Prehistory and the Stone Age (UAE Social Studies)

# Prehistory and the Stone Age - Stone tools from 125,000 years ago have been discovered in Jabal Faya in Sharjah, indicating that people lived in the Arabian Peninsula during the Stone Age. - People were nomadic thousands of years ago, moving from place to place to find food. - They used stone t...

# Prehistory and the Stone Age - Stone tools from 125,000 years ago have been discovered in Jabal Faya in Sharjah, indicating that people lived in the Arabian Peninsula during the Stone Age. - People were nomadic thousands of years ago, moving from place to place to find food. - They used stone tools to hunt animals and gather plants for food. - This period is known as the Stone Age. ## Periods of the Stone Age - The Stone Age consists of three main periods: Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic. - **Paleolithic Period (before ­­­­­­ 10,000 BCE)**: Also known as the Old Stone Age, this period extended until about 10,000 BCE. - **Mesolithic Period (between 10,000 and 8,000 BCE)**: The Middle Stone Age, lasting from approximately 10,000 BCE to 8,000 BCE, saw people continuing their nomadic lifestyle but also using dogs for hunting. - **Neolithic Period (from 8,000 to 4,000 BCE)**: The New Stone Age, from about 8,000 BCE to 4,000 BCE, marked a significant shift. People began settling down in one place and engaging in farming and animal husbandry. ## Understanding the Past - Archaeologists study early human history. - They learn about Stone Age people and their lives by examining artifacts, such as: - Stone tools like axes and arrowheads. - Cave paintings depicting animals that were important to them. - Buildings and structures provide insights into their daily lives and society. ## Cave Paintings - A Window into the Past - Cave paintings found in Lascaux, France, date back 17,000 years, showcasing horses, deer, and aurochs (an extinct type of wild cattle). - The oldest Stone Age buildings were found at the site of Çatalhöyük in southern Turkey. - These buildings, dating back over 10,000 years, were built close together, suggesting a community structure. - Archaeologists estimate that up to 7,000 people lived in this site. - The buildings at Çatalhöyük demonstrate that some Stone Age communities began transitioning towards settled life, laying the groundwork for towns and cities. ## Activity 2 1. Stone tools were found in Jabal Faya, indicating the presence of Stone Age people in the area. 2. Archaeologists study artefacts left behind to learn about prehistoric peoples. 3. The site of Çatalhöyük revealed that people began to settle down in one place, marking a significant shift in their societal structure. ## Activity 3: Time Line - **123,000 BCE:** Tools found at Jabal Faya. - **15,000 BCE:** Lascaux cave paintings. - **8,000 BCE:** Çatalhöyük buildings. - **4,000 BCE:** Çatalhöyük buildings. ## Activity 5 - Cave paintings depict people hunting animals, using arrowheads as weapons. - Stone Age people could have created these paintings as a way to: - Show or share knowledge about hunting techniques with others. - Document their relationship with particular animals, perhaps those that were particularly important for food, or those they held in reverence. ## Activity 6 - An archaeologist in the year ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ 4,000 CE would likely find artifacts like mobile phones, computers, and other technological devices. - These objects would show the archaeologist: - The complexity and advancement of our technology. - The interconnectedness of our society. - Our reliance on these technologies for communication, information, and other aspects of daily life.