How The First People Lived

The First People

• The first people lived differently from us today, without growing food, living in houses, reading, or writing.

Archaeologists and Their Discoveries

• Archaeologists dig into the earth to find and study the bones of people who lived thousands of years ago.
• The bones reveal how people of long ago looked and lived.
• Archaeologists have also found animal bones from long ago, some of which were used as tools for hunting.
• They have discovered tools used by people who lived during the Stone Age.

The Stone Age

• The Stone Age is characterized by the use of stone tools, which were stronger and lasted longer than those made of bone or wood.
• The Stone Age began over 2,000,000 years ago and ended around 5,000 years ago.
• People who lived during this period are called Stone Age people.

Life During the Stone Age

• For thousands of years, Stone Age people spent most of their time searching for food, as they did not know how to grow it.
• They gathered wild berries and nuts to eat.
• Most people were hunters, killing animals for food and making clothes from animal skins.
• They also used animal bones to make tools.
• Stone Age people learned to use fire, which provided heat, light, and safety from dangerous animals.
• Fire helped them cook food and keep warm.

Settlement and Migration

• For thousands of years, Stone Age people moved from place to place in search of food, staying in one place as long as there was food available.
• When they could no longer find food, they moved to another place, often near rivers, which had more animals and plants.
• Most Stone Age people did not build houses, instead moving many times during their lifetime.

Learn about the lifestyle of early humans, how archaeologists study their remains, and what their findings reveal about their way of life.