Lesson 1: The Distant Past

Our understanding of the past is always changing as new evidence emerges. While most scientists believe human life began in East Africa based on fossils like Lucy, other finds raise new questions. Michel Brunet's discovery of a 7-million-year-old skull in Central Africa suggests human origins might be older and located elsewhere. This shows that history is not a finished story but an active, ongoing investigation that challenges previous conclusions.

Archaeologists and anthropologists investigate prehistory, the time before writing. They examine two main types of evidence:

• Fossils: Hardened remains of ancient living things, like bones or footprints.
• Artifacts: Objects made and used by humans, such as tools or weapons.

By studying where these are found and using methods like radioactive dating, scientists can piece together stories of how early humans lived millions of years ago, forming conclusions about the past.

For a long time, scientists have focused their search for human origins in Africa. Major discoveries support this theory, including the Leakeys' "handy man," Donald Johanson's famous 3.2-million-year-old skeleton "Lucy," and Tim White's even older find, "Ardi." These East African fossils provide powerful evidence that the earliest human ancestors first appeared on this continent and learned to walk upright there over millions of years.

During the Paleolithic Era, or Old Stone Age, early humans' survival depended on their ingenuity. They developed technology by learning to craft stone into sharp tools for hunting and other tasks. Later, they learned to control fire. This was a massive leap forward, providing light, warmth, protection from predators, and a way to cook food. These advancements, discussed in our next summary, allowed humans to form more complex societies.

The culture of early humans was shaped by their hunter-gatherer lifestyle. They lived and moved in small bands of about 10-12 adults plus children. This allowed them to find enough food without depleting an area. Typically, men hunted animals while women gathered plants, nuts, and other foods. This social organization and cooperation were key to their survival and represent the earliest form of human society, which relied on the technologies mentioned previously.