Class 11 History Notes Chapter 1 From the Beginning of Time

• The origin of human beings can be divided into many stages.
• Subgroup of a larger group of mammals is known as Primates.
• About 36-24 mya, Primates existed in Asia and Africa.
• The existence of Hominoids can be traced by about 24 mya.
• Apes came under Hominoids and had comparatively smaller brain.
• Hominoids had four legs. Although they moved on their four paws but were unable to walk erect. Hominids which
• evolved from Hominoids originated in Africa in 5.6 mya.
• The Hominids belonged to Hominidae family.
• Hominids are further subdivided into branches known as genus.
• Homo is originally a Latin word which means ‘man’. Homo came into existence approximately in 2.5 mya. Their fossils
• date back to 2.2 mya to 1.8 mya.
• Homo habilis were more intelligent in comparison to Australopithecus.
• Homo erectus were familiar with the art of walking.
• In many parts of Asia and Africa, fossils of Homo erectus have been found.
• Homo sapiens were the modern men. They were intelligent and wise.
• Homo sapiens came into existence between 0.19 to 0.16 mya.
• Fossils of Homo habilis have been found at Omo in Ethiopia and at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. The fossils of Homo
• erectus have been found in Africa and Asia.
• Homo sapiens were quite intelligent. They used sophisticated tools and languages.
• Homo neanderthalensis were also called Neanderthal men. Because their fossils have been found in Neander valley in Germany.
• Terra Amata in Southern France gives the most important evidence. The hut was made of thatch.
• The life of early men underwent a sea change due to the discovery of fire.
• Chesowanja in Kenya and Swartkrans in South Africa are the places where the traces of the use of fire have been found.
• The tools of early men were made of stones. The tools constituted hand axes, choppers and flake tools.
• The earliest evidence of stone tools were found in Ethiopia and Kenya.
• About 21,000 years ago, sewing needle was invented.
• The art of speech helped the man to develop culturally.
• The early human beings painted the pictures of flora and fauna, sun, moon, rivers and their daily activities.
• Paintings were done on the walls and roofs of the caves. Altamira, Lascaux and Chauvet are considered to be the earliest famous cave paintings.
• The early humans also made small sized sculptures.
• The Hadza were also fond of hunting and lived around the salty lake, Lake Eyasi.
• Altamira is a cave site in Spain.
• Marcelino Sanz deSautula and his daughter Maria brought into notice the cave paintings.
• Mary and Louis Leakey identified Otduvai.
• Some historians think that ethnographic data cannot be used without understanding of the past society.
• Ethnography stands for the analytical study of contemporary ethnic society.
• The early humans were completely dependent on nature.
• They gathered food by fishing and hunting.
• Hooks and harpoons were used to gather small and large fishes.
• Early men lived on trees, in caves and later on in huts.
• Early men began to live in caves around 400,000 years ago.
• Cave Lazaret is the earliest example of cave dwelling. It is in Southern France.

Important terms:

• Fossils: The remains of ancient plants, animals and humans which have become hard and turned into rock.
• Species: A group of organisms that can be bred to produce healthy and fertile offspring which are divided smaller than Genus.
• Primates: They are subgroup of a larger group of mammals, and have a long gestation period followed by birth, mammary glands, different types of teeth, and ability to maintain a constant body temperature.
• Artefacts: Objects made by human beings such as tools, painting, sculpture, engravings, etc.
• Anthropology: A branch of science which deals with human culture and evolutionary aspects of human biology.
• Ethnography: The study of contemporary ethnic group. It studies the modes of livelihood, gender, political institutions, social customs, etc.
• Australopithecus: Southern apes.
• Homo: A Latin word which means man.
• Homo erectus: Human who could walk erect on their legs.
• Homo sapiens: Wiseman, also known as modern humans.

Timeline 1 (mya)
36-24 mya	Primates; Monkeys in Asia and Africa
24 mya	(Superfamily) Hominoids; Gibbons, Asian orang-utan and African apes (gorilla, chimpanzee and bonobo or ‘pygmy’ chimpanzee)
6.4 mya	Branching out of hominoids and hominids
5.6 mya	Australopithecus
2.6-2.5	Earliest stone tools
2.5-2.0	Cooling and drying of Africa, resulting in decrease in woodlands and increase in grasslands
2.5-2.0 mya	Homo
2.2 mya	Homo habilis
1.8 mya	Homo erectus
1.3 mya	Extinction of Australopithecus
0.8 mya	‘Archaic’ sapiens, Homo heidelbergensis
0.19-0.16 mya	Homo sapiens (modern humans)

 

Timeline 2 (years ago)
Earliest evidence of burials	300,000
Extinction of Homo erectus	200,000
Development of voice box	200,000
Archaic Homo sapiens skull in the Narmada valley, India	200,000-130,000
Emergence of modern humans	195,000-160,000
Emergence of Neanderthals	130,000
Earliest evidence of hearths	125,000
Extinction of Neanderthals	35,000
Earliest evidence of figurines made of fired clay	27,000
Invention of sewing needles	21,000

Flow-Learning:

Class 11 History Notes

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