The Beginnings of Human Society

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The Beginnings of Human Society
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Otzi, the Iceman
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• In September 1991, in the Otztal Alps, a frozen
  body was discovered near the boarder between
  Austria and Italy.
• This became the oldest, natural, human mummy
  found in Europe.
• Helmlet and Erika Simon made the discovery as
  they walked as tourists through the Alps. It
  would not be until later that the mummy would be
  discovered to be about 5,300 years old.

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What have we found out about Otzi?

• Otzi has been x-rayed, examined, measured, CAT
  scanned and carbon dated. He was from the time
  called prehistory, the time before written
  records.
• He appears to have been somewhere around 40 years
  old at the time of his death, about 52 tall and
  possibly 110 pounds in weight.
• Because of the storm in which he was caught, he
  is very well preserved. Even the pollen grains
  which were attached to his clothing are preserved
  well enough to be studied.
• He seems to have lived his entire life with in 50
  miles of where he was found. One piece of
  evidence of this was the composition of his
  teeth. The buds of he adult teeth have the same
  composition as his milk teeth. The compounds
  found tell where he was in all probability born
  and then show the places he lived afterward.

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• Scientists have found that he ate two meals
  within 8 hours before he died. He had goat,
  deer, bread, and fruits and vegetables. This was
  determined from the contents of his intestines
  that have been extracted for examination.
• His occupation is in question. Was he a
  sheepherder? He was in the mountains where that
  was common and had bones that showed he had long
  walks over hilly terrain. Was he a leader /
  warrior? He had common weapons with him and had
  cuts and injuries similar to those of someone who
  had been in battle. Was he a copper smelter? He
  had high levels of copper and arsenic in his
  hair. Both would be present if someone was
  involved in copper smelting.
• His health was in question. He had whipworm.
  This is a round worm that attaches to the
  intestines and causes infection. They look like
  small whips with one thick end.

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• He had 3 4 broken ribs which were probably
  broken after he died.
• His epidermis, the outer layer of skin was
  missing due to a natural process of he
  mummification in the ice.
• He had multiply tattoos that were lines and dots
  and seem to show that he had arthritis and may
  have been using acupuncture to ease the pain.

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How did he die?

• Scientist originally thought he had died from
  exposure, getting caught in a late spring storm.
  
• The second theory was that he was an elder of his
  tribe and was ritualistically sacrificed because
  of his old age.
• Then the arrowhead was found in his shoulder and
  the theory that he had been engaged in a fight
  and had died from blood loss due to the wound.
  Scientist feel that even with todays modern
  medicine, he would have died. This arrow had the
  blood of two other people on it. It is thought
  that he may have helped others in his party and
  that is where the blood came from or that he had
  used and retrieved the arrow from others that he
  had wounded / killed.

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• But then the wounds on the hands and arms were
  found and four other blood DNA samples were found
  on him. So the current theory was that he died
  as a result of a fight or battle. A blow to the
  head was also found. Exactly when the head
  injury occurred is unknown. It could have been
  in a fall as he died or being hit by a rock.
• He died a solitary death from blood loss, hunger,
  cold and weakness however, his companions turned
  him over and tired to remove the arrow.
• They got the shaft but not the
• arrowhead.
• Well never really know for
• sure exactly what happened.

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The Lascaux Cave

• The Lascaux Cave is outside the city of
  Montignac.
• It is the site of the most famous Paleolithic
  art. They are approximately 16,000 years old.

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• The cave was discovered September 12, 1940 by
  some teenage boys.
• The cave was closed to the public in 1963 because
  the carbon dioxide from the visitors was causing
  the paint on the cave walls to deteriorate.
• The paintings were restored and a replica cave
  was built which opened in 1983.
• The cave continues to be monitored on a daily
  basis. The current problem is fungus. The
  scientists are treating the cave with fungicides
  and other chemicals to prevent the fungus from
  growing.

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• There are over 2,000 images on the cave walls.
  Horses, stags, cattle and bison are the
  predominate animals pictured.
• The cave is divided into sections
• The Great Hall of the Bulls four black bulls
  are the dominate figures.

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• The Chamber of Engravings
• The Chamber of Felines

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• The Main Gallery
• The Ceiling

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Prehistory or History?

• Prehistory the time before written records
• Archaeologist scientists who examine objects in
  order to learn about people and cultures
• History the written record of life and
  accomplishments of societies
• Oral Traditions stories passed down by word of
  mouth within a society. They include stories
  about family members as well as heroes and events
  of the past.
• History / Geography Link sometimes the place
  determines the human reaction to an event.

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Prehistory

• The Stone Age broken into three time periods.
  They are all characterized by tools made from
  stone.
• Old Stone Age People did not know how to farm.
  They were still hunter / gatherers. Stones were
  used as weapons and tools. The cooperative hunt
  was begun during this time period. Fire was also
  used during this time. At first it was a
  frightening thing. When control was gained, it
  had several uses. It was also during this time
  that man spread out over the entire world
  including to North and South America. Most
  people were nomads or wanderers with no permanent
  homes.
• Middle Stone Age the stone tools become more
  refined. The people discovered that where they
  dropped seeds there were new plants the next
  year.

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• New Stone Age People began to plant and grow
  their own crops. They no longer were nomads.
  Villages and towns grew up. They were farmers
  with domesticated, tamed, animals. They often
  produced a surplus or extra amount of food.

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Farming

• Farming was an extension of the gathering
  previously done in the small groups. It was a
  function of the female part of the society.
• Some places proved to be more suited to farming.
  They had fertile soil (soil that is good for
  planting), gentle rains, long springs and
  summers.
• They used the technique of selecting the biggest
  and best seeds to plant for the next year and
  eventually had the better crops.
• The domestication of animals came next. The
  first were probably dogs to help with hunting.
  Sheep, cows and pigs followed. They provided
  meat, milk, wool, and skins. The cattle, horses
  and donkeys became beasts of burden.

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Why live in a city?

• Advantages of living in a settlement
• a. a steady and plentiful supply of food
• b. with a surplus of food the population grew
• c. not all time spent getting food allows for
  the
• development of other kinds of work
• d. Artisans people who are especially skilled
  in
• making items such as baskets, leather
  goods,
• tools, pottery, or cloth
• Cities were set up along major rivers because of
  the drinkable water. Building trades began.
  This allowed for the storage of the surplus of
  food and for markets for the selling of goods
  from artisans.
• Governments began to form as more people gathered
  and there was a need for laws and for the
  settlement of disputes. This kept order.

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The First Civilizations

• Civilization a society that has cities, a
  central government run by official leaders, and
  workers who specialize in various jobs. Social
  classes are also present. The surplus of food
  allowed this and the beginnings of the artisans
  or skilled workers usually in the arts.
• Social Class groups within a larger group
  determined by similar background, wealth or ways
  of living.
• With the development of civilizations, other
  technology began. The smelting of metal, the
  wheel and axle, and trade. The Bronze Age began.