This document summarizes the major periods of human prehistory from 4 million BCE to 10,000 BCE. It describes the evolution of early humans from hominids like Australopithecines and Homo habilis to later species like Homo erectus, Neanderthals, and Homo sapiens. Key developments included the emergence of tool use, control of fire, migration out of Africa, burial of the dead, clothing, and cave paintings. The period from 10,000 BCE marked the Neolithic Age, when humans transitioned from nomadic hunting and gathering to more settled agricultural lifestyles, growing crops and domesticating animals. Some of the earliest agricultural settlements included sites in northern Iraq dating to 9

1. Ms. Susan M. Pojer
Horace Greeley HS
Chappaqua, NY

2. Theories on prehistory and early
man constantly change as new
evidence comes to light.
- Louis Leakey, British
paleoanthropologist

4. 1. 4,000,000 BCE – 1,000,000 BCE
Paleolithic Age:
( Old Stone Age )
2. 1,500,000 BCE -- 250,000 BCE
2,500,000 BCE
to 8,000 BCE
3. 250,000 BCE – 30,000 BCE
4. 30,000 BCE -- 10,000 BCE

5. 
“Paleolithic” --> “Old Stone” Age

2,500,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE

Made tools
 hunting (men) & gathering (women)
 small bands of 20-30 humans

NOMADIC (moving from place to place)

6. 4,000,000 BCE – 1,000,000 BCE

Hominids --> any member
of the family of two-legged
primates that includes all
humans.
 Australopithecines
 An
Apposable
Thumb

7. 
HOMO HABILIS
( “Man of Skills” )

found in East Africa.

created stone tools.

8. 
Humans during this period found shelter in caves.

Cave paintings left behind.
Purpose??

9. 1,6000,000 BCE – 30,000 BCE

HOMO ERECTUS
( “Upright Human Being” )

BIPEDALISM

Larger and more varied
tools --> primitive technology

First hominid to migrate and
leave Africa for Europe and
Asia.

First to use fire ( 500,000 BCE )

10. Are we all Africans “under the skin”????

11. 200,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE
HOMO SAPIENS
( “Wise Human Being” )
Neanderthals
( 200,000 BCE – 30,000 BCE )
Cro-Magnons
( 40,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE )

12. NEANDERTHALS:

Neander Valley,
Germany (1856)

First humans to bury
their dead.

Made clothes from
animal skins.

Lived in caves and
tents.

13. NEANDERTHALS
Early Hut/Tent

14. CRO-MAGNONs:

Homo sapiens sapiens
( “Wise, wise human” )
 By 30,000 BCE they
replaced Neanderthals.
WHY???

16. 70,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE

17. 
“Neolithic”  “New Stone” Age

10,000 BCE – 4,000 BCE

Gradual shift from:
Nomadic lifestyle  settled, stationery lifestyle.
Hunting/Gathering  agricultural production and
domestication of animals.

18.  8,000 BCE – 5,000 BCE
 Agriculture developed independently in
different parts of the world.
 SLASH-AND-BURN Farming
Middle East
8,000 BCE
India
7,000 BCE
Central America
6,500 BCE
China
6,000 BCE
Southeast Asia
5,000 BCE

19. ?
?
Development
of Agriculture
?
?

20. Why do you think the
development of
agriculture occurred
around the same time in
several different places?

21. Why do some
archaeologists believe
that women were the
first farmers?

22. 
Growing crops on a regular basis made possible the
support of larger populations.

More permanent, settled communities emerged.

9,000 BCE  Earliest Agricultural Settlement at
JARMO ( northern Iraq )  wheat

23. 
8,000 BCE  Largest Early Settlement at Çatal Hüyük
( Modern Turkey )  6,000 inhabitants

12 cultivated crops

Division of labor

Engaged in trade

Organized religion

Small military
An obsidian dagger

24. Çatal Hüyük

25. What role did the food
supply play in shaping
the nomadic life of
hunter-gatherers and
the settled life of the
farmers?

30. Advanced
Advanced
Cities
Technology
Specialized
Record-
Workers
Keeping
Complex
Institutions