Hi everyone, its Robbie here at Past Productions.
Today we are going to be learning about the Stone Age.
We are going to find out about how people survived back in those times
and also what animals were around before today.
But first, let's see how it all began.
The earth has been around for over 4.5 billion years.
In that time there have been many changes to the surface of the earth.
For instance, originally all the land on our earth was connected.
At some points in our planet’s history, the earth got really, really cold.
Some parts of it got covered in ice. These times were known as the ‘Ice Ages’.
To understand the Stone Age, we need to look at how long ago it was.
Scientists estimate that the Stone Age began around 2.6 million years ago.
They believe this because they have found tools made from Stone that date back to these times.
It is believed to have lasted until around 3,300 B.C. when the Bronze Age period began.
During the last Ice Ages the land was very bare due to frost.
Very few plants could grow in these conditions.
The only things that could really grow in these times were evergreens, shrubs, bushes and moss grass.
Evergreens are trees that retain their green leaves throughout the year.
People living in these times travelled around on their own or in small groups.
They had no houses and no possessions.
Essentially, people would follow the weather around for food.
In the last Ice Age, the land between what we know as Great Britain today, and Europe,
was destroyed by the rivers that were created when the ice started to melt.
This meant that Britain was now cut off from Europe by water.
During the ice age there were lots of animals that we could find roaming the earth.
Can you see some animals you recognise?
Sadly, some of these animals are now extinct.
If you don't know what that word means, it means that there are no more of that animal left in the world.
They're all gone.
An animal can also be not extinct. That means we still have that animal in the world at the moment.
I like to think of it as extinct meaning “gone”, and not extinct meaning “not gone”.
Do you know which ones of these animals are extinct?
Let's find out.
The Woolly Mammoth.
Do you think these are extinct?
Sadly, these animals are extinct.
The Woolly Mammoth is thought to be of similar size to the African elephants.
They were well adapted to the cold environment during the Ice Age.
We believe that they coexisted with humans originally.
Their tusks and bones would be used for making tools, art and dwellings.
People would also have eaten their meat.
Scientists have considered trying to recreate this species through cloning.
Sadly, the genetic material they have from the remains we have found are not in a good condition.
Do you think it is right though that we should meddle with science?
Horses.
Do you think these are extinct?
Horses are not extinct. So that means they're still around.
They have evolved over the last 55 million years into the creatures that we know today.
They have great balance skills and a strong fight-or-flight response.
Did you know that horses can sleep both standing and lying down?
We can categorise them into three types: hot bloods, cold bloods and warm bloods.
These breeds are used and mixed together to create horses for many different purposes.
Wolves.
Do you think wolves are extinct?
Wolves are not extinct.
We have written accounts that tell us that Wolves were numerous in Great Britain during Roman
and Saxon times.
Throughout many periods in time, people have ordered the hunting of wolves to keep their population down.
This was because they posed threats to travellers and livestock.
Wolves were hunted up until the 19th century.
There are few or no wolves in the UK today out in the wild.
In 1999, 2002 and 2007 some people considered reintroducing wolves and lynxes (a type of cat)
to help keep the numbers of deer down.
They were damaging young trees in commercial forests.
The Sabre-Tooth Tiger.
Is the Sabre-Tooth Tiger extinct?
Sadly, it is extinct.
You cannot imagine these creatures without picturing their huge front teeth.
These big cats used to be found worldwide.
Their distinct long canine teeth extended from their mouth, even when it was shut.
They fed on large animals such as elephants, rhinos and other herbivores of the time.
The Woolly Rhino.
Are these extinct?
The Woolly Rhinoceros is another creature that is sadly extinct.
We know of it from mummified specimens that were found in Siberia (in Russia) and cave paintings.
It used its horns for defensive purposes and for attracting mates.
Human hunting is thought to be one of the reasons for their extinction.
Recent science has told us that the Woolly Rhinoceros had been around until as recently as 8,000 BC.
Bison.
Are Bison extinct?
Bison are still around, so they are not extinct.
Though you might not have heard of them because we do not really have many natively in the United Kingdom
although there is a European species.
Only two of the 8 species of Bison are still Not Extinct.
They were nearly hunted to extinction in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Species are found in both America and Europe.
We do not tend to find many Bison in the UK.
Reindeer.
Are reindeer extinct?
Of course reindeer are not extinct.
Christmas would be an incredibly sad time indeed if there were not any left.
Reindeer originally come from Northern America (known as the Caribou there).
It is currently considered a vulnerable species. That means it is under threat of extinction.
Both sexes of deer can grow antlers annually. Males tend to have larger horns than the females.
They can vary in both colour and size.
Many arctic and subarctic tribes consider it important to hunt the reindeer for meat,
their hides, their milk and their antlers.
They also use reindeers for transportation.
The Cave Bear.
Are Cave Bears extinct?
This one was a bit of a trick as we do have bears around.
However, sadly, the Cave bear species are no longer with us.
They became extinct around 24,000 years ago.
They are known as cave bears because most of their remains have been found inside caves
- you guessed it!
Now, these animals have been extinct already for thousands of years.
So how do we even know that they existed in the first place?
Archaeologists have found bones of these creatures.
As well as this, cave paintings on the walls of caves have also given us this information.
They are classed as a primary source.
A primary source is something that is real, and from the actual time in history.
We think that artists used lumps of minerals similarly to how we would use crayons today.
Some archaeologists believed that these pictures were meant to be helpful magic.
If hunters painted a picture of themselves killing an an animal for instance,
we think they might have believed that it would come true soon.
As well as cave paintings of animals, hand paintings have been found.
You can see a hand outlined in red paint in this picture.
Experts think that these may have been blow painted.
What is most interesting to me about this
is that the Stone Age people seem to be experimenting with style and artistry.
So that was our introduction to the Stone Age topic.
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Bye!