Chapter 1 Ap World History Notes
Spodek Guided Notes Chapter 1
A. The Dry Bones Speak
I. Human Origins in Myth and History
- Paleoanthropology - A student of the earliest humans and the setting in which they lived.
- Humans all over the world made stories to explain origin (Before diggers came with interpretations and cussing). o They tell how and why humans came to Earth.
a. Early Myths
- Myth – An interpretive story of the past that cannot be verified historically but has a deep moral message.
- Caste – Social, economic, and ritual positions inherited at birth.
b. The Evolutionary Explanation
- Darwin went to Galapagos Islands and found various kinds of finches (birds). He argued they must’ve had a common ancestor.
- He came up with the idea of “natural selection” or “survival of the fittest.” (When environment favors one trait on animal so animal can live)
1) The New Challenges
- Teleology – The study of final causes or purposes. Refers to any system that interprets nature/ universe having design or purpose. Supports existence of God.
- Evolutionary theory proposed no teleology.
- Archeology flourished because humans wanted to find out where we came from and if there were any link between humans and apes.
II. Fossils and Fossil Hunters
- Hominids – Creatures that exhibited some characteristics of Homo sapiens but others of earlier primates.
- There was a variety of evolutionary paths that led to the emergence of humans.
a. The Puzzling Neanderthals
- A German man found head similar to humans and named it Homo neanderthalensis. o Considered brutish and lacking in intelligence.
- Homo sapiens – Humans that are most similar to us.
b. Homo Erectus: A Worldwide Wanderer
- Homo erectus - The most widespread of all prehistoric hominids, and the most similar to humans. Evolved about 2 million years ago and became extinct 100,000 years ago.
What evidence leads scholars to believe that Homo erectus migrated across continents?
c. The Search Shifts to
A. The Dry Bones Speak
I. Human Origins in Myth and History
- Paleoanthropology - A student of the earliest humans and the setting in which they lived.
- Humans all over the world made stories to explain origin (Before diggers came with interpretations and cussing). o They tell how and why humans came to Earth.
a. Early Myths
- Myth – An interpretive story of the past that cannot be verified historically but has a deep moral message.
- Caste – Social, economic, and ritual positions inherited at birth.
b. The Evolutionary Explanation
- Darwin went to Galapagos Islands and found various kinds of finches (birds). He argued they must’ve had a common ancestor.
- He came up with the idea of “natural selection” or “survival of the fittest.” (When environment favors one trait on animal so animal can live)
1) The New Challenges
- Teleology – The study of final causes or purposes. Refers to any system that interprets nature/ universe having design or purpose. Supports existence of God.
- Evolutionary theory proposed no teleology.
- Archeology flourished because humans wanted to find out where we came from and if there were any link between humans and apes.
II. Fossils and Fossil Hunters
- Hominids – Creatures that exhibited some characteristics of Homo sapiens but others of earlier primates.
- There was a variety of evolutionary paths that led to the emergence of humans.
a. The Puzzling Neanderthals
- A German man found head similar to humans and named it Homo neanderthalensis. o Considered brutish and lacking in intelligence.
- Homo sapiens – Humans that are most similar to us.
b. Homo Erectus: A Worldwide Wanderer
- Homo erectus - The most widespread of all prehistoric hominids, and the most similar to humans. Evolved about 2 million years ago and became extinct 100,000 years ago.
What evidence leads scholars to believe that Homo erectus migrated across continents?
c. The Search Shifts to