EARLY HUMANS- HUNTERS AND GATHERERS
The period of human history from around 500,000 BCE to
4,000 BCE, when humans used mainly stone tools, is known as the Stone Age. The
Stone Age is further divided into the Old Stone Age or the Palaeolithic Age,
the Middle Stone Age or the Mesolithic Age and the New Stone Age or the
Neolithic Age. The period of transition, or change, from the use of stone to
the use of metals is known as the Copper-Stone Age or the Chalcolithic Age.
Humans used both stone and metal during the Chalcolithic
Age.
Since the Stone Age was a period before humans learnt
to write, our knowledge of this period comes from artefacts- bones, tools,
weapons, cave paintings and pottery. These remains are unearthed and studied by
archaeologists.
THE OLD
STONE AGE, OR THE PALAEOLITHIC AGE (AROUND 500,000 – 10,000 BCE)
The
Old Stone Age is also known as the Palaeolithic Age. During the Old Stone Age,
human beings were mainly nomads, i.e., wanderers or people without a permanent
home. They moved in groups, hunted and had a diet of raw meat along with
vegetables and fruits. Hunting could not support a growing population in one
place, so the choice for the hunters was rather brutal- starve or move.
Therefore, they moved over great distances. They also faced many problems as because in that time they have no vehicles no technological communication systems; they had faced a lot of problems but for their sacrifices now billion of human begins are survived in world.
Then
around 40,000 to 35,000 BCE, there was a change in human behaviour. There was a
marked increase in new forms of stone and bone tools. Expressive and often
beautiful cave paintings started appearing in caves around the world. Humans
started burying their dead in elaborate ways. In other words, they started
showing many habits of modern humans.
TOOLS
AND WEAPONS
In order to protect themselves, and
to make their lives easier, the Palaeolithic humans made simple and crude stone
tools and weapons (example- axe heads, hammers and choppers). In the beginning,
the tools were mainly stone flakes that had been struck off from bigger stones.
The other type of weapon used at this time was the spheroid – a stone ball that
might have been used to bring down animals from a distance. In the course of
time, more complex tools like hand axes and large flakes were made for cutting animals
or scraping skins.
SHELTER
AND CLOTHING
They used animal skins, barks of
trees and leaves to make their clothing. They lived in caves, trees or natural
rock shelter. They developed themselves and it is a great step for humans evolution.
ART
There are almost no monuments of
that immense period of prehistory. However, towards the end of the Old Stone
Age, vivid and beautiful cave paintings started appearing in various sites
around the world, like Altamira in Spain and Lascaux in France. Most of the
cave paintings, which are about 20,000 years old, focus on the animals that the
people hunted. In India, more than 450 painted rock shelters ranging from the
Palaeolithic to the Mesolithic period have been found in Bhimbetka (which is
about 45 km from Bhopal). Life-like sculptures of animals and figures of mother
goddesses have also been found.
DISCOVERY
OF FIRE
In all probability, at the end of
the Old Stone Age, humans accidentally discovered how to control and use fire. May be they had seen the fire in the forest and the wild creatures were destroyed in it and they ate the roasted meat and then they had discovered that fire can help them to cook the meals and it can also help them from cold and other dangerous beasts. This turned out to be one of the most important discoveries made by humans.
Fire could protect them from wild animals. They must also have found cooked
food softer and easier to eat, and maybe tastier.
INVENTION
OF THE WHEEL
The wheel, which is believed to have
been invented during the Old Stone Age, was one of the most important
inventions in history. Early wheels were not like the smoothly rounded ones
used today. They were much more uneven in shape with rough edges, having been
cut of the tree trunks.
PALAEOLITHIC
SITES IN INDIA
Palaeolithic sites in India include
Attirampakkam in Tamil Nadu, Hunsgi in Karnataka, and Bhimbetka and Baghor in
Madhya Pradesh.
THE
MIDDLE STONE AGE, OR THE MESOLITHIC AGE (10,000-8000 BCE)
The
Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age was a period of transition between the
Palaeolithic and the Neolithic Age. This period lasted from around 10,000 to
8000 BCE. Mesolithic sites in India are located in Rajasthan, southern Uttar
Pradesh, north-eastern India, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
Bagor in Rajasthan is an interesting Mesolithic site.
The
Mesolithic people had three sources, namely, tools, cave and rock paintings and
burial sites.
CHANGING
LIFESTLES
By around 9000 BCE, the climate became warmer and
drier. Climatic changes brought about changes in fauna (animal life) and flora
(plant life). A greater variety of plants and animals now became available. So,
both hunting and gathering became easier. The people continued to hunt, fish
and gather food.
Humans also learnt to tame animals and grow crops
during this period. They probably discovered the value of the seeds of some
grasses like barley and wheat.It helped them to taste the different kinds of edibles. Many difficult ways of obtaining food must have
been tired; some would have failed completely, and some would have been more
successful.
The dog was the first animal to be tamed. The humans
must have used dogs for guarding. Though many humans continued to live in rock
shelters, some built their own houses of sticks, twigs and mud.
Rock paintings from the Mesolithic period have been
found in Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and
Rajasthan. Remains of human burial have also been found. There are evidences of
food and ornaments at these burial sites.
TOOLS
AND IMPLEMENTS
Though large hand axes and spheroids continued to be
made in this period, microliths, or very small stone tools, are the main type
of tools found at Mesolithic sites. The microliths had sharp edges and were
typically less than 3 cm in size. They were probably used as the barbs
(backward-facing points) of arrows and spears. Tools at this time were also
made of bone, wood, or the tusks and horns of animals. These new, lighter tools
helped quicker movement, and hunting became easier. The bow and arrow made it easy
to hunt fast-moving animals. Hooks and baits improved fishing.
THE
NEW STONE AGE OR THE NEOLITHIC AGE (8000-4000 BCE)
Around
8000 BCE, the Mesolithic Age ended and the New Stone Age or the Neolithic Age
started (‘neos’ means ‘new’ in Greek). This was an extremely important period
in the history of human society with several vital discoveries and inventions
being made, which brought about great changes in the lives of human beings.
Humans evolved farmers and herders.
CHALCOLITHIC
AGE (4000-2000 BCE)
‘Chalkos’
means ‘copper’ and ‘lithos’ means ‘stone’; so the Chalcolithic Age is also
called the Copper- Stone Age. Implements made of both stone and copper were
used during this period. People invented the plough, the wheeled cart and the
sail boat. They discovered how to mix metals and get stronger tools, vessels
and weapons.
This way earlier humans developed themselves and evolved and now as we are their children its our responsibility to developed ourselves; but the development should not be gone through nature destroy. We should go through the
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