Question

chapter 1 section 1 section summary understanding our past the long period before the invention of writing is called prehistory. then about 5,000 years ago, humans invented writing and recorded history began. historians learn details of the past from artifacts, such as cloth - ing, coins, and artwork. however, most historians rely on written evidence, such as letters or tax records. historians must evaluate evidence to determine if it is reliable. then they must also interpret it to explain why an event, such as a war, happened. historians help us understand what happens today and what may happen in the future. anthropology is the study of the development of people and their societies. some anthropologists study human bones to under - stand how physical traits have changed. others study cultures from the past and present. archaeology, a specialized branch of anthro - pology, is the study of past cultures through material remains, including buildings and artifacts. in the past, archaeologists might just choose a likely site and start digging to try to find ancient arti - facts. today they work with experts in many fields, such as geology and biology. they also use modern innovations, such as computers and aerial photography. a technique for measuring radioactivity helps these scholars determine the age of objects. before the 1950s, anthropologists knew little about early humans and their ancestors. anthropologists mary and louis leakey searched for clues in east africa at olduvai gorge. there they found many ancient stone tools. the tools showed that whoever had made them had developed the skills and technology to survive. early human relatives, or hominids, must have made them. then, in 1959, after two decades of searching, mary leakey found the skull of an early hominid. in 1974, anthropologist donald johanson found pieces of a hominid skeleton in ethiopia. “lucy” was at least 3 mil - lion years old. discoveries like these helped establish that a number of different groups of hominids, such as homo habilis and homo erectus, lived over the course of several million years. two groups of homo sapiens arose. one group—the neanderthals—disappeared between 50,000 and 30,000 years ago. early modern humans were then the only hominids on earth. review questions 1. what evidence do historians study to learn about the past? 2. what have stone tools taught anthropologists about early humans?

Explanation:

1. The text states that historians learn details of the past from artifacts like clothing, coins, artwork and rely on written evidence such as letters or tax - records.
2. The text mentions that stone tools showed that early humans had developed skills and technology to survive.

Answer:

1. Historians study artifacts (such as clothing, coins, artwork) and written evidence (such as letters or tax - records) to learn about the past.
2. Stone tools have taught anthropologists that early humans had developed the skills and technology to survive.