PELEOLITHIC PERIOD

PELEOLITHIC PERIOD

1. PREHISTORY IS DIVIDED INTO THREE PERIODS:

   • Metal age
     • - 8,000 BC- 4,000 BC
   • Paleolithic
     • - 2,500,000 BC- 8,000 BC
   • Neolithic
     • - 8,000 BC- 4,000 BC

2. PREHISTORY: began with the appearance of the first human beings and ended with the discovery of writing.

3. HUMAN ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION

   • HOMINID= ALL UPPER PRIMATES WHO WALKED UPRIGHT HOMINISATION= THE PROCESS OF EVOLUTION OF HOMINIDS
     • AUSTRALOPITHECUS
       • APPEARED ABOUT 4,000,000 YEARS AGO SIMILAR TO CHIMPANZEES WALKED ON TWO FEET LIVED IN AFRICA USED STICKS & STONES ABOUT 1M-1.40M TALL ATE FRUIT, SEEDS, ROOT VEGETABLES AND MEAT BRAIN SIZE: 400-500CM3
     • HOMO HABILIS
       • APPEARED ABOUT 2,500,000 YEARS AGO BRAIN BIGGER, MORE SKILFUL MADE STONE TOOLS LIVED FROM HUNTING AND GATHERING LIVED IN AFRICA ABOUT 1.40-1.50M TALL BRAIN SIZE: 650-800 CM3
     • HOMO ERECTUS
       • APPEARED ABOUT 1,800,000 YEARS AGO WALKED UPRIGHT LIVED IN AFRICA, ASIA & EUROPE DISCOVERED FIRE MADE BIFACES & WORE ANIMAL HIDES ABOUT 1.60M- 1.80M TALL BRAIN SIZE: 800-1000CM3
     • HOMO ANTECESSOR
       • APPEARED ABOUT 800,000 YEARS AGO ABOUT 1.60-1.85M TALL BRAIN SIZE: ABOUT 1000CM3 LIVED IN EUROPE (ATAPUERCA, BURGOS)
     • HOMO NEANDERTHALENSIS
       • EXISTED FROM AROUND 125,000BC – 30,000BC BRAIN SIMILAR TO HUMANS TODAY (1500CM3) LIVED IN EUROPE, AFRICA & ASIA BURIED THEIR DEAD, MADE STONE TOOLS, USED FIRE ABOUT 1.60M-1.70M TALL
     • HOMO SAPIENS
       • APPEARED AROUND 150,000BC SLIMMER AND TALLER MORE INTELLIGENT (BRAIN SIZE: 1500CM3) CREATED ART MADE FIRE & BURIED THEIR DEAD MADE TOOLS FROM STONE, BONE & ANIMAL HORNS LIVED IN AFRICA, ASIA, AMERICA, OCEANIA & EUROPE ABOUT 1.70-1.80M TALL

4. MOST IMPORTANT ANATOMICAL CHANGES DURING PROCESS OF HOMINISATION:

   • BIPEDALISM: ABILITY TO WALK ON TWO FEET AS A RESULT OF CHANGES IN THE PELVIS AND SKULL
   • UPRIGHT POSITION: ABILITY TO USE FRONT LIMBS TO MAKE TOOLS
   • OPPOSABLE THUMBS: ABILITY TO HOLD THINGS AND MAKE TOOLS
   • INCREASE IN SIZE OF SKULL AND BRAIN: INCREASED INTELLIGENCE & DEVELOPMENT OF THE FOREHEAD,
   • CHANGES IN LARYNX: DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAGE
   • CHANGES IN SIZE OF JAW AND TEETH: DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHIN

