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1. Prehistory: the Paleolithic Period
In the Paleolithic Age, hominids lived in very difficult conditions. They had to deal with
very cold periods, called glacial periods, followed by intermediate periods with milder
temperatures, called interglacial periods.
They were
scavengers
, which meant they had to compete with hyenas and vultures
for the meat of dead animals. Later they lived by
gathering
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wild fruit,
hunting
wild
animals (deer, caribou, bison, horses and mammoths) and fishing.
There was a very high rate of
mortality
, especially in children, and in general they did
not live very long.
When they learned to control
fire
, the situation improved greatly. They could challenge
other predators, provide heat, light and cook food.
The early hominids were
predators
. They took the resources they needed
directly from nature. They lived at subsistence level as they had just enough
to survive.
3.1. Economy and society in the Paleolithic Age
Fire was made by using friction, by rubbing two sticks or stones together.
One and a half million years ago
Homo erectus
made use of naturally
occurring fire. Later, hominids discovered the technique to make fire
themselves.
Fire greatly improved the diet of human beings. Cooked food was easier
to digest and required less effort to chew. The facial features of
Homo
sapiens
possibly became more delicate due to this discovery.
Did you know?
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gather
:
to collect
