Prehistory

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} Historians study human events from the past.

} Prehistory is the first and longest era of human


history. It includes all events before writing
was invented.
} Because there are no written texts from
Prehistory, historians rely on other disciplines
to investigate this era:
PALEONTOLOGY studies fossils.
These are the skeletal remains of living things
that have been petrified and preserved in
sedimentary rocks
} Historians study human events from the past.
} Prehistory is the first and longest era of human
history. It includes all events before writing
was invented.
} Because there are no written texts from
Prehistory, historians rely on other disciplines
to investigate this era:
ARCHAEOLOGY studies the objects, utensils and
monuments of past civilisations.
} We divide Prehistory into three ages:
PALEOLITHIC AGE
This is the longest period of Prehistory.
Our ancestor learnt to use fire, began making utensils,
and expressed themselves artistically.
} We divide Prehistory into three ages:
NEOLITHIC AGE
Thanks to agriculture and livestock, humans no longer
needed to be nomadic, and became sedentary.
The first stable settlements appeared.
} We divide Prehistory into three ages:
METAL AGES
People began making tools, weapons and utensils out of
metals.
Societies became more complex.
} Prehistory ends with the invention of writing.
} After this event, historians can use authentic documents to
better understand the past.
} History is divided into historical ages.
} We use important historical human events to identify the
transitions from one age to the next.
} In Western culture, historical dates also refer to the birth of
Christ.

◦ Dates before Christ s birth use the initials BC and go in decreasing order.

◦ Later dates are in the Christian era or ANNO DOMINI and use initials
AD. They go in increasing order.
} We divide history into these ages:
ANCIENT TIMES (3000 BC-476 AD)
The Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilisations were
very important during this period.
It ends with the fall of the Roman Empire.
} We divide history into these ages:
MIDDLE AGES (476 AD – 1492)
Europe followed a feudal system in which nobles had
most of the power.
The voyages of Columbus introduced Europeans to
other cultures.
} We divide history into these ages:
MODERN AGES (1492-1789)
Some kings and queens ruled as absolute monarchs.
New cultural and artistic movements, such as the
Enlightenment, developed.
} We divide history into these ages:
CONTEMPORARY HISTORY (1789- Present day)
The French Revolution and its fight for liberty marked
the beginning of Contemporary History.
We currently live in this era.
} Around six million years, the Earth underwent a
period of climate change.
} Many forests disappeared in eastern Africa and
turned into dry savannahs.
} Some species of primates slowly began to evolve
and walk upright on two legs.
} This helped them adapt better to their new
environment since they could travel longer
distances to find water and food.
} Paleontologists have found fossils of these early
hominids with features similar to those of modern
humans.
} AUSTRALOPITHECUS AFARENSIS
◦ This species also inhabited eastern Africa about
four million years ago.
◦ They walked upright and ate fruits, plants and even
dead animals.
} HOMO HABILIS
◦ They could make tools.
◦ They migrated from their original location in
Ethiopia to other parts of Africa over two million
years ago.
} HOMO ERECTUS
◦ These were the first to leave Africa and migrate to
other areas such as Europe and Asia.
} HOMO NEANDERTHALENSIS
◦ They lived in Europe during the Ice Age at the
same time as the Homo Sapiens, but die out around
25,000 years ago.
} HOMO SAPIENS
◦ Modern humans belong to this species.
◦ It spread all across the planet.
} The term PALEOLITHIC means “old stone” and
it refers to the first stone utensils made by humans.
} Daily life was very difficult for the first hominids.
} However, they were able to adapt to different
environments and even survive periods of
glaciation.
◦ They were nomads that move around in search of food.
◦ They lived in small groups, which was useful for
hunting, learning to do tasks and caring for children
and the weak.
◦ They believed in an afterlife. Archaeologists have found
tombs with skeletons that also had objects, weapons and
food with them.
} They were hunters and gatherers. They
hunted, fished and gathered fruit and molluscs.
} Paintings and engravings can be found in cave
art.
} They used bifaces to dig, and cut or scrape
skins.
} They discovery of fire by the Homo Erectus
allowed them to light their caves, cook, make
weapons and protect themselves from
dangerous animals and the cold.
} The Neolithic Age began in 8000 BC and finished
in 4000 BC.
} Two main agricultural discoveries let humans
produce their own food in this period.
} This turned them into a producing economy.
} Crops: They realized that seeds underground grew
into new plants. They discovered that if they
buried ada watered these seeds, they could later eat
these plants.
} Livestock: They domesticated sheep, goats, pigs,
etc. This gave them meat and furs without the need
for hunting.
} The first settlements appeared in fertile lands that
were irrigated by rivers.
} The population increased thanks to improved
living conditions.
} Because humans no longer needed to find food,
they became sedentary.
} As a result of this, farmers could now plan
planting cycles.
} New jobs emerged, like farmers and potters.
} Social differences also appeared.
} The invention of pottery allowed foods to
be stored and cooked in clay pots and
bowls.
} They invented stone wheels.
} They built their houses out of adobe
bricks.
} They invented new farmings tools, like
the hoe and sickle.
} They made textiles.
} The Metal Ages are divided into three ages depending
on the type of metal that was used:

COPPER AGE (4000 BC)


Copper tools and weapons were very fragile.

BRONZE AGE (3000 BC)


Bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, was more resistant.
They used it to make farming tools and sophisticated
weapons.

IRON AGE (1000 BC)


Iron was more abundant and resistant than the previous
metals.
} The discovery of metal caused great changes:

} New Jobs arose:


} Miners extracted minerals from the ground.
} Blacksmiths made weapons and tools.
} Craftsmen decorated these new utensils.
} Traders exchanged different products.

} They began building giant, stone megaliths. They


used them as tombs or religious sites. Their most
important monuments were:

MENHIR CROMLECH
DOLMEN
A LARGE,
VERTICAL
STONE
TWO OR MORE MENHIRS
COVERED WITH A LARGE
HORIZONTAL STONE
MANY MENHIRS TOGETHER
IN THE FORM OF A CIRCLE
} There are important collections of cave
paintings on the Iberian Peninsula.
} They are classified into two groups:
CANTABRIAN CAVE ART
This belongs to the Paleolithic Age.
It is located inside cave on the Cantabrian coast.
It includes vibrant paintings of animals like bison,
horses or deer.
The caves of Altamira (Cantabria) and Tito
Bustillo (Asturias) are very important.
} There are important collections of cave
paintings on the Iberian Peninsula.
} They are classified into two groups:
LEVANTINE CAVE ART
This belongs to the Neolithic Ages.
It is found on the Mediterranean coast.
It includes schematic scenes of human figures
carrying out different activities, like hunting or
dancing.
The caves of Cogull (Lleida) and Valltorta
(Castellón) are very important.

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