The very first humans obtained their food by foraging the wild for plants that could be eaten, or by hunting and scavenging animals that could be eaten

Early people followed herds of animals they hunted.

They roamed through the wild gathering plants that could be eaten.

Combining those two words gives you their name: Hunter-Gatherers

Hunter-Gatherers never stayed in one place long because they must find enough food to live.

Because they were always on the move they are called Nomads

Nomadic people would often roam many miles and cover a large territory.

Most nomadic people live a subsistence lifestyle where they have just enough to survive.

This lifestyle is hard and survival depends on your natural surroundings.

Some areas are easier to survive because they provide plenty of food. Some are hostile and impossible to survive for very long.

Today, most societies are sedentary and their people do not wander to find food.

Vocabulary

  • Scavenging

  • Nomadic

  • Sedentary

Important Questions

  • Early people hunted animal herds that migrated over large areas and foraged for food that changed seasonally; this prevented them from settling in one area and staying for long periods of time.

  • Healthier Diets

    Physically Fit

    Knowledge of living off the land

  • No Permanent Shelter

    No Guaranteed Food

  • They could potentially be living in places very far from where they started. Over the course of thousands of years they could live on different continents than where their ancestors lived.

  • Some areas of the world have a surplus of food where mobility is no longer necessary to feed your people.

    Coastal Areas - Seafood

    Year round fruits, vegetables, nuts and animals