Today, films about the life of a primitive man sometimes appear on the screens. But what was she like? What did the Cro-Magnon man do in his spare time? What ancient tools can be seen in our time?
All these questions will be answered by reading this article.
Meaning of term
This concept first appeared in the writings of Karl Marx. He defines it as "mechanical means of labor." It was thanks to the classification of finds and the compilation of a periodization of the increasingly complicated production of objects that the German scientist confirmed his theory of social evolution.
That is, speaking in a more understandable language, a tool is any object thanks to which we act on natural materials and get the things we need. For example, if you take a spear and kill a mammoth, then the whole tribe will be fed and clothed. In this case, the spear is a hunting and labor tool.
Occupations of the ancient man
According to Darwin's theory, man evolved from apes. Indeed, archaeologists find the remains of mammals that in the structure of the skull bear the features of apes and humans.
Ramapithecus, Australopithecus, Pithecanthropus, Neanderthal… These are transitional steps fromanimal kingdom to man.
Our modern species is called Homo sapiens (reasonable man), or Cro-Magnon. Its appearance is attributed to the period of 40,000 years ago.
The feature that distinguished people from animals was already speech and the ability to consciously influence events. That is, a person was trained to produce ancient tools, the names of which we do not know, but we can restore their appearance.
What did our distant ancestors do? All forces were directed to survival. The average life expectancy was no more than thirty years. Hunger, predators, quarrels with neighboring tribes, diseases - all these factors greatly complicated the existence of primitive people.
Thus, hunting and gathering were aimed at feeding the tribe. Sewing and tanning - to dress people and warm homes.
Hunting
The basis of the diet of ancient man was meat. He did not yet know how to grow cereals and garden crops, and wild edible plants come across not so often and do not grow densely. In addition, they ripen once, maximum - twice a year.
Therefore, hunting was the main occupation of the ancient people. The tools for this were appropriate. You ask how we know this. After all, most materials are simply not able to lie in the ground for so many years and survive. This is true, but bone and stone are less susceptible to destruction, especially in frozen or dry soil.
Besides this, today there are manytribes that still live under the primitive communal system. These are hunters and gatherers of southern Africa, Australia, the Pacific Islands and the Amazon. By studying them, ethnographers reproduce things that existed hundreds of thousands of years ago.
In particular, they hunted with sticks and stones. Later, knives, pointed spears and harpoons, similar to spears, appeared. Over time, darts and a bow with arrows were created.
All these ancient tools helped man to become faster and stronger than the surrounding fauna. After all, our ancestors had neither sharp teeth nor claws.
Gathering
When exploring ancient tools, they come up with names along the way. So, for example, the term "digging stick" appeared. How else to say about an object that takes roots out of the ground, but it doesn’t even remotely look like a shovel?
In general, ancient people used most of the items to the maximum. That is, a knife replaced a shovel, fork, weapon, sometimes a scraper. Since it was difficult to produce such utensils, things were very much appreciated. Particularly good and successful names were given, and they were inherited.
For example, to obtain the plates needed for one knife, sometimes it was necessary to make more than a hundred strokes on the workpiece - the core. After all, flint does not always peel off in the right direction even with the use of modern technologies, what can we say about the blow of an ordinary stone?
Sticks, stones were used to collect fruit from branches, fragments of bones,knives, digging sticks.
First production
The primitive man's ancient tools were extremely practical. They were intended for rough action and basic handling. We have not talked about any jewelry trifles and filigree work of masters.
Today we know cores and scrapers, knives that were first made from whole pieces, and later assembled from flakes. Later, chisels, axes and other tools appeared.
What was the first concern of people in those difficult times? Security, food, warmth. For life, they equipped natural shelters - caves, ledges, hollows. Over time, they learned to build huts and make fire.
We talked about ways to provide food above. What about heat? What were the ancient tools in this case and how were they used? Immediately, we note that improvised items were used. Skin scrapers and knives were made of flint. This mineral has amazing properties. On the one hand, it exfoliates well, on the other, it is very strong.
Needles were made from fragments of animal or fish bones. Although initially it was just an awl. The ear in it appeared much later.
A chisel, a hammer, a drill arose when there was a need for them. These tools were used, as they are today, for housing construction, gouging boats and other works.
The role of tools in human development
Scientists today are interested not only in ancient people. Tools of labor themselves also carry a lotinformation.
Firstly, judging by the complication of subjects, we can conclude that the development of relations in society, the formation of teams from among individuals. One can hunt, for example, an antelope. But it will be difficult to kill and eat a mammoth alone, even with the help of close relatives.
And the tribe had traditions that put the interests of the group above the aspirations of individuals. Therefore, the spear throwers preceding the bows testify to the development of speech and the organization of actions. This means that at that time leaders were already beginning to stand out, who managed to rally the team and lead the group to the goal.
Secondly, studying ancient tools, we can notice that they are similar to each other even after thousands of years. That is, there was a process of learning how to produce them.
Ancient tools today
Today, of course, we are spoiled by the level of technological development, but no one has canceled the role of a knife and a pole in hiking. But this is a digression.
Modern realities are such that to meet a person professionally handling a spear thrower or a bow, you need to go to remote areas of the planet. Bushmen, for example, in the African savannah still live in the Stone Age. They don't really understand the things we use. Therefore, in our days they have ceased to be traumatized by the forcible planting of the "benefits of civilization." Researchers are simply studying their way of life and life.
Spears and boomerangs, bows and bolas are successfully used today on different continents. However, the level of developmenttribes says their toolbox.
For example, the Australian aborigines do not know the bow, which they already know how to use in Africa. In the Amazon basin and on the prairies, bolas are common (two weights fastened with a leather strap) - the prototype of a sling. And they don't really need a bow yet.
Museums are visual aids for students
Now imagine that your child at school was asked to draw such instruments on paper. And he turned to you for help. How to draw ancient tools? Do not go to Australia for this, to see a digging stick.
Today it is absolutely not necessary. You can admire the extensive collections of finds in any local history, historical, archaeological or ethnographic museum.
Good luck, dear readers!
