Middle School. Educator s Guide STICKS TO BRICKS. Major Sponsor:

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1 Middle School Educator s Guide STICKS TO BRICKS Major Sponsor:

2 Background Take a moment to consider what life was like before there were cities. For the majority of human history people lived off the land in every possible way. They did not grow crops or keep animals for food. They hunted wild animals and gathered wild fruits, grains roots and mushrooms. Every person alive today are descendents of expert hunter-gatherers. Before 10,000 BCE humans lived as hunter gatherers. Early humans did not have a sedentary or settled lifestyle. They moved around based on the time of year and the distribution of their foods (animals or fruits, grains). Hunter-gatherers lived a nomadic life, moving across the landscape and taking those things they could use. This foraging lifestyle did not allow humans to have many possessions or to reside in a permanent home. Humans across the world began to domesticate wild plants and animals in the period beginning around 10,000 BCE. Domestication refers to humans selecting specific traits of plants and animals that are most desireable to humans and breeding for the proliferation of these traits.this domestication allowed humans to move from a nomadic hunter-gatherer life to one of herding and farming. Early humans only began to settle in one area for an extended period of time when they were able to harvest crops. The domestication of animals (keeping herds of animals) also allowed early humans to settle. With an increase in predictable food supply the population of humans was able to increase allowing permanent homes to be built, and material objects such as pottery and furniture to be made. With the establishment of permanent settlements cities, states and civilizations began to develop. The transition from hunter-gatherer society to an agricultural society is one of the most significant events in the history of humans, it is known as the Neolithic Revolution. How do we know how ancient peoples lived and when this great change in lifestyle from hunter-gatherer to farmer took play? Archaeology is the study of the past by digging up and excavating places where ancient peoples used to live and examining the objects found there. Archaeologists study human societies through material, cultural and environmental data that is left behind. Archaeologists and anthropologists often work closely together to discover the past. Anthropologists study contemporary societies that continue to live much like huntergatherers of the past. In the Sticks to Bricks broadcast you will meet Bill Parkinson, Associate Curator of Eurasian Anthropology at The Field Museum. Dr. Parkinson s research focuses on the origins and development of early village societies, specifically in southeastern Europe. He is particularly interested in how some human societies became more economically and politically complex over time. E1

3 Background (cont.) He is also currently is the American Director of the Körös Regional Archaeological Project in Hungary; an international, multi-disciplinary research project aimed at understanding the social changes that occurred on the Great Hungarian Plain throughout the Holocene. His research team has excavated two Copper Age villages in southeastern Hungary. These villages, which date to 4,500-4,000 BC, are the first of their kind to be systematically excavated in the region and have yielded important information about economic and political organization during this important time period when humans first began to use metals. Currently, the team is exploring why early agricultural villages in the region began to live in large, fortified, villages during the Neolithic period, about 5,300 BC. There are several hypotheses as to why humans shifted from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a more sedentary agricultural lifestyle. One hypothesis focuses on the change in climate. Pre-Holocene the climate was colder and drier, the climate shifted during the Pleistocene to a warmer and wetter - conditions favorable for farming. Humans were able to readily find locations with plenty of water needed for growing crops. The second hypotheses is the increase in population at this time required that humans find other ways of obtaining a more steady supply of food. Debate exists among scientists as to whether a hunter-gatherer lifestyle or an agricultural lifestyle was of greater benefit to humans. Hunter gatherers had a more varied diet that allowed them to adapt to natural disasters that may affect food supply, such as drought. A settled, sedentary lifestyle allowed humans the time to advance technology and establish individuals with specialized skills. The Sticks to Bricks broadcast will investigate these topics as well as delve into the different implications that occurred as a result of humans moving into a sedentary lifestyle. Additional Resources: Expeditions at the Field Museum: Neolithic Archaeology - Bill Parkinson s research: TED Ed Urbanization and the Evolution of Cities across 10,000 years TED Ed: How farming planted seeds for the Internet - Patricia Russac E2

4 TO FORGE OR FARM: EXPLORING HUNTER-GATHERER AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES Pre-Broadcast Activity After this lesson your students will be able to: Compare and contrast hunter-gatherer and agricultural communities. Identify the key characteristics of each way of life Explain there were advantages and disadvantages to each PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE Basic understanding of prehistoric eras (ex. Neolithic vs. Paleolithic) Familiarity with the definitions of huntergatherer and agricultural societies Identification of basic human needs that all communities must fill MATERIALS AND PREP Hunter-Gatherer/Settler Comparison Chart (pg. E6) Join the Neolithic Revolution comic (pg. E8) Venn diagram - one copy for each student (pg. S1) Resources Standards: C3 Framework D2.His : Organize applicable evidence into a coherent argument about the past Common Core State Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.4 Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation. E3

