Early Civilizations

By Hannah Colbert
  • 200,000 BCE

    Hammerstone

    About 3 million years ago. One of the first tools used. Chimp relatives used it first. Hammer stones were flat, sharp rocks. Used to kill animals 2.5 million years ago. Later replaced by bows and arrows due to the long distance ability.
  • 200,000 BCE

    Fire

    Unclear where the fire was first tamed by humans. Somewhere between 1.5 million- 230,000 years ago. This was important for survival. Allowed them to cook, ward of predators and survive harsh cold climates.
  • Period: 200,000 BCE to 5000 BCE

    Australopithecus

    Existed 4.5 million years ago. They were the first hominids. Located in Central Africa, present day Ethiopia. They lived in the trees. Very animal like. Ate fruits, berries, and nuts, not much meat. No distinct special qualities. Important due to being the start of the evolutionary chain.
  • Period: 200,000 BCE to 5000 BCE

    Homo Habilis

    2.5 million years ago. Means able human. First to use stone tools. Teardrop shaped hand axes. Next step in evolutionary chain as well as a huge jump in technology. Bigger brain aided in further knowledge and shared learning. Located in central Africa, present day Ethiopia. Ate leaves, woody plants, and animal tissue.
  • Period: 200,000 BCE to 5000 BCE

    Homo Erectus

    1.8 million years ago. First hominids to stand on two feet. Were the first to have human like proportions. Moved outside of Africa. They were the longest living early human species. There was an increase between them and their predecessors.
  • Period: 200,000 BCE to

    Homo Sapiens

    200,000 years ago. Dispatched all other human like organisms. There were two types, Neanderthals and Homo Sapien Sapiens. The Homo Sapien Sapiens survived due to collective learning and language. They evolved during a dramatic climate change.
  • 70,000 BCE

    Mt Toba

    74,000 years ago. Worlds biggest eruption of the last 2 million years. Located in modern day Indonesia. Caused a global ash winter of six to ten years. Thought to cause a “population bottleneck” within human evolution.
  • 65,000 BCE

    Out of Africa Theory

    All humans originally came from Africa and moved out of there. According to it humans left Africa around 2 million years ago. The theory is important due to the explanation it provides as to why all humans have the same basic structure but the little differences came from adaptations based on environments.
  • 12,600 BCE

    Bering Land Bridge

    20,000 years ago. Connected Asia to the Americas. Allowed migration of people between Asia and the Americas. Began to disappear beneath the sea around 13,000 years ago. Theories that first Americans lived on the land bridge for thousands of years.
  • 10,000 BCE

    Animal Domestication

    Man domesticated wolves and breaded them specially for desired tasks or to be more adorable. Wolves would aid in hunting and get human scraps. Cattle were domesticated for milk, meat, and leather. Sheep for wool. Goats for milk. Oxen, donkeys, and oxen for the transport of goods, horses followed soon after. And cats were bred for pets.
  • 6000 BCE

    Pottery

    18,000 years ago. First used during the Neolithic revolution. Used as art and storage. People traded them and used them for food preparation and storage. Symbols written on them told of the culture they originated from.
  • 6000 BCE

    Irrigation

    First seen in Mesopotamia and Egypt. Used water from the Nile and Tigris/Euphrates rivers to water their crops. This system was useful for civilizations that didn’t get a lot of rain. Their system was to divert floodwater in the fields for 40-60 days before draining it back into the river. This changed the way they farmed making it easier and faster. Irrigation systems became more advanced with time.
  • 4500 BCE

    The Plow

    Was invented in the Middle East during the Neolithic revolution. The plow was used to farm. It was used to break up soil, bury crop residue, and help control weeds. It was important because it made farming easier and quicker since they no longer had to dig holes with their hands. In the beginning the plows were pulled by humans but later they were pulled by animals making it even easier and faster. This helped with the creation of cities as it helped set the foundations of farming.
  • 3300 BCE

    Ice Age

    2.6 million years ago. Ice and glaciers covered all of the earth. Ocean levels were low. Some theories contain a land bridge connecting current day North America to current day Europe. Climate was most colder and drier than present day. People began to make their own clothes to stay warm and caves were used as shelters.