Prehistory Lesson 1: Hunters-Gatherers

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• ​also called the Stone Age

• ​time when people used stone to make tools and weapons

• ​began 2.5 million years ago-8000 B.C.

• ​Paleolithic people moved around in search of food

• ​nomads - people who regularly move from place to place to survive

• ​​they traveled in groups, or bands, of about 20 - 30 people

​Why did Paleolithic people have to move regularly?

• ​survived by hunting and gathering

• ​searching for food was the main activity and was difficult

• ​Hunting

  • buffalo, bison, wild goats, reindeer, fished along coastlines

• ​Gathering

  • wild berries, nuts, fruits, and green plants

​Role of Men

• ​hunted large animals and searched far from camp

• ​learned how animals behave and how to hunt them

• ​developed tracking methods

• ​developed tools and weapons to help them hunt

  • ​traps, spears, etc.

​Role of Women

• ​stayed close to camp, near streams or bodies of water

• ​looked after children

• ​searched nearby woods and meadows for berries, nuts, and grains

Finding Food - What Women and Men Did Together

• ​both made decisions that affected the band or group

• ​some men and women may have hunted as couples

  • ​a man and a woman worked together to find food for themselves and their children