5. PALAEOLITHIC ART

   • TYPES OF PORTABLE ART:
     • VENUS FIGURINES, WHICH SYMBOLISED FERTILITY THEY WERE FIGURES OF FEMALES WITH BIG STOMACHS & EXAGGERATED FEATURES THEY USED STONE, BONE OR IVORY TO CREATE THE VENUS FIGURINES ENGRAVINGS: THEY CREATED DRAWINGS ON STONE, BONE OR WOOD BY MAKING INCISIONS. THEY USED BONES AND HORNS TO CREATE BATONS OF COMMAND. THESE BATONS WERE A SYMBOL OF AUTHORITY OR POWER THEY ALSO CREATED AMULETS (TO PROTECT THEM FROM EVIL SPIRITS), TALISMANS (WHICH HAD MAGICAL POWERS) AND ADORNMENTS (BRACELETS, RINGS AND NECKLACES USED FOR DECORATION).
   • HOMO SAPIENS ALSO CREATED PORTABLE ART
   • HOMO SAPIENS SAPIENS CREATED CAVE ART
     • THEY PAINTED ANIMALS (MAMMOTHS, BISON, DEER, HORSES ETC) THEY USED SEVERAL COLOURS (RED, BLACK, YELLOW & OCHRE)= POLYCHROME PAINTINGS THEY USED ANIMAL HAIR FOR BRUSHES THEY ALSO PAINTED WITH THEIR FINGERS THEY CREATED PAINT USING EGGS, ANIMAL FAT & MINERALS THE PAINTINGS WERE REALISTIC

6. LIFE IN THE PALAEOLITHIC AGE

   • THE CLIMATE WAS VERY COLD. HUMANS LIVED FROM HUNTING, FISHING AND GATHERING. THEY WERE SCAVENGERS AND PREDATORS. THEY HUNTED DEER, MAMMOTHS, BISON & HORSES. THEY GATHERED FRUIT. THEY WERE NOMADS THEY LIVED IN CAVES OR HUTS THEIR HUTS WERE MADE OF LEAVES, BRANCHES, ANIMAL SKINS AND STONES THEY LIVED IN CLANS (groups) OF ABOUT 10 PEOPLE SEVERAL CLANS FORMED A TRIBE SOCIETY WAS HIERARCHICAL THE MOST IMPORTANT MEMBERS OF SOCIETY WERE THE WITCH DOCTOR, THE WISEST OLD MAN & THE STRONGEST WARRIOR WOMEN & MEN HAD DIFFERENT TASKS MEN HUNTED, MADE TOOLS & DEFENDED THE TRIBE WOMEN LOOKED AFTER THE CHILDREN, GATHERED FRUIT & SMALL ANIMALS, TENDED THE FIRE & TREATED THE ANIMAL HIDES THEY BURIED THE DEAD WITH WEAPONS, FOOD AND JEWELLERY (GRAVE GOODS) THEY WORSHIPPED THE FORCES OF NATURE AND PRACTISED MAGIC RITUALS THE MORTALITY RATE WAS VERY HIGH

7. SKILLS IN THE PALAEOLITHIC AGE

   • AMINAL HIDES
     • THEY USED ANIMAL HIDES FOR CLOTHES, SHOES, SHELTERS, TO SLEEP ON & AS VESSELS TO CARRY FOOD, WATER ETC THEY GREASED THE HIDES TO MAKE THEM WATERPROOF
   • WORKING WITH STONE AND BONE
     • AT FIRST HOMINIDS USED STICKS & STONES IN THEIR ORIGINAL STATE LATER THEY MADE “KNAPPED” STONE TOOLS. KNAPPED STONES TOOLS WERE MADE BY HITTING ONE STONE AGAINST ANOTHER ONE TO BREAK PIECES OFF. TYPES OF KNAPPED STONE TOOLS: BIFACES TO CUT MEAT, SKINS, WOOD ETC CHOPPERS FOR DIGGING AND SKINNING ANIMALS KNIVES FOR CUTTING AND FOR WEAPONS SCRAPERS FOR CLEANING ANIMAL HIDES AND FOR SHARPENING KNIVES HARPOONS FOR FISHING SPEAR HEADS FOR HUNTING JAVELINS FOR HUNTING PERFORATORS FOR MAKING HOLES IN ANIMAL HIDES THEY ALSO MADE NEEDLES (MADE OF BONE) FOR SEWING ANIMAL HIDES
   • FIRE
     • THEY LEARNED TO MAKE FIRE BY RUBBING TWO STICKS TOGETHER OR HITTING TWO STONES TOGETHER THEY USED FIRE FOR COOKING, PROTECTION, TO DRY ANIMAL HIDES, TO HUNT ANIMALS & FOR LIGHT & HEAT

8. MOST FAMOUS VENUS FIGURINE= VENUS OF WILLENDORF (AUSTRIA)

9. FAMOUS CAVE PAINTINGS: ALTAMIRA CAVE (IN SPAIN) & LASCAUX CAVE ( IN FRANCE)