Human Origins in Africa

Lauren Bullock

1-30-20

CHAPTER₁ 

GUIDED READING Human Origins in Africa 

Section 1 

A. Categorizing As you read about early humans, fill in the chart below by describing the 

physical traits and achievements of each species of hominid listed. 

Name Traits Achievements 

1. Australopithecines- first human-like creature to walk upright, brain size 500 cm3, opposable thumbs. 

2. Homo habilis- brain size 700 cm3, first to make stone tools.

3. Homo erectus- more intelligent and adaptable species, developed technology using intelligence, skillful hunters,first to use fire, beginnings of spoken languages.

4. Neanderthals- brain size 1,450 cm3, first to have ritual burials, heavy slanted brows, well-developed muscles, and thick bones, were resourceful.

5. Cro-Magnons- brain size 1,400 cm3, fully modern humans, created art, identical to modern humans, strong, generally about five-and-one-half feet tall, 

B. Comparing and Contrasting Fill in the chart below to compare the Old Stone Age and the New Stone Age. 

Stone Age Began Ended Achievements 

Paleolithic Age- known as the Ice Age, glaciers alternately advanced and retreated, lasted from about 2.5 million to 8000 B.C., stone chopping tools, 

Neolithic Age-  began about 8000 B.C. and ended as early as 3000 B.C., learned to polish stone tools, raise animals, make pottery, and grow crops, glaciers had retreated to the same area they occupy now.

C. Writing for a Specific Purpose On the back of this paper, explain the work of anthropologists, archaeologists, and paleontologists. Use the following terms in your explanation. 

artifacts culture technology 

Anthropologists study culture or people’s unique way of life. They examine artifacts at archeologists sites. Using them they re-create an image of early-people’s cultural behavior. An archeologist had dig sites where they would look for fossils and artifacts. Paleontologists use complex techniques to date ancient fossil remains and rocks.

The Peopling of the World 1 

A. Summarizing As you read this section, take notes to answer questions about the development of agriculture.

People of the Old Stone Age were nomads who wandered from place to place in search of food

1. How did hunter-gatherers use technology to improve their chances of survival?

They created stone tools to help them.

2. What types of art did Paleolithic people create?

Cave walls of drawings.

About 10,000 years ago, an agricultural revolution began.

3. What factors led to the agricultural revolution?

The women that were gathering food they scattered seeds. When they returned the next season they saw crops growing.

 4. How did farming develop and spread worldwide?

People went from food-gathering to food-producing.

Farming led to a settled way of life.

5. What were some of the cultural achievements of Neolithic villagers?

They domesticated animals for their needs.

6. What problems did early villagers face?

More advancements resulted in more labour for villagers.

B. Identifying Problems and Solutions On the back of this paper explain how stone age peoples used slash-and-burn farming and the domestication of animals to produce a steady source of food.

The ashes created fertilizer for the soil to grow crops. Domesticating animals allowed farmers to have a new food source with them instead of following their food.

GUIDED READING Patterns of Change: Civilization
A. Determining Main Ideas As you read this section, fill in the boxes below. List the social and economic changes that led to the development of cities and the rise of civilization.

Village and town life begin.

1. Economic Changes                                                                        2. Social changes
Stone tools are made                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Languages are developed
Grow crops

cities emerge and grow

3. Economic changes                                                                     4. Social changes
elaborate irrigation systems                                        more complex economy affected the village life
food surplus

Civilizations arise.

B. Writing Expository Paragraphs On the back of this paper, explain how Ur typified an ancient civilization. Use the following terms in your explanation. specialization artisans institution scribes cuneiform barter ziggurat
A pyramid-shaped monument is called a ziggurat. roughly how many pots of grain
a farmer must give to buy a jug of wine is a trading system without money is called barter. The more complicated a trade is, requires a scribe. Cuneiform signs are formed on clay tablets. Artisans work in their shops. They had long-lasting pattern of organization in a community which are institutions. They also had different development in certain types of work.

ection 1 Assessment

1.) For each term or name, write a sentence explaining its significance.
• artifact- allows scientists to re-create an image of what life was like

• culture- differs other groups from one another by different behaviors

• hominid- they are creatures that walk upright like humans

• Paleolithic Age-stone chopping tools were invented 

• Neolithic Age-polished stone tools 

• technology-tools and inventions were made to meet their needs.

• Homo sapiens- classification of modern human

2.) Using your notes: Which advance by a hominid group do you think was the
most significant? Explain.

The development of languages which allowed people to communicate with one another.

MAIN IDEAS
3.) What clues do bones and artifacts give about early peoples?

They can tell us how life was thousands of years ago

4.) What were the major achievements in human history during the Old Stone Age?

The creation of tools, mastery over fire, and the development of language.

5.) How did Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons differ from earlier peoples?

They were the most related to humans.