5 DIRECTIONS Warm Up 1. Begin class by projecting the following question: If you lived in 5000 BC, would you prefer to be a hunter-gatherer or live in an agricultural settlement? Why? a. Record students answers on a piece of chart paper 2. Ask students to brainstorm some advantages and disadvantages of a hunting-gathering lifestyle. a. Records these answers on a piece of chart paper. 3. Ask students to brainstorm some advantages and disadvantages of an agricultural lifestyle a. Records students answers on a piece of chart paper 4. Hand out copies of the Join the Neolithic Revolution comic. Walk through the comic with students. a. Ask students: What time period does the cartoon depict? What was going on at the time? Why do you think the comic has the title - Join the Neolithic Revolution? b. Have students look at the first two characters in the cartoon and ask the following questions: i. Who are the first two characters in the cartoon? ii. Ask students if they can define migration. iii. Ask: What do we call people who migrate? iv. How do nomads know where to go for food? c. Direct students to the first photo. i. Ask: The characters seem tired, why might they be feeling this way? ii. What happens to these characters? iii. What does the Neolithic man tell them? iv. What does the Neolithic man tell them is the key to the Neolithic way of life? Discuss domestication with your students. d. Have students examine the bottom section that says Your KEYS to a BETTER LIFE i. What do these keys tell you about domestication and the Neolithic Way? ii. What do you call people who live and produce their food in one place? iii. According to the cartoon, how does domestication work? 1. How did early agriculturalists modify the environment? 2. Can we think of similar ways agriculture exploits the environment today? e. Ask students to read the disclaimer at the bottom of the cartoon. i. What might the disclaimer mean? ii. What does it tell you about the attitude of the cartoon. E4

6 DIRECTIONS (CONT.) 5. Break students into two groups Hunter-Gatherers and Farmers a. In their groups they are to discuss the things they feel are important to their community and what their work and worries would be every day, students will present their ideas to the rest of the class b. May want to assign roles for each group, leader, recorder, presenter c. Have students complete the Hunter-Gatherer/Settler Comparison chart as they have discussions in their group. 6. After students have presented the characteristics of each community - hand out the Characteristics of Hunter Gatherers vs. Agricultural Society Venn diagram to students and have them fill it out a. Review the Venn diagram as a class - the Venn diagram will serve a students notes for the day Closing 7. Students will write a few sentences as to whether they still prefer the choice they made at the beginning of class and why. Credits: Comic by David Steinlicht Mysteries of Çatalhöyük 2003 Science Museum of Minnesota E5

7 Teacher Background Information Resource: What Happens When Mobile Hunter-gatherers settle down? Hunter-Gatherer Agricultural Society Advantages Disadvantages Advantages Disadvantages Groups kept small > stability stable food supplies more work to build permanent homes balanced diet: seasonal fruits, vegetables, nuts in their immediate surrounding area not dependent on one crop or species of animal > less likely to have famine bigger families division of labor herding animals caused disease (for both animals and people) dependent on good weather for successful crop > greater likelihood of famine increased labor to cultivate food than to gather it issues of how to store and guard surplus food in case of future famines territorial issues arise government must be put into place to manage resources and resolve conflicts > government may be oppressive E6

8 Hunter-Gatherers Agricultural Settlements Food Gatherers/Foragers Followed/moved with the herds - nomads Lived in portable or natural shelters Foraged for plants/berries Moved with the weather/climate If one type of plant was ruined or animal died out, they just ate something different Small family size had to be able to move everyone easily Might have conflicts with neighbors, but could just move on Needed Food Needed Water Needed Shelter Food producers/farmers Settled Down Built permanent shelters Grew their food Kept domestic animals/herds If crop or animals died there would be famine Families got bigger so they couldn t move if they had to Hunter-gatherers might start wars or try to steal food/animals Needed to store and protect surplus food E7

