KEY INQUIRY QUESTIONS How do we know How did What challenges What evidence Over the millennia, early humans early humans faced early tells us about in what ways have migrated ‘out of live? humans and the development humans changed and Africa’ across how did they of ancient in what ways have they the Earth? deal with them? societies? stayed the same? & MIGRATION SETTLEMENT add free pic add free pic add free pic pages Throughout human history, Sample people have felt the urge to move outwards from their homelands to improve their lives. This pattern of migration can be traced back SOURCE The first migration: our ancestors 0.1 left Africa to settle across the globe through the millennia to the between 100 000 and 60 000 years ago. By 10 000 BCE they had colonised all of the continents except Antarctica. How Stone Ages. did they survive and thrive in such very 2 different physical environments? of Sumatra, a catastrophic event that lowered global 100 000 BCE Homo sapiens begin UNI to migrate from Africa temperatures for more than 1000 years. Thus, in 60 000 BCE, most people were still living in Africa. Apart from their T SNAP SHOT hunter-gatherer lifestyle these early modern humans were just like us. They had the same physical and mental 1 OUT OF AFRICA capacities as modern humans, along with the ability to adapt to any environment on Earth. Then, in about 200 000– Fossils and DNA provide strong evidence that BCE From about 100 000 onwards, small family 60 000 BCE, during the final cold period of the last Ice Age, 40 000 BCE modern human beings (Homo sapiens) originated groups drifted northwards to south-western Asia, the most important human migration out of Africa began. Middle Palaeolithic in Africa in about 150 000 BCE, during the but this migration ceased in about 70 000 BCE. Palaeolithic period period (Old or Old Stone Age. This period Some experts think that this was because of 50 000 BCE Humans have Stone Age) is so called because early people used very basic the volcanic eruption of Toba on the island settled Australia and Central Asia; estimated world stone tools to help them survive. population is one million SOURCE Venus of Dolni Veˇstonice, SOURCE Zhoukoudian, China, 1.3 1.4 28 000–22 000 BCE c. 25 000 BCE 45 000 Humans have moved into This small figurine of a woman A tooth from an early human Central and Western Europe SOURCE Lascaux, France, c. 17 000 BCE 1.2 is one of the earliest examples was found in this cave alongside These paintings on the walls of ceramic sculpture created by stone tools, a layer of ash, burnt SOURCE Clovis people, of a cave show an abundance humans. It was found at the site stones, charred bones, berry 1.6 of mammoth, bison, oxen of two early kilns along with seeds and more than 40 species c. 9500 BCE and deer. more than 700 other fired pottery of mammal fossils. First artefacts of the Clovis 40 000 BCE First stone tools are fragments. people, discovered in Clovis, developed in South-East Asia New Mexico, USA. These 38 000 Estimated world population people were skilled big game is 1.5 million; what is now Great hunters who made use of a Britain is settled; earliest evidence distinctive spearhead known of cremation, Lake Mungo, pages as the Clovis point. Australia 30 000 BCE First bone and ivory needles are developed 40 000– 12 000 BCE Upper 25 000 Northward migration Palaeolithic of Homo sapiens through Asia; period (Old estimated world population is Stone Age) three million APSHOT N S BCE 20 000 First spear-throwers UNIT 1 17 000 Cave paintings, Lascaux, France T N 15 000 Crossing of the Beringia land bridge from Asia to the ME Americas E Sample TL T E S 10 000 BCE Glacial retreat begins & 9000 First pottery is made 12 000– 2000 BCE SOURCE Lake Mungo, SOURCE Monte Verde, c. 11 000 BCE 8000 Estimated world population 1.5 1.7 is six million Neolithic ATION SOURCE This map shows key sites for 60 000–40 000 BCE There is evidence of human R period (New G 1.1 early Homo sapiens. It also settlement in Chile, South America, The earliest finds of Homo sapiens Stone Age) M 5000 Beginnings of metalwork; shows the routes that the fossils in Australia have been at Lake LEGEND as early as 11 000 BCE. This date farming spreads to Western Europe is at least 1300 years earlier than A first human migrants might Mungo in New South Wales. Two fossil 3500 First pictorial evidence of Site of early modern human M have taken from Africa to the skeletons, those of ‘Mungo Man’ and scientists had at first thought. No- wheeled vehicles in Sumer ‘Mungo Lady’, have been found. There remains one knows