Unit 1:
Prehistory and the Earliest Civilizations
John Constable, Wivenhoe Park, Essex. 1816.
Wondering what a 19th century landscape painting is doing on our prehistory page? Click the the painting to find out! Documents for This Unit
Bibliography:
Some terrific, accessible books relevant to the Unit Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari. The first few chapters in particular are brilliant at describing the factors that led our early ancestors, Homo sapiens, to distinguish themselves from other human species. Guns, Germs and Steel, by Jared Diamond. This is a classic work, magnificently readable and shockingly enlightening. Diamond traces the origins of human cultural difference back to geographies, climates and other fundamental characteristics of the regions our early ancestors inhabited. |
Image Library
Click on one of the buttons below for a library of images we've discussed during class. Some terrific online resources relevant to this unit
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New Discoveries in Prehistory
My suspicions have been confirmed: Western Civilization is brought to you, in part, by cheese. Check out the account of recent discoveries here.
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The Only Time in your Life that You'll See a Work of Art
Created by a Human of a Different Species:
Created by a Human of a Different Species:
Painting made by a Neanderthal, circa 62,000 BCE. La Pasiega, Spain.
Horse head. Figure on a ladder-like structure. Two figures, one kneeling? Embracing? Another sort of mind at work, and yet recognizable. The NY Times has an article about the discovery here.
Horse head. Figure on a ladder-like structure. Two figures, one kneeling? Embracing? Another sort of mind at work, and yet recognizable. The NY Times has an article about the discovery here.