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10 Broadcast Activity Main Ideas Bill Parkinson is the Associate Curator of Eurasian Anthropology at The Field Museum. His research focuses on the origins and development of early village societies, specifically in southeastern Europe. He is particularly interested in how some human societies became more economically and politically complex over time. Currently, his research team is exploring why early agricultural villages in the region of southeastern Hungary began to live in large, fortified, villages during the Neolithic period, about 5,300 BC. After this lesson your students will be able to: What it is like for an archaeologist to do field work. How artifacts from the past provide clues to how societies lived in the past. How scientists determine the ages of fossils using information from the rock layers PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE Familiarity with different pre-historic time periods. MATERIALS AND PREP It is recommended that you do the following prior to this lesson: Explore the different resources avilable with your class featured on fieldmuseum.org/neolithic-archaeology as an introduction to the scientist and what he does. Read the Virtual Visits Technical Guide Check with your IT specialist to make sure you will have available bandwidth on the day of your Visit You will need the following materials: Computer with Ethernet connected Internet Projector Optional: Scrap paper or note cards E9

11 DIRECTIONS Warm Up 1. Follow the Technical Guide provided to set up the Virtual Visits broadcast. 2. While waiting for the broadcast to begin, review information from the Main Ideas section with your class. 3. OPTIONAL: Provide students with a sheet of paper or note card to record questions that they come up with during the broadcast. 4. During the broadcast the scientists will interact with classrooms by asking students a question. Please type student responses into the chat box in the broadcast window or use the polling feature. 5. Follow-up the broadcast with a class discussion on what was learned and what students would like to investigate further. a. Ask students how they felt about the experience. What was it like to meet a real scientist? What was their favorite part? Least favorite? b. Ask students to recall the experience. What is the scientist s job at the Museum? What does he study? How do scientists collect specimens? What types of projects does the scientist work on? What did he show us? i. If students have conflicting viewpoints, encourage them to discuss it using evidence from what the scientist said or did. c. Ask students to explain what they learned. What is something you learned about science or social sciences careers from the broadcast? What is something you learned about science from the broadcast? d. Have students make connections from the broadcast to their life. Has anyone gone to a museum and seen artifacts from prehistoric peoples? e. Ask students to consider how they can apply this new knowledge in the future. TIP: Before the discussion, project these questions on to the board and have students write down their ideas to increase discussion participation. (Additional Resources on the next page) E10

12 EXPLORER S JOURNAL by Bill Parkinson The Greeks exhibition reveals how ancient Greek society emerged. National Geographic Explorer and archaeologist Dr. William Parkinson studies how small villages became cities. Recently, he s found himself in an unexpected place: underground, in a gigantic cave in Greece. STUDYING THE PAST If you would have told me when I was in high school that one day I d be crawling around a cave in Greece discovering evidence of ancient rituals, I might have thought you were crazy. But that is what I ve been doing for the last few years, and I love it. Today, more than half the people in the world live in or around cities. Because of increasing populations, experts predict that many cities will grow larger in the coming decades. Migration to cities is not a new development, though. People have been moving to big towns since the Neolithic period, which lasted from 11,000 b.c. to 3000 b.c. Archaeologists have studied where, when, and how people changed from being hunters and gatherers to farmers. But we have a lot more to learn about why some Neolithic villages grew and thrived and why others were abandoned. Understanding why villages were built in some places and not in others is really important if we ever are going to understand why most people now live in and around cities. This is what my research focuses on. CHANGE OVER TIME IN THE FIELD Bill Parkinson studies how ancient European societies formed. Here he is excavating a Neolithic village in Hungary. 12 For the last 20 years I have been running archaeological projects aimed at understanding how early farming villages changed over time. One of the things I like most about archaeology is that it requires large teams of people who have different specialties. For example, some people study pottery, some people study stone tools, some people study animal bones, and some people study human bones. These are the kinds of things that we find on archaeological sites. Animal bones tell us about what people ate. Human bones tell us how healthy people were and how people were related to each other. Stone tools and pottery can tell us about how people traded things with each other. By studying these things, we can build a picture about what life was like thousands of years ago. We can also begin to understand how societies changed over time. As an archaeologist, I have been really lucky. Since the early 1990s, I have worked with dozens of scientists from all over the world on archaeological projects in different countries. Most recently, I have been working with a group of archaeologists and other scientists in Greece to study what happened in a place called Diros Bay during the Neolithic period. 13

