page_title: Human
section_title: Civilization
hierarchical_section_title: Human / Civilization
context_page_description: A human is a member of the species Homo sapiens, which means 'wise man' in Latin. Carolus Linnaeus put humans in the mammalian order of primates. Humans are a type of hominid, and chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans are their closest living relatives.
  Humans are mammals. They are also social animals. They usually live in groups. They help and protect each other. They care for their children. Humans are bipedal, which means they walk on two legs.
  Humans have a very complex brain, which is much larger than that of the other living apes. They use language, make ideas, and feel emotions. This brain, and the fact that arms are not needed for walking, lets humans use tools. Humans use tools far more than any other species.
  There are humans living on every continent. As of 2020, there were over 7,600 million people living on Earth.
context_section_description: Early human history is commonly divided into three ages. The time periods are labeled with the material used for tools.
  The Stone Age
  The Bronze Age
  The Iron Age
  The "Stone Age" is commonly subdivided into the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic periods.
  Up to about 10 thousand years ago most humans were hunter-gatherers. They did not live in one place, but moved around as the seasons changed. The start of planting crops for food, called farming made the Neolithic revolution. Some people chose to live in settlements. This also led to the invention of metal tools and the training of animals. About 6000 years ago the first proper civilizations began in places like Egypt, India, and Syria. The people formed governments and armies for protection. They competed for area to live and resources and sometimes they fought with each other. About 4000 years ago some states took over or conquered other states and made empires. Examples include ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.
  Some modern day religions also began at this time such as Judaism and Hinduism. From the Middle Ages and beyond humanity saw an explosion of new technology and inventions. The printing press, the car, the train, and electricity are all examples of this kind of invention. As a result of the developments in technology, modern humans live in a world where everyone is connected, for example by telephone or by internet. People now control and change the environment around them in many different ways.
caption: Stonehenge in England was built around 4500-4000 years ago. This time was in the Neolithic period of the Stone Age.
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