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Through two kinds of evidence - tools and fossils .
Evidence we have
Two kinds of evidence
1. Tools
Made, used, thrown away
Example:
Handaxes
Cleavers
Choppers
2. Fossils
Remains turned to stone
Example:
Bones
Traces
Impressions
How the tools reached us
- Humans made tools, used them, and discarded them when they wore out .
- Over time, these discarded tools got buried in the upper layers of the earth .
- They were later discovered by archaeologists .
How the fossils reached us
- A fossil is the preserved remains, traces, or impressions of plants, animals, or humans from the distant past .
- The remains of our early ancestors were buried deep underground .
- Over thousands or even millions of years , they slowly turned into stone .
- That is how fossils form.
Why they matter
- Tools and fossils are the major sources of evidence .
- They help archaeologists reconstruct human history and understand how our ancestors lived .
- It is through such findings that we know Homo habilis lived in Africa, and that Homo erectus spread into Europe and Asia.
Worth remembering
Several kinds of human ancestors co-existed. Homo sapiens are the only human species living today on earth.
1. What does Homo habilis mean?
Show answer
Handy man
2. Which ancestor made handaxes and cleavers?
Show answer
Homo erectus
3. All ancestors made tools - so what was special about Homo sapiens?
Show answer
They developed complex technologies
When
What happened
About 3.3 million years ago
The earliest stone tools are made
2-6 million years ago
Homo habilis lives in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania and Kenya
About 2 million years ago
Homo erectus lives in the Eastern African Rift Valley
Till about 40,000 years ago
Homo neanderthalensis lives in Europe and Southwest Asia
Today
Homo sapiens - the only human species left
