Paleolithic Times Essay

Submitted By ConorThornton1
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During the Paleolithic times Homo sapiens developed many tools to deal and cope with a variety of tasks to ensure their survival. Many if not all these tools we implement to this day to some degree. Although these tools pale in comparison to their modern counterparts, we must accept their importance in the shaping of how homo sapiens progressed from foragers to farmers. The most important tool that Paleolithic humans employed was flint. Using this simple yet effective tool allowed humans to set fire at will for cooking, protection, and warmth. For the first time in the history of the world, animals were able to convert energy in a way other than chemically within their bodies. I can imagine early humans huddling in caves, staying close to conserve body heat, before their knowledge of fire. In the hostile environment of early times fire could be employed to keep beasts at bay protecting early man and propelling the species forward. Using flint and tinder provided warmth during the colder months and in the evenings.

Flint, stone, and bone fashioned into spears or blades gave early humans another more obvious form of protection. Having developed brains more than physical defenses left early humans vulnerable to other animal species. With stone early humans were able to fashion crude weapons for protection. With weapons humans were less likely to fall prey to other animals and could begin their struggle for dominancy of the planet. These same blades were used to fashion primitive dwellings, cut meat, reap grain, and cut furs for clothing. The tools available for disposal by Paleolithic man were inefficient enough to keep him nomadic but useful enough to make his life as a hunter-gatherer easier and more productive.

With these technologies at their disposal humans began to flourish. Tools provided man with a means of harnessing many things from his environment. Unfortunately there were several limitations to these tools that affected the lives of Paleolithic tribes. The physical limitations of stone, flint, and bone kept humans from cutting large timber for firewood, canoes, or dwellings and they were forced to use small trees or larger ones that had fallen. These tools were the most primitive of their kind and they were basically prototypes for later models.

The first civilizations began to appear due in part to technological developments that were being made at the end of the Neolithic period. Several technological advances in agriculture and irrigation made way for and the true development of farming. These advances, along with those made in metallurgy, propelled man forward at an increasing rate both socially and in overall population growth. This growth allowed for further growth in technology and tool use that eventually gave rise to civilization.

These technologies affected and were affected by lifestyle. They were created to aid in a lifestyle that was appearing and matured due to the lifestyle that evolved from their use. This advance in technology shaped Neolithic life from that of a hunter-gatherer to an agriculturalist. This change permeated throughout the world and further affected neighboring hunter-gatherer groups. This shaped the life of early man in an irreversible way. Although these primitive tools aided man through the daily workings in his life as a subsistence farmer they were also inefficient enough for mass agricultural development. These tools both advanced and limited man until it matured even further.

Perhaps the most prominent tool to develop during this age was the plow. Allowing early humans to cultivate larger stretches of soil and produce a food surplus. The primitive examples like a long timber with one branch left attached were very inefficient but still produced a larger yield per area than previous methods of sowing grain. Attaching stone or bronze undoubtedly increased efficiency and helped to cultivate in harsher soil conditions. Employing the ox or other beasts
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