Archaeologist: A person who studies the remains of ancient societies to learn about past

ways of life.

Anthropologist: A person who studies

early human beings and the way societies and cultures originate and

are organized.

Paleontologist: A person who studies life existing in prehistoric times through fossils of plants, animals, and other organisms.

Radio Carbon Dating

+ Organic material, up to 50,000 years. + Rate of decay of radioactive carbon atoms.

Potassium Argon Dating

+ Dates stone, up to 3 billion years.

• Tanzania, 1978

• 3.6 million years

• One of earliest evidences of hominid existence.

• Ash, rain, prints, sun, ash, plant growth.

Mary LeakeyMary Leakey

• How old is she? Where was she found? 3.6 million years, Ethiopia.

• How do we know? Fossilized crocodile and turtle eggs, same sediment level. Potassium argon dating method.

• What is Lucy’s ultimate significance? Oldest, most complete, best preserved skeletal remains of

early hominid existence.

• They think she died at 20 and suffered from severe arthritis.

• How do they know??? Paleopathology

A paleopathologist is one who studies old and diseased things, specifically, diseases of human and animal as inferred from recent or fossilized skeletal remains.

• Location: Ethiopia, Tanzania (“southern ape”)

• Time Period 4-1 million years ago

• Physical Characteristics 3-5 ft. tall, 500 cubic centimeters cranial capacity (1/3 of

modern human

• Technology used objects in crude form

• Special Characteristics 1st hominid? Lucy and Laetoli footprints

• Olduvai Gorge - Area in northern Tanzania where Louis and Mary Leakey unearthed a skull of a Homo habilis.

• Skull fragments: 1.8 million years

• Location: Tanzania (Olduvai Gorge), Leakey’s

• Time Period: 2.5 - 2 million years

• Physical Characteristics 50% larger cranial capacity (750 cubic cm.)

• Technology: stone tools found in Olduvai Gorge

• Special characteristics: Beginning of stone age, (100 lbs of elephant meat carved in one hour!)

• Location: Africa, Europe, S.W. Asia, S.E. Asia

• Time Period: 2-1 million years

• Physical Characteristics Cranial capacity 1000 cubic cm, 6 ft. tall!

• Technology: 1st to use fire

• Special characteristics: 1st to leave Africa

• Take notes on the following during the video.

1. Two theories on the fate of Neanderthal

2. Theories as to why he became extinct

3. Evidence of sophistication

• Location: Europe, S.W. Asia (Neander Valley, Germany)

• Time Period: 200,000-30,000 years • Technology:

Temporary shelters, wood, bone and stone tools, excellent hunters

• Physical characteristics: Cranial capacity of modern humans (bigger?),

10-20% heavier bone mass than modern man, low brow, barrel chest, 5-51/2 feet tall

• Special Characteristics: Burial ceremonies (afterlife?),

evolution, or extinction?, braved the Ice Age

• (Anatomically modern man)

• Archaeologists sometimes call the late Paleolithic period of Cro-Magnon man as “The Great Leap Forward.”

• Compile a list of Cro-Magnon

achievements that might justify this claim.

Atlatl Atlatl (Spear-thrower)(Spear-thrower)

Discovered in 1879. Dates 12,000 – 25,000 BC.

• Location: Africa, Europe, Asia, Americas

• Time Period: 70,000-15,000 years BC

• Physical Characteristics: Modern Man, larynx (organized speech, 50 yr. life

expectancy (Neanderthal=40)

• Technology: (over 100 tools) stone, bone wood=fish hook, spear,

harpoon, atlatl, chisel, sewing needle,

• Special Characteristics: cave art, jewelry, “leap” in technology, creativity

Robert Robert BraidwoodBraidwood

Excavation at Jarmo, Iraq

• 1 of earliest Neolithic villages found

• Settlement of 100-150 people• Stone sickles, bowls• Domesticated goats, sheep

and dogs• 16 layers of sediment• 16th=charred seeds of wheat

and barley dating to 7,000 BC• 1 of earliest known uses of

agriculture

Catal Huyuk – Catal Huyuk – Neolithic Neolithic VillageVillage

• South Central Turkey

• Neolithic villagePopulation 6,00006,000 BCLargest Neolithic village

ever excavated

Shrines for worship, mother goddessEvidence of agriculture, grain storage