Cultural Evolution in the Stone Age

· There has been no significant change in the cultural development of humans since the beginning of such organized behavior

· The stone Age (35 000 years ago) brought technological, artistic and cultural advances; known as the “Great Leap Forward”

· This leap shows evidence of humans making conscious plans, forethought and creativity – deliberately making changes to their environment, planning how to bring about such change

Social Organization

· Social organization was a very significant development during the Stone Age

· People lived in small groups or bands, hunting and gathering their food supply within a specific region or territory

· The territories ranged in size from to 80 kilometers, depending on the bands population

· People began to settle in one area for longer periods of time, creating homes

· Contrary to popular belief, these people did not live in caves but instead camped under rock ledges or dug shallow pits which they covered with brush or fur

· Caves were too cold and dark and had no ventilation for camp fires

· Caves were used for emergencies such as storms or refuge from large animals (mammoth)

· Cro-Magnon built huts and covered them with furs, supported by wooden posts and rocks

· Neanderthals were very social and organized group hunts which taught that cooperation helped with the capture of large prey

· Neanderthals cared for the weak and sick, and buried their dead

· Cro-Magnon cooperated with one another and found that cooperation improved their chances of survival

· Evidence supports the theory that Cro-Magnon engaged in “trade” and had housing settlements for - 40 – 50 people

Hunting

· The first specialized skill

· Traps were used to catch birds and small (fast running) prey

· Pitfalls (large hole covered by branches) were used for large prey; once trapped the animal was speared over and over again until it bled to death

· Large prey was also driven (chased) into bogs and streams, then were surrounded and speared (animals would sink into the mud and get stuck)

Tool Making

· Early tools represent a high level of craftsmanship and ingenuity

· Earliest tools and weapons were made of stone, then bone and wood

· Flint and obsidian (black volcanic glass) were the stone of choice, although the easily shattered quartz or basalt were also used

· Choppers were the first tool; scrapers, point and burins emerged (burin = narrow chisel used to cut notches and grooves in wood and bone)

· Neanderthals traveled great distances to find the right piece of flint for their specialized edges: cutting, butchering, scraping and defleshing

· Projectile weapons appeared in the Mesolithic Age, as did tools for harvesting and grinding wild grain

· 40 000 years ago, modern humans learned to use the environment to their advantage, making tools from stone, bone, horn, ivory and wood

· mastering effective tools encouraged the fine craftsmanship of beads, ornaments, needles, fishing, hooks, bows and arrow

Speech

· Scientists believe that the Neanderthals were the first to have the anatomical equipment for speech

· Speech requires a hyoid bone and the vocal tracts first

· The first hyoid bone was found in a Neanderthal skeleton; thus scientists conclude that they could speak in a rudimentary fashion

· Grunts, cries and whimpers are thought to be the first oral expressions

· Spoken language was an important development of the Stone Age as it allowed people to work more closely together, and to share their cultural knowledge

Fire

· Ancient people knew about fire long before they knew how to make it

· Natural fires were caused by lightning and volcanoes

· Once a fire was discovered it was used for heat, cooking and protection from animals; hot embers or torches were used to take fire from one location to another

· Homo erectus learned how to make and control fire 1.4 million years ago

· Learning how to make fire revolutionized the lives of our ancestors: fire allowed humans to spread further into colder regions of Europe and Asia, cooked food was faster to eat thus allowing time for other activities

· Fire was used to harden the points of wooden spears so the weapons could pierce tough animal skin which ensured a greater hunting success and an increase in the food supply

The Neolithic Revolution

· People changed from being hunters and gatherers to being food producers

· Scholars believe that the Middle Eastern people were the first to discover that they could plant seed from wild grain and established the first planned crops

· Stone Age people also began to domesticate animals such as dogs, cattle, pigs, sheep and goats as a ready source of food

· Dogs were the first tamed animals and were used to keep herds under control

The Effects of the Revolution

· The arrival of agriculture increased the food supply and made it possible for larger groups of people to live together; creating permanent communities and villages

· Jericho is the oldest known village, dating back to 8000BC

· Catal Huyuk, a village in Turkey provides evidence of houses made of sun-dried bricks

· Early homes did not have doors, but rather residents entered their houses through ladders and a hole in the roof

· Floors were covered with carpets of rushes and sleeping platforms were draped with mats

· A consistent food supply allowed Neolithic villagers time to make pottery, a mixture of clay, straw and dung

· Also made baskets, woven clothe (loom), jewelry, utensils, weapons etc.

· New jobs began to develop aside from hunter, gatherer, herder – potters, jewelers, metal workers, carpenters and weavers

· Trade developed and led to new methods of transportation

· Settled communities brought about the beginnings of government

· A chief or leader was responsible for maintaining order in the village, and for ensuing the protection of personal property

· Most historians believe that early chiefs played a religious role in their communities, offering prayers for protection and plentiful harvests

Civilization

· Civilization comes from civis, meaning citizen or someone who lives in a city

· By 5000 BC people lived in permanent towns and cities

· Highly organized societies began to develop as people had sophisticated knowledge of farming, trade, government, law, art and science

· Historians have yet to agree on the terms or skills required to have a civilization

· Some believe literacy is required, while others believe knowledge (building, farms etc) is the essential ingredient

· The first civilization developed in six distinct locations and existed independently of one another for a long time

· Mesopotamia was the first, followed by ancient Egypt, India, Crete, China and Central America

· The first civilizations developed in areas where agriculture could flourish and the population could grow rapidly

· The development of agriculture was one of the most significant developments in human history