Early Humans: Nomadic to Settled Life

• Early humans were nomadic, wandering in search of food and not settling in one place.

Nomadic Lifestyle

• Early humans didn't know how to construct buildings and lived in the open.
• They occasionally sought shelter in trees to avoid wild animals, eventually living in caves near rivers, lakes, and springs.
• Nomadic people preferred settlement sites protected by rivers, swamps, or elevated terrains.
• When food became scarce, or gathering became difficult, early humans moved to new locations.

Towards Settled Habitation

• Around 10,000 BC to 5,000 BC, humans began settling near cultivated fields, preferring fertile lands with ample water.
• Humans learned to build huts and mud houses during the transition to settled habitation
• Favorable environments, fertile soil, water sources, natural resources, terrain, natural defenses and climate all affected the development and growth of urban areas.

River Valleys

• River valleys were preferred due to fertile land, accessible water and food, soft clay for construction, and transportation.

Division of Labor

• People began to practice various occupations, leading to a division of labor within the working population.
• Non-farmers were supplied with food in exchange for the goods they produced, which was an example of a barter system.
• The reputation of goods produced by craftsmen in certain villages spread far and wide due to transportation.

Trading

• Traders emerged as a new social class, trading became a new occupation, and marketplaces became a new physical component of settlements.
• Early traders most probably belonged to the hunting tribe, since they were the people already used to traveling, traders were recognized as leaders, as they provide protection to the community. They accumulated goods and became wealthy and they accumulated knowledge as they traveled long distances and met many people
• Previous "traders" became chieftains, marking the beginning of social stratification.
• Social classes began to be established.

Physical Structure

• Chieftains built castles that towered over other buildings, positioned at the highest point in the village.
• Rich traders and wealthy farmers built their houses near the castle, marking a separation between the rich and poor.
• Walls were built around settlements, in addition to existing walls around castles.
• The walled settlements consisted of new physical features.

New Community Structure

• Subjugation of peasants and the role of the priest formed a new two-community structure within settlements.
• The development of human settlement: Man's Needs/Necessities + Interactions/Trades + Social/Community Structure = Physical Structure

Labor Specialization

• Labor specialization arose from man's needs and necessities.
• New occupation groups emerged, including engineers, construction laborers, carpenters, and soldiers, to meet the needs of the king.

Interactions/Trades

• Advances in civilization occurred through interactions and trade, with man developing new skills, common languages, and learning to use new materials.

Restructuring of the Community

• New structures were built, including bigger houses, temples, and tombs, leading to a restructuring of communities
• Social and community structures equaled the physical structures.

Early humans transitioned from nomadic hunter-gatherers to settled agricultural communities. This shift was influenced by the development of farming, construction of shelters, and preference for fertile lands near water sources. River valleys played a crucial role in the development of early civilizations.