Module 2: The Stone Ages and Early Cultures

Lesson Opener
and
Essential Question
 In this module, you will know about the
earliest people. You will see how they
learned to make tools, hunt, gather food, and
even create art.

Essential Question

Why was the invention of farming revolutionary ?

 The Stone Age is the name given to
the earliest period of human culture
when stone tools were first used.
It lasted for millions of years.

The Stone Age ended around 5,000

years ago when humans began
working with metal and making tools
and weapons from bronze.

The Stone Age is divided into three periods, namely

the Paleolithic (Old Stone Age), Mesolithic
(Middle Stone Age), and Neolithic (New Stone Age)
based on the kinds of tools used at the time.
 Stone Age Weapons

Early people did not have modern weapons made of metal. Instead, they
transformed materials from their environment into useful tools.
Stone Age people made weapons and tools from stone, wood, and other natural
materials.
 The Stone Ages and Early Cultures
5 Million BC – 5000 BC
The first creatures appeared on the planet about
5 million years ago. As time passed, these creatures changed and increased. More creatures were
created.
Eventually, humans were created.
Humans made tools to be able to adapt to the environment, and they learned how to produce food.
T im el ine of Eve nt s 5 m il l ion BC–5000 BC E x p lo re O N L IN E !

5 Milli o n BC

4 – 5 m illion BC Earl y hum anl ike

c re at ur es c al l ed A ust ral o pi t hec us
de vel op i n A f r ic a.

2 .6 m illion B C H o m i nids
m ake t he fi rst st one t o ol s.

1 .6 m illio n B C H o m o
e r e ct u s ap p e ar s.

5 0 0 ,0 0 0 B C By t hi s t i m e ,
hom i nids l i ve al l ac r o ss Eur op e . 500, 00 0 BC

2 5 0 ,0 0 0 B C N eand er t hal s b e gi n
t o ap p ear i n Eur ope and Asia. 2 0 0 ,0 0 0 B C T h e fi rst m o d e r n
hum ans ap pe ar i n A f ric a.

10, 00 0 BC

9 0 0 0 B C H um ans occ upy al l o f

t he c ont i ne nt s e xc e pt A nt ar c t ic a.

8 0 0 0 B C Ic e age s e nd . P e o pl e
be gin t o d e vel op agr ic ul t ur e.

6 0 0 0 B C Mor e t han 5, 000 p e o pl e

l ive in Ç at al H üyük, T ur key.

5000 BC
5 million BC – 4 million BC
The first creatures appeared in Africa.
These early creatures were small and
shared some common features with
apes and humans. These creatures
were called hominids; early creatures
look like apes, chimpanzees, or
gorillas.

2.6 million BC
Hominids made the first stone tools.
Hominids used tools to cut roots,
bones, and meat. Sharp tools were
used to cut animal skins.
1.6 million BC
As time passed, other creatures
called homo erectus started to
appear. Homo erectus were early
creatures that were able to stand
and walk on two legs.

1.5 million BC
Homo erectus knew how to
control fire. Fire helped these
creatures to stay warm, cook
food, and protect themselves
against animals.
500,000 BC
By the time, these creatures
lived all across Europe.
They first appeared in Africa
and eventually moved to
other areas on the planet.

200,000 BC
The first humans appeared in Africa.
All human beings belong to a special species
called homo sapiens: wise human.

They learned to create fire, and

they developed a language.
100,000 BC
Humans began to migrate out
of Africa. When the earth’s
climate changed because of
the ice age, humans were
forced to move to other
places.

9000 BC
Humans occupied all the continents
except Antarctica.
It took 90,000 years for humans to
live on all the continents, excluding
Antarctica.
8000 BC
Ice Ages ended. People began to
develop agriculture. When
people went from being
hunter-gatherers to farmers,
human society changed forever.

6000 BC – 5000 BC
One of the earliest
farming villages was
discovered in Turkey,
where more than 5,000
people lived in.
 Important dates
• 2.6 million BC: stone age begins, or First stone tools were used by Hominids
like sharp tools to cut animals skins and tools to cut roots, bones, and meat

• 1.5 million BC: homo erectus controlled fire. Fire was used to keep them
warm, and keep them protected from animals, and cook food.

• 200,000 BC: homo sapiens appear at Africa. They develop spoken or oral
language and controlled fire

• 100,000 BC: Homo sapiens migrates from Africa as climate changes and The
ice age begins.

• 8,000 BC: Ice ages ended. Agriculture(farming) begins and people went
from being hunter-gatherers to farmers, human society changed forever.