Lecture 3

Question 1

Technology as a tool

Answer 1

Technology is a system/tool humans initially used for survival, providing solutions for basic needs like food, water, and protection from elements
First conceptualized in Africa

Question 2

What was required for survival

Answer 2

Early technology helped humans meet their needs for food water and protection from the elements (using tools and creating shelters like caves)

Question 3

First Technology - Flake Tools

Answer 3

Flake tools were among the earliest technologies, made by hitting a hard stone with a smaller stone to create a small flake, often used as a knife or blade
They were tiny and commonly made from obsidian, basalt, or quartz but not flint since it wasn’t found in the area

Question 4

Wonderwerk Cave

Answer 4

Wonderwerk cave is an example of early human shelter, where inhabitants used fire for protection. It represents how humans used natural shelters for protection from the elements

Question 5

Acheulean tools

Answer 5

These tools, such as a flint hand axe, were core tools that were labor intensive and carved out of stone with a degree of standardization
They eventually made flake tools irrelevant due to their efficiency and versatility

Question 6

Flint Hand Axe

Answer 6

Allowed humans to hunt animals more effectively, leading to a diet richer in meat. The increased consumption of nutritious protein contributed to humans developing larger brains, which in turn facilitated new technologies
Example of technological determinism because it directly affected human evolution - larger brains

Question 7

Climate Change and Technology

Answer 7

When the Ice Age ended the climate shifted from cool and wet to hot and dry forcing people to move to places like Mesopotamia, where they had access to both food and water
This change prompted people to settle by rivers and rethink their way of life moving from nomadic to stationary societies

Question 8

Nomadic vs stationary society

Answer 8

Nomadic - group of people who move from place to place in search of food, water , shelter without permanent settlement
Stationary - people who settle in one place

Question 9

Impact of Agriculture

Answer 9

Allowed for an unlimited food supply and shifted behavior from ‘eat when you catch it’ to saving and breeding the best animals and crops for future use
This led to a surplus of food - sparking population growth - rise of civilization

Question 10

Surplus of food and civilization

Answer 10

surplus of food led to the division of labor, specialization and the rise of a political elite and the establishment of the first towns

Question 11

Invention of the Plow

Answer 11

Revolutionized agriculture, allowing fro more efficient food production and shaping the foundations of modern civilization