The Beginnings of Human Society

Chapter 1, Section 2 The Stone Age The Stone Age began when humans first made tools out of stone. This happened about two-hundred fifty million years ago. They used stones to hammer at soft volcanic rock, and the volcanic rock chipped off into sharp pieces. Humans used the sharp pieces to cut plants or meat. The first tools were very simple, and the Stone Age lasted for hundreds of thousands of years. The Stone Age: Three Periods The Old Stone Age During the Old Stone Age, people did not know how to farm; they hunted animals and gathered roots and berries. They used stone tools to cut meat, cut animal skins for clothes, and to protect themselves. Most of prehistory takes place in the Old Stone Age. The Middle Stone Age Some societies used more refined or advanced tools characterizing the Middle Stone Age.

The New Stone Age The New Stone Age began about 11,000 years ago in Southwest Asia; when people began planting seeds and farming. Fire! About 500,000 years ago, during the Old Stone Age, people discovered fire. It is thought that people began striking stones together to make a spark, or maybe they rubbed two sticks together. When people learned how to make fire, they could move to colder places. They were also able to ward off animals. Settling New Areas

When people developed the use of tools, they began to leave their original homes in Africa. People in the Stone Age became nomads, which are people who wander and do not have a settled home. Nomads move around from place to place, searching for food. People began to spread out all over the earth. Reading Check

What was life like during the Stone Age?

Hominids, including the first people, made tools from stone, wood, and animal bones. They got food by hunting and gathering. They used fire and lived as nomads. The Beginning of Farming

When people discovered farming, about 11,000 years ago, the New Stone Age began. It is thought that women may have been the first farmers, since men were always off hunting. Women gathered plants and seeds, and it is likely that they discovered farming. When people began farming, they did not have to travel around anymore. They could get food from the land that they lived on. People began building shelters that looked more like houses. When farming began, people settled in lands with fertile soil. Fertile soil is soil that has nutrients, which help plants grow the best. Shelter

This is a prehistoric shelter that people in Russia used about 18,000 years ago. They are built out of the bones of the Wooly Mammoth, which was a very large animal that resembled an elephant. These shelters protected early humans from the weather, and from predators. Taming Animals

Humans learned another important skill during the New Stone Age. They learned to domesticate, or tame, wild animals. Dogs may have been among the first animals that were domesticated, because they could help early humans hunt. Humans also tamed sheep, cows, and pigs. This meant that they had a ready source of meat - they could just kill one of their domesticated animals when they needed food, instead of going out and hunting. The domestication of animals, along with the beginning of farming, led to humans staying in one place for longer periods of time. Reading Check

What skills did people develop during the New Stone Age?

They developed the ability to grow their own food and domesticate animals. Section 2 Assessment Comprehension and Critical Thinking

1. (a) Recall Describe how hominids of the Old Stone Age survived.

They hunted using stone weapons, gathered wild plants, and moved around constantly in search of food. 1. (b) Infer What important skills did hominids of the Old Stone Age use to find food?

The ability to find good hunting ground and knowledge of edible plants. 1. (c) Synthesize How did survival skills change as people began to settle?

They used their skills to find places to live that had good soil and experimented with different types of plants to find the ones that grew best in their area. 2. (a) Identify What marked the beginning of the New Stone Age?

The beginning of the New Stone Age was marked by people growing their own food. 2. (b) Contrast How was life in the New Stone Age different from life in the Old Stone Age?

The major difference between the New and Old Stone Age is that people settled in areas to grow their own food rather than traveling constantly in search of food. 2. (c) Apply Information What are the effects of geography and climate on farming?

Geography and climate affect whether certain types of plants will grow well in an area.