Reading the Past
Early humans and the first crops
Describe how early humans lived as hunters and gatherers, and follow what changed after the last Ice Age when people began to farm, settle and build the first towns.
Modern humans — Homo sapiens — have walked the planet for about 300,000 years. Set against the age of the Earth that is a tiny fraction, and for most of it people lived in bands or groups, seeking shelter and food, facing many challenges from nature. They were mainly hunters and gatherers: they relied on hunting, and on collecting edible plants and fruits, to survive.
What they left behind
These groups lived in temporary camps, rock shelters and caves, used fire, and made stone axes, blades and arrowheads. They spoke languages that are now lost, so nothing they said reaches us — but rock paintings in hundreds of caves around the world do. Some show simple figures or a few symbols; others show whole scenes with animals and humans.
Have a play
A rock shelter wall, and the parts of the painting on it.
Tap any part of the picture.
When the ice went
At certain times the Earth's climate turned very cold and much of it was covered with ice — an Ice Age. The last one lasted from over 100,000 years ago to around 12,000 years ago. When the climate warmed, the ice partly melted, the meltwater swelled the rivers, and living conditions improved.
Worked example
After the ice went, groups in many parts of the world stopped moving on and stayed put. Why did staying put change so much?
They began cultivating cereals and grains instead of collecting whatever grew.
A crop you sow is a crop you can count on, in a place you choose. Gathering takes what the season happens to offer.
Try it together
Now follow what happens to a settlement as it grows.
A hamlet is a small settlement or small village. Suppose one sits beside a river, with fields around it, and the harvests keep coming in well.
1.The hamlet grows into something bigger, and it starts trading with the settlements nearby. Mostly it exchanges three kinds of thing: food, tools, and what else that people wear?
Have a go
Your turn: which technology, named alongside metal, was for making pots and other clay objects?
Hint: The word is built from the name of the thing it makes.
Ready to practise?
Eight questions on what you have just read. Nothing is timed, and you can play as many times as you like.