Early Human Society Flashcards
What do anthropologists do to study man’s physical and cultural development?
They examine
- The bones of early man
- The bones of animals found near the,
- Artefacts such as the weapons and implements used by them
According to Charles Darwin, what was the origin of man?
According to Charles Darwin, all humans evolved from ape-like ancestors who would stand upright. Anthropologists call him Homo Erectus. It is believed that Africa was the first home of the human species from where man migrated to other parts of the world.
What were the characteristics that gave humans an edge over the other animals?
They were
- A large brain and a capacity to think
- Speech enabled man to communicate and share knowledge
- Bipedalism freed the hands - man could carry things, make tools and wield weapons to protect himself
- Opposable thumb helped man to grasp objects.
What are the 5 main species (group) of humans?
Australopithecus - Lived 3.5 million years ago and had the basic traits of humans
Homo Habilis - Lived 2.5 million years ago and they were the first humans to live in Africa. They also made stone tools
Homo Erectus - Lived 1 million years ago and made and controlled fire. Also first hunter who travelled outside Africa
Homo Sapiens “WiseMan” and Neanderthals - Lived 250,000 years ago and buried their dead with ceremony.
Homo Sapiens Sapiens - Current species of humans and made bows and arrows, cave art, necklaces and pendants, etc.
What was the Stone Age?
The Stone Age is the age where stones were used in a large scale. It lasted from circa 2 million years ago to about 2,000 years ago. The Stone Age is further divided, based on the quality of stones tools used. They are
- The Palaeolithic Age - 2 million to 10,000
- The Mesolithic Age - 10,000 to 8,000
- The Neolithic Age - 8,000 to 4,000
- The Chalcolithic Age - 4,000 to circa 2,000
Describe the life in the Palaeolithic Age.
Homo Habilis was
- A food-gatherer
- Entirely dependant on nature for food
- Ate fruits, roots, nuts, flesh of animals, insects
- Didn’t have a fixed place to stay, wondered like a nomad from place to place
- Lived in caves and hollows of trees to protect himself from wild animals and harsh climate
- Used animal skins or barks of trees to cover his body
The tools used by man in this time were called pebble tools. They were made of flint, a stone that chips away easily. The tools can be divided into core tools and flake implements.
- Core tools - Made by chipping and grinding large stones, used to cut trees, dig earth, shape sticks, etc.
- Flake implements - Made from smaller pieces of stones, used as choppers and clears to chop meat and skin animals.
The discovery of fire was by far the greatest achievements by early man. The discovery of fire was probably accidental. It was used to
- Keep man warm
- Frighten off animals from the caves while he slept there
- To roast the flesh of animals
- To provide him the light to work inside the caves at night
What is a nomad?
Someone who moves from place to place with his animals
Describe the Mesolithic Age
During this age, man was trying to find ways to make his life more comfortable, his major concern being security and food. He learnt how to use bones and horns along with stone to make more sophisticated tools such as bows and arrows and fishing hooks. Microliths were made during this era. For most of the period, man remained to be food-gatherers. It was probably towards the end of the period that they learnt about cultivation. Now they had another means of getting food, growing crops.
Describe the Neolithic Age and the tools used during this age.
During this period
- Man gave up the nomadic lifestyle and started settling down
- A family group would construct mud houses with thatched roofs close to one another, surrounded by a common fence
- Man started growing wheat, barley and rice
- They started making axes and sickles to help in cultivation
- In due course, tribes and villages started to form
- Started domesticating animals to make their life easier
The tools during this era were made using a grindstone. These tools were sharp, well-polished and had handles fixed to them. They were made using a harder rock called basalt. Bones were used to make needles, blades, etc.
Describe the Art of the Neolithic Age and give some information about Religious beliefs and the invention of the wheel
Man also learnt paint the walls of his cave dwellings with showing dancing figures and animals. He also needed containers to store his surplus grain in. He first wove baskets out of wild grass and then plastered it with wet clay, but then he learnt that this would not carry liquids. So, he learnt to bake the pots over fire to make them waterproof.
One of the greatest invention of the Neolithic Age was the invention of the Wheel. The invention of the wheel made travelling quicker and more comfortable. It was also used for pottery, spinning and weaving. He also learned to use cotton and wool to make clothes.
Since the Neolithic Man was afraid of natural phenomenon, he began to worship and appease them. The sun, rain, fire and earth were worshipped. Some animals like the cow became holy. Death was regarded as a journey of no return. So, the dead were buried with their belongings in the grave or in large vessels called urns. They also marked the burial places with megaliths
Describe the Chalcolithic Age and the Discovery of Metals
This age marked the transition between the Stone Age and the Age of Metals.
The discovery of metas was accidental too. The first metal discovered by man was copper. He learnt to shape and bend it into various tools and ornaments. Later, zinc and tin were discovered. Subsequently, bronze, an alloy of tin and copper was made. Since man used both copper and stone to make tools, this age is also known as the copper age.
Define the following terms: Microliths Cultivation Domesticate Appease Megaliths Alloy
Microliths: Small, triangular stones made during the Mesolithic Age
Cultivation: Using land to grow crops
Domesticate: To make a wild animal tame for living or working with humans
Appease: To satisfy
Megaliths: Huge rectangular blocks of stone
Alloy: A metal formed by mixing two types of metal