how these migrating U rest of the world. H N I has been some controversy over the Migration of early modern early humans found a way through dating of Mungo Man: some experts humans the vast ice glaciers of North SOURCE Timeline of prehistory believe his fossils are more than 60 000 160 000 bce Approximate date of first America of the Ice Age. 1.8 years old, while others place him at evidence of modern humans 4 PEARSON history about 42 000 BCE. 5 UNI E CVIDEN E OF HUMAN N EANDERTHALS T MIGRATION VERSUS EARLY HUMANS Proof of the migration of early humans can be When the first groups of Homo sapiens migrated 2 found at numerous archaeological sites across the out of Africa, they were not alone. Populations of world (see Source 1.1). These comprise caves, rock Homo neanderthalensis or Neanderthals (named and cliff shelters, open campsites, and middens or after the Neander valley in Germany, where their rubbish heaps filled with the litter of early human fossils were first discovered in 1856) were already life: bones, shells, seeds and broken tool and arrow living in Europe and parts of Asia and had been points. They allow archaeologists to estimate when there since about 350 000 BCE. We know a lot about humans arrived in the areas where they are found. Neanderthals since they tended to live in areas rich with limestone caves, which preserved their bones The recent remarkable advances in the understanding well and have proved to be an abundant source of of human physiology, which is the study of the prehistoric fossils and artefacts for archaeologists. working of the human body, through molecular SOURCE Jomon shell midden from 2.1 a site near Kawasaki, biology are another way in which we can learn Homo neanderthalensis was physically distinct Japan. The Jomon about the migration patterns of early humans. from Homo sapiens, with a low, sloping forehead, people lived in Japan from By comparing DNA from fossils with DNA from a prominent brow ridge, a heavy, jutting jaw and about 13 680 BCE to 410 BCE. In this midden archaeologists have modern humans, scientists can work out how Homo little or no chin. Neanderthals were also broader found fish bones, clams, oyster sapiens settled the Earth and when changes or splits shouldered than modern humans, were extremely shells and other shellfish remains. in the population occurred. muscular in the upper body and in their short, M IGRATION strong legs, and had very broad, strong feet. There 1 What sort of dishes is much debate about Homo neanderthalensis do you think the Jomon people might Mi GRATION BEGINS among archaeologists. One source of disagreement THAT N EANDERTHALS has been whether it is a subspecies of Homo sapiens have cooked with It is not known for certain why the movement out of Africa began. The KON these foods? pagesW WERE NEARLY or not. Should it really be classified as Homo hunter-gatherer lifestyle could be a precarious one, dependent on climatic CALLED ‘STUPID sapiens neanderthalensis? 2 Conduct further conditions and the abundance of game and edible plants. When conditions research on the PEOPLE’? changed, the early humans reacted by moving on to other areas. They internet to find out The scientific conventions governing the naming what archaeologists were able to adapt successfully to just about any climate in which they of species say that the name published first is have uncovered about found themselves, from the harshness of nine-month winters and sub-zero the Jomon people’s the one that sticks—luckily for the Neanderthals! SOURCE The skulls of Homo neanderthalensis (left) and ON cooking from their temperatures to the searing heat of arid desert regions and the energy- 2.2 an early Homo sapiens (right) I In 1866 CE, the German biologist Ernst Haeckel T research of middens sapping humidity of steamy tropical rainforests. By the end of the Ice Age, in A proposed that they be named Homo stupidus, R such as this one. BCE G approximately 15 000 , this vast migration was complete. Ice Age hunting but the name Homo neanderthalensis had been 1 Trace the two skulls and label the distinctive I Present your findings bands and family groups had settled all of Africa, Europe and Asia. They features of both skulls. M in a short paragraph. accepted two years earlier and so that is how we had crossed to the Americas via the Beringia land bridge and had traversed now know them. 2 What conclusions can you draw about the tropical waters in canoes and on rafts to settle New Guinea and Australia. two skulls? UNIT 2 The only continent untouched by humans was Antarctica.