The Ancient World and Early Humans

On November 24th, 1974 the Anthropologist Donald Johansen discovered a female hominid (whom he later named “Lucy”) near the Awash River in Hadar, Ethiopia. Anthropologists classified Lucy as Australopithecus afarensis and believed this hominid to be the earliest common ancestor shared between primates and early humans. Their research suggested that Australopithecus afarensis lived approximately 3.9 to 3 million years ago, walked upright on two legs and utilized simple tools made from pebbles. Australopithecus afarensis also shared many general physical features that made it more similar to modern humans than to the great ape, including a relatively small skull, bipedal knee structure and molars and front teeth.

Then, approximately 2.5 to 1.8 million years ago, a more advanced hominid, Homo habilis appeared on earth whom anthropologists generally believe to be the earliest species of the homo genus to evolve from Australopithecus afarensis. As the name Homo habilis ( “handy man” or “skillful person” in Latin) suggests, archeaological and anthropological studies showed that this species of hominid had more dexterity to utilize primitive stone tools. However, Homo habilis’ short body with disproportionately long arms when compared to modern humans indicated that it still shared more similar characteristics with Australopithecus afarensis.

One evolutionary feature of Homo habilis that began to differentiate him from Australopithecus afarensis is a lesser protrusion of the skull and a larger brain (Homo habilis had a brain approximately half the size of the modern Homo sapien). Of these “protohumans”, the most advanced was probably Homo erectus (“upright human” in Latin), who learned to use fire to cook and keep warm. This essential skill permitted Homo erectus to move from place to place and thus migrate over a greater geographical footprint.

Probably the most significant split in the evolution of the early humans occurred about 200,000 years ago when the Homo sapiens (“wise humans”) developed from the Homo erectus. Around this time, another protohuman, the Neanderthal also adapted to the colder climates brought on by the last Ice Age and the two peoples migrated through the continent of Europe and the Middle East. Eventually, in approximately 45,000 – 38,000 BC, the Cro-Magnon (direct ancestors to modern humans, the Homo sapiens) and Neanderthal peoples vied for supremacy over the natural domain upon which they roamed. Over time, the Cro-Magnon’s, displaced the Neanderthal tribes either by natural selection, direct confrontation or disease.

As the Cro-magnon’s migrated from the Middle East to Europe, several civilizations sprang up within the Mesopotamian region. With the Cro-magnon’s continued migration from the African plains to the Fertile Crescent along the Euphrates and Tigris river valleys (an area covered by present day Iraq, Syria and Azerbaijan), a dramatic change in ancient society occurred. Civilizations began to experiment in basic food production and with time the favorable topography and climate yielded a bounty of crops. The descendants of these ancient peoples refined the agricultural model of their ancestors by incorporating new crop cycles and domesticating animals. Those tribes that successfully transformed their societies into agrarian based models soon out-produced traditional hunter gatherer societies, resulting in their ability to sustain greater populations. Over time, these larger agriculture based populations grew immune to germs and disease through their exposure to beasts of burden and indigenous plants that they incorporated into their flourishing societies.