The primitive era of mankind is the period that lasted before the invention of writing. In the 19th century, it received a slightly different name - "prehistoric". If you do not delve into the meaning of this term, then it unites the entire time period, starting from the emergence of the Universe. But in a narrower perception, we are talking only about the past of the human species, which lasted until a certain period (it was mentioned above). If the media, scientists or other people use the word "prehistoric" in official sources, then the period in question is necessarily indicated.
Although the characteristics of the primitive era were formed bit by bit by researchers for several centuries in a row, new facts about that time are still being discovered. Due to the lack of writing, people compare data from archaeological, biological, ethnographic, geographical and other sciences for this.
Development of the primitive era
Throughout the development of mankind, various options for the classification of prehistoric time have been constantly proposed. Historians Ferguson and Morgan divided primitive society into several stages: savagery, barbarism and civilization. The primitive era of mankind, including the first two components, is divided into three more periods:
- Savagery was characterized by the equality of people. The inhabitants were engaged in hunting, fishing and gathering ready-made food (berries, fruits, vegetables). The scientist Morgan broke wildness into several periods. The lowest degree is characterized by the appearance of underdeveloped speech, the middle one by the use of fire in everyday life and catching fish, and the highest one began from the moment the bow was invented.
- During the period of barbarism, the population for the first time began to engage in agriculture, to raise cattle (middle level). The appearance of pottery is the lowest stage of this time. The higher one was marked by the first use of iron in the household.
- At the stage of civilization, the first states, cities, writing, etc. were formed.
Stone Age
The primitive era received its periodization. It is possible to single out the main stages, among which was the Stone Age. At this time, all weapons and items for everyday life were made, as you might guess, from stone. Sometimes people used wood and bones in their works. Already closer to the end of this period, dishes made of clay appeared. Thanks to the achievements of this century, the area of accommodation on the inhabitedterritories of the human planet, and also as a result of it, human evolution began. We are talking about anthropogenesis, that is, the process of the emergence of intelligent beings on the planet. The end of the Stone Age was marked by the domestication of wild animals and the beginning of the smelting of certain metals.
According to time periods, the primitive era to which this century belongs was divided into stages:
- Paleolithic. Broken down into lower, middle and higher. This period is "responsible" for the emergence and spread of humanoid individuals.
- Mesolithic. Glaciers are melting; technological progress is moving, the first scientific achievements are appearing.
- Neolithic. At this time, agriculture appears.
Copper Age
The eras of primitive society, having a chronological sequence, characterize the development and formation of life in different ways. In different territorial areas, the period lasted for different times (or did not exist at all). The Eneolithic could be connected with the Bronze Age, although scientists still distinguish it as a separate period. The approximate time period is 3-4 thousand years BC. It is logical to assume that this primitive era was usually characterized by the use of copper fixtures. However, the stone did not go out of "fashion". Acquaintance with new material was rather slow. People, finding it, thought it was a stone. The processing that was common at that time - hitting one piece against another - did not give the usual effect, but still the copper succumbed to deformation. When introduced into everyday lifecold forging work with her went better.
Bronze Age
This primitive era has become one of the main ones, according to some scientists. People learned how to process some materials (tin, copper), due to which they achieved the appearance of bronze. Thanks to this invention, a collapse began at the end of the century, which occurred quite synchronously. We are talking about the destruction of human associations - civilizations. This entailed a long formation of the Iron Age in a certain area and a too protracted continuation of the Bronze Age. The last one in the eastern part of the planet lasted a record number of decades. It ended with the advent of Greece and Rome. The century is divided into three periods: early, middle and late. During all these periods, the architecture of that time was actively developing. It was she who influenced the formation of religion and the worldview of society.
Iron Age
Considering the epochs of primitive history, one can come to the conclusion that the Iron Age was the last before the advent of intelligent writing. Simply put, this century was conditionally singled out as a separate one, since iron objects appeared, they were widely used in all spheres of life.
Smelting iron was a fairly labor intensive process for that century. After all, it was impossible to get real material. This is due to the fact that it is easily corroded and does not withstand many climatic changes. In order to obtain it from ore, a much higher temperature was required than for bronze. And iron casting was mastered throughtoo long time span.
Rise of power
Of course, the emergence of power was not long in coming. There have always been leaders in society, even if we are talking about the primitive era. During this period, there were no institutions of power, and there was no political dominance either. Here social norms were more important. They invested in customs, "laws of life", traditions. Under the primitive system, all requirements were explained in sign language, and their violations were punished with the help of an outcast from society.
