life-prehistoric time

life-prehistoric time

1. physical development

   • humans-hominids
     • walked on all fours
   • homo erectus
     • walked upright/erect posture
     • see further in all directions
     • freely use both hands

2. lived in natural shelters-caves,trees and groves

3. food-wild berries,roots,fruits,insects and flesh of animals

4. they have thick hair and did not wear any clothes

5. modern humans-homo sapiens

   • appeared-40,000 years ago-mastered art of making tools

6. stone age-3000BCE used stones stones on a large scale

   • palaeolithic-old stone age
     • first stage of human civilization-500000BCE to 10000BCE
     • made unpolished crude stone tools-hammer,scraper,axehead
       • used for cutting trees,skinnig animals,chopping meat and digging roots
     • FOOD-fruits,roots,nuts,eggs and raw flesh of animals and birds
     • shelter-to protect from animals and bad weather in caves and trees
     • clothing-barks of tree,leaves and animal skins
       • made clothes by sticking animal skin with bone needles
     • social life-lived in small groups moving from place to place in search of food
     • cave paintings-engrave pictures on ivory,flat bones and horns and painted pictures of animals and hunting scenes on cave walls
     • Discovery of fire-used naturally caused fire,later 2 dry stones rubbed together produced fire
       • fire was used for roasting meat,to keep warm and frightening animals away
   • mesolithic-middle stone age
     • period-10000BCE to 8000BCE
     • advance stone tools-microliths were sharper and smaller and more effective e.g. scrapers,hammers and hooks
     • occupation-hunters,food gatherers and towards the end of the period learnt farming
   • neolithic-new stone age
     • period-8000BCE to 4000BCE
     • from food gatherers and hunters to food producers
     • improved stone tools-well shaped polished,used for digging sticks were used to till the soil and stone knives - cut plants,fruits and meat
     • agriculture-crops grown like wheat and barley
     • domestication of animals-dogs,goat,sheep,cattles were used for milk,meat and skin
       • bullock,donkeys and horses-ploughijng the fields
     • invention of wheel-change the way of life -potters wheel used to make better pottery-transportation for carrying loads
     • pottery-potters wheel helped in making pots of various shapes and sizes-decorated with floral designs and geometrical patterns-stored grains water and food
     • settlement-agriculture,domestication of animals helped in settlement-lived in small villages-population increased
     • division of labour-main occupation agriculture-others shepherds, fishing,domestication of animals,the need for pottery,tools,clothes,hardstone lead to specialization
     • dress-had developed the art of spinning and evening.cotton ,woollen replaced the skin of animal and barks of tree
     • barter system-system of exchanging goods for goods
     • social life-population increased,became important to regulate the life of people with rules these established as customs like oldest and wisest man became head-man who maintained law in order and protected people from enemies
     • religion-scared of natural calamities e.g..floods and earthquakes so began to worship the forces of nature to please them-dead were buried with food,weapons,tools this suggested in their belief in afterlife
   • chalcolithic-copper-stone age
     • period-4000BCE to 2000BCE
     • stone tools and copper tools were used and it marked the end of the new stone age
     • features-discovery of metals -1 metal discovered was copper tools like axe,knives,swords and spearhead were made.Mixing of copper and tin formed a harder and stronger metal bronze-lead to high degrees of agriculture skills
     • economy-could produce more than what required in less time and-had time to create new inventions. Division of labour became more organised and specific
     • society-became more complexed and classified into different groups
     • iron was discovered and was harder than copper and bronze and was easily available[iron age began in about 1200BCE]