The New Childrens Encyclopedia

EARLY PEOPLE

187

TELL ME MORE...

As the early people moved

northward, they had to cope

with a colder climate and survive

the ice ages. Clothes were first

made from animal skins, but

later, people discovered how to

spin and weave wool.

Dated: 250,000–30,000 ya

Fossils found in Europe and

Middle East with protruding

jaw, receding forehead, and

weak chin.

HOMO NEANTHERTHALENSIS HOMO SAPIENS

Dated: 100,000 ya to present

Found all over the world, these skulls

have a rising forehead, prominent

chin, and light bone structure and can

hold a large brain.

Pebble hammer

for shaping flint

WHO’S WHO?

O

Lucy: A female skeleton aged 25 years

found in Ethiopia and estimated to have lived

3.2 mya. She was about 3 ft 6 in (107 cm) tall.

O

Nutcracker man: Teeth and skull fragments

found in Tanzania of a hominid estimated to

have lived 2 mya. With the biggest, flattest

cheek and thickest teeth enamel of any

hominid, he ate only nuts and seeds.

O

Peking man: One of 40

individuals found at a site in

China and estimated to have

lived 500,000–300,000 ya.

O

Old man: A 30-40 year old

skeleton with severe arthritis

found in France. Estimated

to have lived 50,000 ya,

he would have had an average

height of 5 ft 6 in (168 cm).

 PEKING MAN

Historians have found

evidence that the Peking

man and his companions

would have lived in caves,

made tools, and used fire to

keep warm and cook food.

Feathers

O
 Paleolithic period: People moved around following

the herds and used clubs and sharpened stones to hunt.

O Mesolothic period: Hunters made bows and arrows

and the gatherers made baskets for collecting fruits and

nuts. People continued to move around.

O Neolithic period: People became food producers so

were able to have a more settled lifestyle. They made

wooden agricultural tools and developed new crafts,

such as pottery.

TAKE A LOOK: STONE AGE

 GATHERERS’ TOOLS

Flakes of flint were attached

to wooden handles. These

tools were used to

dig up edible roots

and cut wood for fires.

 HUNTERS’ TOOLS

The metal tips of the arrows

were dipped in poison made

from beetle larvae.

 CARVINGS

Animal bones were

skillfully carved to show

pictures and to make

small sculptures.

 FIRST TOOLS Pieces of flint

were shaped by chipping away

flakes, leaving a sharp edge.

Bark for collecting

fruits and nuts

Carving of

a mammoth

HISTORY AND POLITICS

A spark was

made by hitting

an iron stone

against a flint.