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Behavior
Behavioral Evidence
Explore the evidence of early human behavior—from ancient footprints to stone tools and the earliest symbols and art – along with similarities and differences in the behavior of other primate species.
Primate Behavior
Humans are part of the biological group known as primates. We sure are an unusual species of primate, though!
Footprints
Explore what scientists can learn from studying footprints left by early humans.
Stone Tools
Stone tools provide evidence about the technologies, dexterity, particular kinds of mental skills, and innovations that were within the grasp of early human toolmakers.
Getting Food
Explore the evidence for some of the ways that early humans were able to get food.
Carrying & Storing
Early humans may have made bags from skin long ago. About 20,000 years ago, modern humans began making pottery.
Hearths & Shelters
Over time, early humans began to gather at hearths and shelters to eat and socialize.
Our ancestors often buried the dead together with beads and other symbolic objects. Burial rituals heightened the group’s memory of the deceased person. These rituals may imply a belief that a person’s identity extends beyond death.
Burial
Our ancestors often buried the dead together with beads and other symbolic objects.
Recording Information
These objects have marks that may have been used to count or store information. From simple beginnings like these came our ability to store enormous amounts of information.
Making Clothing
Awls and perforators were used to pierce holes in clothing. Later, humans used bone and ivory needles to sew warm, closely fitted garments.
Art & Music
By 40,000 years ago, humans were creating musical instruments and two- and three-dimensional images of the world around them.
