The Stone Ages Section 1: The First People

Chapter 2

Section Focus

• Humans have lived on the

earth for millions of years.

• Prehistoric people learned

to adapt to their

environment for survival.

• Period of time before

writing is called prehistory.

Hominids and Early Humans

• Hominids first appeared in Africa 3 million years ago.

• 3 Main groups of Hominids:

– (Early) Homo Habilis – Skillful Man

– (Middle) Homo Erectus – Man who walks upright

– (Last) Homo Sapiens – Man who thinks

• Modern humans (Homo Sapiens) appeared about

200,000 years ago in Africa.

Hominids and Early Humans

Stone Age Tools

• The first humans lived during

the Stone Age.

• People began using stone

tools in Africa during the

Paleolithic (Old Stone) Age.

• Stone Age tools grew more

advanced to cut and grind

food.

Stone Age Tools

• Improved tools by using

better stones and attached

wooden handles.

• People were now able to

hunt larger animals from

a distance.

Stone Age Tools

Hunter-Gatherer Societies

• Society: community of people

who share a common culture.

• Nomadic humans formed hunter-

gatherer societies.

• Hunted animals and gathered

plants to survive.

• Groups were small and lived

in caves due to scarcity.

Hunter-Gatherer Societies

Hunter-Gatherer Societies

• Hunter-gatherer societies developed language, art, and religion.

• The most important development was language:

– Advanced relationships formed

– Easier to hunt

– Complex communication

• Paleolithic Age lasted more than 2 million years and ended due to climate change.

Hunter-Gatherer Societies