Ages
The ice ages involved major changes to the environment. These changes threatened the survival of humans.
The ice ages were long periods of extreme cold that affected all of the earth.
The Ice Age occurred when thick sheets of ice moved across large parts of Europe, Asia, and North America.
Map of the Ice Age
Impact of the Ice Age
Impact of the Last Ice Age
The Ice Age occurred when thick sheets of ice moved across large parts of Europe, Asia, and North America.
The water level of the oceans became lower as the ice sheets, or glaciers, became larger.
This exposed a strip of dry land that connected Asia and North America.
This strip of land is known as a land bridge (Beringia). It may have acted as a natural highway for people to travel from Asia into North America.
Paleolithic people may have migrated, or moved, southward and then settled in different regions
Affect on Humans
The Affect of the Ice Age
Humans had a hard time surviving ice age conditions.
They had to adapt, or change, areas of their lives. For example, they adapted their diets by enriching meals with fat.
To protect themselves from the harsh environment, they built stronger shelters.
They learned to make warmer clothing using animal furs.
Fire helped them to stay warm in the cold environment.
When the Ice Age ended, climate change had altered environments around the world, so people adapted once again.