13 ANCIENT PARADISE Ksagounaki Promontory, near Alepotrypa Cave, overlooks Diros Bay. It is located on the Mani Peninsula in the southern part of Greece. EXPLORING DIROS BAY In 2010, I traveled to southern Greece to join the Alepotrypa project team. The team included Anastasia Papathanasiou, a noted Greek bioarchaeologist, and Mike Galaty, an American archaeologist. Our goal was to understand how Neolithic farmers lived and how they used Alepotrypa Cave. We began to explore the area outside the cave on the rocky promontory called Ksagounaki (ksah-goo-nahkee). We were not surprised to find evidence of a Neolithic village outside the cave. This made good sense to us because people don t usually live inside caves. Caves are wet and dark, and they have a lot of dangerous rocks and deep holes that people can fall into. For the next four years, our team worked together to understand what happened on Ksagounaki Promontory and what it had to do with how people used Alepotrypa Cave. First we collected artifacts lying on the ground. Then we scanned the surface of the promontory using scientific instruments to help us locate structures buried under the surface. We excavated in two different places on Ksagounaki Promontory, and even though we only dug in very small areas, we learned a lot about the site. Based on tens of thousands of pieces of ceramics, stone tools, animal bones, and other things that farmers would have used in their daily lives for farming, herding, and hunting, we concluded that we were looking at an ancient village. INSIDE ALEPOTRYPA CAVE This walkway inside Alepotrypa Cave leads to the freshwater lake at the back of the cave. A NEOLITHIC TIME CAPSULE Our project centers on an archaeological site called Alepotrypa (ah-leh-poh-try-pah) Cave, located on a rocky coast in the southern part of the Greek mainland, just above Diros Bay, on the Ionian Sea. For millions of years, water flowed through the rock of the mountain and gradually carved out the cave. No one knew about this cave until the late 1950s, when Greek speleologists people who study caves discovered it. A tiny hole in the side of a mountain led them to a bunch of underground tunnels that stretched the length of about three football fields. There is even a lake with potable, or drinkable, water, which would have been a welcome sight to people who lived in southern Greece, where water can be quite scarce. My friend and colleague, Dr. Giorgos Papathanassopoulos, was the archaeologist in charge of that part of Greece when some men who were working at the cave to make it touristfriendly brought him ancient pottery and lots of human bones. Giorgos realized that the cave was an important archaeological site where 14 people had lived during the Neolithic period. Even better, because the entrance to the cave had collapsed at the end of the Neolithic period and had not been reopened until the 1950s, the cave was in fact a time capsule, frozen in history. At once, Giorgos started scientific excavations, and in the following four decades, Alepotrypa Cave revealed many fascinating details. Almost as soon as people started farming in Europe, more than 8,000 years ago, they began to use Alepotrypa Cave as a sacred place. For more than 3,000 years, the farmers of southern Greece used the cave for burials and other religious ceremonies. It is possible that people came from very far away to be buried there. Neolithic farmers used the cave for other purposes, too. The cave s lake provided fresh water and the cave itself functioned as a natural refrigerator. I know from working there that when it s 100 F outside in the hot sun, inside the cave it s a nice and cool 72 F. Ceramics found inside the cave s entrance show us that farmers used it to store grains such as wheat and barley. The tools found inside the cave tell us that people ground these grains to make flour for bread. 15

14 AFTER ALL, IF WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD WE LIVE IN TODAY, WE NEED TO STUDY HOW WE GOT HERE. BILL PARKINSON Around 6,500 years ago, near the end of the Neolithic period, farmers established the village on the promontory outside the cave. In addition to growing crops such as wheat and barley, they kept herds of sheep, goats, pigs, and cows. They gathered local fruits and hunted wild animals. The farmers who lived on Ksagounaki used Alepotrypa Cave to bury their dead, but we also discovered a burial site in one part of the village. We discovered the bones of two people who had been buried together with their arms and legs draped over each other. By studying their bones, we could determine that one was an adult man and one was an adult woman. We still do not know how these people died, but we guess by how they were buried that they probably knew each other very well. Were they brother and sister, or husband and wife? How did they die? These are the questions that we will continue to try to answer. Something happened around 5,000 years ago, and the people who had been living in Diros Bay for nearly 3,000 years left. People abandoned the settlement on Ksagounaki Promontory and no longer used Alepotrypa Cave for burials or religious ceremonies. Curiously, workers found human bones lying on the surface inside the cave when it was discovered in the 1950s. Could people have been trapped inside the cave and buried alive when the entrance collapsed, perhaps during an earthquake? We still don t know. But as we make new discoveries, we will shed more light on these questions and perhaps solve some of the mysteries that surround these important ancient sites. NEOLITHIC COUPLE In 2013, Parkinson and his team discovered these skeletons buried in an embrace near Alepotrypa Cave. Chemical analysis shows that one skeleton was male and the other was female. 16 BACKGROUND & VOCABULARY bioarchaeologist n. (bye-oh-ahrkee-ahl-oh-jihst) a scientist who uses biology and archaeology to study how ancient people lived FROM VILLAGE TO CITY Our study of Diros Bay built upon decades of Giorgos s hard work and will continue for years. Excavation is just the first part of a long process that includes analyzing all the artifacts, bones, and other things archaeologists dig up. As I write this, I am in Greece with a research team studying the stuff we dug up in the last few years. Our analysis of the materials will allow us to add more pieces to the puzzle of what happened in Diros Bay thousands of years ago. We will be able to answer some questions, but others will remain unanswered and that s OK! By studying the archaeology of ancient societies, we will gradually be able to piece together how the farmers of the Neolithic period built villages that turned into towns during the Bronze Age. By studying those Bronze Age towns, we will be able to understand how the ancient city-states of Classical Greece were formed, and how the cities we live in today came to be. After all, if we want to understand the world we live in today, we need to study how we got here. Many of the questions I have will not be answered in my lifetime. They will be up to future generations of archaeologists and scientists like you to answer. T H I N K A B O U T I T! 1. Make Inferences Why might Alepotrypa Cave represent an exciting opportunity for archaeologists? 2. Describe What features of Alepotrypa Cave made it a useful place for Neolithic people? Neolithic adj. (nee-oh-lihthihk) relating to the time period from 11,000 b.c. to 3000 b.c., characterized by stone tools and the rise of agriculture potable adj. (POH-tuh-buhl) safe to drink promontory n. (PRAH-muhntohr-ee) a point of high land that projects from a coastline into the sea speleologist n. (spee-lee-ah-lohjihst) a person who studies caves 17

