Cultural Evolution

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

4. Cro-Magnon Man

5. 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.

6. Social Organization

7. 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

8. 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

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

10. Hunting

11. 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

12. Tool Making

13. 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

14. 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

15. Speech

16. 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

17. Fire

18. 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

19. 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