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Cultural Evolution

Cultural Evolution. The Stone Age. Changes in Development. Until approximately 35 000 years ago, there was no significant change in terms of culture There was then remarkable technological, artisitic and cultural advances Humans began to show planning, forethought and creativity

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Cultural Evolution

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  1. Cultural Evolution The Stone Age

  2. Changes in Development • Until approximately 35 000 years ago, there was no significant change in terms of culture • There was then remarkable technological, artisitic and cultural advances • Humans began to show planning, forethought and creativity • They looked at how to change their environment

  3. Cro-Magnon Man

  4. Cro-Magnon Man • Essentially modern day humans • Skilled hunters, artists and toolmakers • Remains were first found in Europe, so it is believed that they had emigrated to Europe from Africa due to weather.

  5. Social Organization

  6. Hunting and Gathering • The people of the Stone Age lived in small groups • Would hunt within a region they identified as home • Size of home would depend on availability of food and size of group

  7. Home • Began living in the same place for long periods of time • For protection they dug shallow pits and covered them with brush • Did not live in caves due to dampness and lingering smoke • Cro-Magnons lived in huts built from sticks and animal skins

  8. Social Aspects • Organized group hunts • Took care of weak and buried the dead • Realized that social interaction improved chances for survival

  9. Hunting

  10. How did they do it? • Earliest ancestors caught small prey and ate dead meat of larger animals • Neanderthals began to hunt, capturing birds and small animals using traps • For larger animals they would either use a pitfall or force them into swampy mudholes. They would then attack them at close range

  11. Tool Making

  12. Types of tools • Took a high level of craftmanship and ingenuity • Earliest tools were choppers and chopping tools. • Hand axes were shaped into an almond shape, then sharpened by chipping away stone pieces • Began to make side scrapers and points using the same technique

  13. They then began to create handles that could assist in the use of the tools • As their skills improved they were able to make finer blades and projectile weapons • By the time humans moved to Europe they were able to use stone, bone, ivory and wood to fashion tools • They also could produce beads, ornaments, needles, fishing hooks and bow and arrows

  14. Speech

  15. Could they speak?? • Although the voice box and tract do not fossilize, the hyoid does • It has been found that neanderthals did have a hyoid which suggests that they could speak in some way • The first type of speech was most likely grunting in different ways • They probably did not have a sophisticated language, however they could speak

  16. Fire

  17. How did they understand it • Fire existed for thousands of years before humans learned how to make it • Early humans began to gather natural fire and use it to warm their shelters, cook and scare animals • Homo erectus then learned how to make it by rubbing sticks together

  18. Fire con’t • Evidence that is present is the layers of ash found on cave floors • Fire allowed humans to spread farther into colder temperatures • Created more time to pursue other activities • Used it to harden points on spears • Used it for defence by throwing burning sticks at animals

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