15 GEOGRAPHY S INFLUENCE ON EARLY SOCIETIES Post-Broadcast Activity After this lesson your students will be able to: Explain the importance of the natural environment in the development of agricultural settlements Identify the variety of environments the first human communities adapted to Distinguish the factors of the natural environment and why they were necessary for these communities to succeed PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE Identification of basic human needs that all communities must fill Basic understanding of prehistoric eras MATERIALS AND PREP Computers or other devices with access to the Internet for each group Poster board Markers Group description cards Pre-prepared research information for students Resources Standards: C3 Framework: Human-Environment Interaction: Place, Regions and Culture Common Core State Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.7 Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.4 Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation. E14

16 DIRECTIONS Warm Up 1. Begin class by projecting the following question: How do you think early communities ended up either foraging or farming? What factors in the environment may have influenced them? a. Record students answers on a piece of chart paper Instruction 2. Divide students into 3 groups. a. Tell students they are going to be different communities from around 5000 BC, as communities, they must decide if they are going to be nomads and gather their food, or if they will settle down and grow food. b. Each group will be given an environment that they are located near i. Students will research their location and decide based on their location what lifestyle is best for the survival of their group ii. Students should focus their research on the food and shelter that are available in their location iii. They will present their decision and findings to the whole class by creating a poster c. Provide students with the following terms and ideas to kick-off their research: Closing i. Beidha ii. Çatal Hüyük iii. Szeghalom-Kovácshalom iv. Hunter-gatherer lifestyles d. After each group has presented their research discuss with students what factors had the biggest influence on early communities. Student s posters must include Group s decision to be a forager or a farmer What environmental features led them to their choice How these environmental features affected their choice Group 1: Students in this group live near a border of cold, barren land, but a couple days walk opens to mild grassland with a narrow river. Group 2: Students in this group live near a desert with a few water holes and few desert animals. Group 3: Students in this group live near a grassland with a wide river running through it that floods and then subsides. Credits: This lesson has been adapted from From Hunter-Gatherers to The Agricultural Revolution 10 Day Unit for 6th Grade Social Studies by Mrs. Brenner Resources The Field Museum Neolithic Archaeology Expeditions site Big History Project Unit 6 and Unit 7 videos The Agricultural Revolution: Crash Course World History #1 YouTube video E15

17 Group 1: Students in this group live near a border of cold, barren land, but a couple days walk opens to mild grassland with a narrow river. E16

18 Group 2: Students in this group live near a desert with a few water holes and few desert animals. E17

19 Group 3: Students in this group live near a grassland with a wide river running through it that floods and then subsides. E18

20 Middle School Student Handouts STICKS TO BRICKS Major Sponsor:

21 MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT STICKS TO BRICKS NAME DATE Hunter-Gatherers Agricultural Settlements S1

22 MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT STICKS TO BRICKS NAME DATE Hunter-Gatherer and Settler Comparison Chart Hunter-Gatherer What do I eat? Where do I live? Whom do I live with or who are my neighbors? How do I get my food? Settler What do I eat? Where do I live? Whom do I live with or who are my neighbors? How do I get my food? S2