PREHISTORY

PREHISTORY

1. THE PROCESS OF HOMINISATION

   • WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF HOMINISATION ? The process of hominisation refers to the series of changes which gradually occurred in these new species. From that shared ancestry, evolutionary developments occurred over millions of years. This eventually led to the appearance of the first human beings
   • HOMO ABILIS
     • Homo habilis Height: 1.40-1.50 m Brain size: 650-800 cm3 Dated: 2.5-1.5 million years Their name comes from their ability to make tools. They are the first genus Homo hominids. The genus Homo hominids are so similar to us that they are considered human beings. 
   • HOMO ERECTUS
     • Homo erectus Height: 1.60-1.80 m Brain size: 800-1000 cm3 Dated: 1.8-0.1 million years They perfected tool making and learnt to use fire. They spread from Africa to Europe and Asia.
   • HOMO NEADERTHALENSIS
     • Homo neanderthalensis Height: 1.60-1.70 m Brain size: 1500 cm3   Dated: 125000-30000 B.C. They possessed great physical strength and intelligence. They used complex tool making techniques and buried their dead.
   • HOMO SAPIENS
     • Homo sapiens Height: 1.70-1.80 m Brain size: 1500 cm3 Dated: 150000 B.C.-the present day. They spread from Africa across all the continents. They developed sophisticated tools and hunting techniques. They are responsible for the first works of art. 

2. The Paleolithic Period

   • The Paleolithic Period, which means ‘old stone’, began two and a half million years ago. It is divided into three periods: Lower, Middle and Upper Paleolithic.  These were followed by a period of transition called the Epipaleolithic
   • The Paleolithic Period is the longest period in Prehistory. It covers 99.5 % of the history of the human race. It began with the appearance of tools made of stone, bone and wood.
   • The Upper Paleolithic
     • The Upper Paleolithic (from 40 000 to 10 000 years ago). Homo sapiens came from this period. Carving techniques developed and new types of tools made of stone, ivory, bone and wood appeared. These included perforators, arrow heads, harpoons, javelins, spear throwers and needles.
   • The Middle Paleolithic
     • The Middle Paleolithic (from 125 000 years ago). Homo neanderthalensis is from this period. The members of this species lived in Europe and Western Asia. Technological advances were made and knives and scrapers began to be produced
   • The Lower Paleolithic
     • The Lower Paleolithic (from two and a half million years ago). In this period, stones were knapped, that is, they were shaped by hitting them with a stone. The first tools appeared in the Rift Valley (Africa) and were used to cut up animals and firewood. They are associated with Australopithecus and the earliest genus Homospecies: Homo habilis and Homo erectus. Homo erectus learned to make bifaces.
   • The Epipaleolithic
     • The Epipaleolithic (from 8000 B.C.) was a period of transition between the Paleolithic and Neolithic Age in Europe and on the Iberian Peninsula. As temperatures rose and the ice receded, some Neolithic advances were adopted in these regions. The tools they made were similar to those of the previous period, but smaller.

3. The Neolithic Period

   • The Neolithic Period, which means ‘new stone’, began around 8 000 B.C., when agriculture and the domestication of animals appeared