today sometimes appear on the screens of movies about the life of prehistoric man.But what was it?What was Cro-Magnon in his spare time?What are the ancient tools can be seen in our time?
All these questions you will find answers by reading this article.
Meaning
This concept first appeared in the writings of Karl Marx.He defines it as "a mechanical means of labor."It is due to the classification of findings and preparation of the periodization of the production of increasingly complex, German scientists have confirmed his theory of social evolution.
Those are, to put it more understandable language, a weapon - is any thing, thanks to which we are working on natural materials and get the things we need.For example, if you take a spear and kill the mammoth, it will be fed and clothed the whole tribe.In this case, a spear - a weapon of hunting and labor.
Classes ancient man
According to Darwin's theory, man evolved from apes.Indeed, archaeologists have found the remains of mammals, which are features of the structure of the skull monkeys and humans.
ramapithecus, Australopithecus, Pithecanthropus, Neanderthal man ... This is the transitional stage from wildlife to humans.
Our modern type is called Homo sapiens (Homo sapiens), or Cro-Magnon.The appearance of it belongs to the period of 40,000 years ago.
feature that distinguishes humans from animals, then there was the speech and the ability to consciously influence events.That is, a person trained to produce old tools whose names we do not know, but we can restore their appearance.
So what do our ancestors?All efforts were focused on survival.Average life expectancy is no more than thirty years.Hunger, predators, quarrels with neighboring tribes, disease - all these factors greatly complicates the existence of primitive people.
Thus, hunting and gathering were designed to feed the tribe.Sewing and currying - to put people and insulate homes.
Hunting
basis of the diet of ancient man was meat.Cultivate cereals and vegetable crops, he still did not know how, and wild edible plants across not so often, and do not grow thickly.In addition, once mature, high - twice a year.
therefore hunting was the main fishery, which occupies the ancient people.Tools of this was relevant.You may ask, how do we know.After all, most of the material simply is not capable of so many years lie in the ground and survive.It is, but bone and stone little susceptible to damage, especially in the frozen or dry soil.
In addition, today there are many tribes who still live in the primitive communal system.This hunter-gatherers in southern Africa, Australia, the Pacific Islands and the Amazon basin.By studying them, ethnographers reproduce things that existed hundreds of thousands of years ago.
In particular, hunted with sticks and stones.Later, there were knives and sharpened spears and harpoons, spear similarity.Over time, the darts have been created and a bow and arrows.
all these old tools help a person to become faster and stronger than the surrounding fauna.After all, no sharp teeth or claws of our ancestors did not have.
Gathering
When exploring ancient tools, the names they come up along the way.For example, the term 'digging stick. "How else to say about the subject, which is taken from the earth roots, but it is a spade and not remotely similar?
In general, most things ancient people used as much as possible.That is, the blade replaced the shovel, fork, weapons, sometimes scraper.Since producing such utensils was difficult, things were very much appreciated.Particularly good and successful given names, and they are inherited.
example, to get the plates required for a knife, sometimes it was necessary to make more than a hundred blows on the workpiece - Nucleus.It is not always the flint flakes off in the right direction, even when using modern technology, to say nothing of the impact of the usual stone?
to collect fruit from the branches using sticks, stones, to dig - bone fragments, knives, digging stick.
first production
ancient tools of prehistoric man were very practical.They were intended for rough action and basic processing.None of the details of any jewelry and filigree work of masters we have not yet gone.
we know today cores and scrapers, knives, which were made from solid pieces first, and then going from flakes.Later, there were bits, axes and other tools.
which primarily cared about people in those difficult times?Safety, food, warmth.For the life they settled in natural shelters - caves, cliffs, ravines.Over time, they learned to build huts and make fire.
how to ensure food mentioned above.As with the heat?What were the old tools in this case, and how they are used?Immediately, we note that in the course were the materials at hand.Scrapers and knives for skins made from silicon.This mineral has a terrific property.On the one hand it is well foliated, with another - is very strong.
needles made from fragments of animal bones or fish.Although initially it was just an awl.Eyelet it appeared much later.
chisel, hammer, drill arose when there was a need for them.These tools are used, as it is today, for housing, gouging boats and other works.
role of tools in human development
Scientists today are interested not only ancient people.The instruments of labor themselves also carry a lot of information.
Firstly, according to the complexity of subjects, it is possible to conclude that the development of relations in the society, the formation of groups of individuals.You can hunt alone, such as antelope.But alone to kill and eat a mammoth, even with relatives, it would be difficult.
A tribe was tradition, put the interests of the group above the aspirations of individuals.Therefore, spear throwers, bows earlier, show the development of speech and organization activities.So, at that time already starts to produce leaders who have turned out to rally the team and lead the group to target.
Second, studying ancient tools, we can see that they resemble each other, even after thousands of years.That is, it was the process of learning how to produce them.
ancient tools today
Today we are certainly spoiled the level of technological development, but the role of the knife in the campaigns and the pole has not been canceled.But this retreat.
modern reality is that in order to meet the person, professionally making the atlatl, or bow, you need to go to the remote areas of the planet.The Bushmen, for example, in the African savannah still live in the Stone Age.They are not very clear things that we use.Therefore, today they are no longer injure forcible planting of "creature comforts."Researchers are studying a way of life and their way of life.
Spears and boomerangs, bows and bolas are successfully used on different continents.However, the level of development of their tribes said set of tools.
example, Australian Aborigines do not know Luke, who already know how to use in Africa.In the Amazon basin and in the prairie spread bolas (two sinker, bonded leather strap) - a prototype of a sling.And they bow is not much need.
Museums - visual aids for students
Now imagine that your daze in school were asked to portray on paper similar tools.And he turned to you for help.How to draw old tools?Do not go well for that to Australia to see the digging stick.
Today it is absolutely not necessary.You can admire the extensive collection of finds in any local history, historic, archaeological or ethnographic museum.
Good luck to you, dear readers!
