The primitive (pre-class) era in the development of mankind covers a huge time period - from 2.5 million years ago to 5 millennia BC. e. Today, thanks to the work of archaeological researchers, it is possible to restore almost the entire history of the emergence of human culture. In Western countries, its initial stage is called differently: primitive, tribal society, classless or egalitarian system.
What is the era of the primitive world?
Class societies appeared in different territories at different times, so the boundaries that outline the primitive world are very blurred. One of the largest anthropologists who were interested in primitive history - A.I. Pershits. He proposed the following criterion for division. Societies that existed before the appearance of classes, the scientist calls apolitical (that is, emerged before the advent of the state). Those that continued to exist after the emergence of social strata were synpolytic.
The era of the primitive world gave rise to a new species of man, which was different from previous Australopithecus. A skilled man could already move on two legs, and also use a stone and a stick as tools. However, on this all the differences between him and his ancestor ended. Like Australopithecus, a skilled person could communicate only using shouts and gestures.
Primitive world and descendants of Australopithecus
After a million years of evolution, the new species, which was called Homo erectus, was still very little different from its predecessor. It was covered with hair, and parts of the body in everything resembled monkeys. He also still looked like a monkey in his habits. However, Homo erectus already possessed a large-sized brain, with the help of which he mastered new abilities. Now man could hunt with the help of created tools. New tools helped the primitive man to carve carcasses of animals, to stick wooden sticks.
Further development
Only thanks to an enlarged brain and acquired skills, a person could survive the ice age and settle on the territory of Europe, Northern China, the Hindustan Peninsula. About 250 thousand years ago, the first intelligent man, or homo sapiens. Since that time, primitive tribes began to use animal caves for housing. They settle in large groups. The primitive world begins to take on a new look: this time is considered the era of the birth of kinship. People of one tribe begin to be buried according to special rituals, to protect their graves with stones. The findings of archaeologists confirm that the man of that era already sought to help relatives in diseases, shared food and clothing with them.
The role of fauna in human survival
An important role for the evolution, development of hunting and animal husbandry was played in the primitive era by the environment, namely the animals of the primitive world. Many long-extinct species belong to this category. For example, woolly rhinos, musk ox, mammoths, large-horned deer, saber-toothed tigers, cave bears. The life and death of human ancestors depended on these animals.
It is reliably known that the primitive man hunted woolly rhinos already about 70 thousand years ago. Their remains are found in modern Germany. Some animals did not pose a particular danger to primitive tribes. For example, despite its impressive size, the cave bear was slow and slow. Therefore, primitive tribes without much difficulty defeated him in the fray. One of the first tamed animals is: a wolf, which gradually became a dog, as well as a goat, which gave milk, wool and meat.
What is evolution really preparing for?
It should be noted that the multimillion-dollar evolution of man prepared for survival precisely as a hunter and gatherer. Thus, the main purpose of the evolutionary process was the primitive existing in man. The new world with its class stratification is an environment that is completely alien in nature to people.
Some scholars compare the emergence of the class system in society with the expulsion from paradise. At all times, the public elite could afford better living conditions, better education and leisure. Those who belong to the lower class are forced to be content with minimal rest, hard physical labor and modest housing. In addition, many scholars are inclined to believe that in a class society morality takes on very abstract features.
The decline of the primitive communal system
One of the reasons why the primitive world has been replaced by class stratification is the overproduction of material products. The fact of excessive production itself indicates that at a certain moment society reached a high level of development for its time.
Primitive people learned not only to produce tools and household items, but also to exchange them with each other. Soon, leaders began to appear in primitive society - those who could control the process of food production. The clan community was gradually replaced by a class system. Some primitive tribes by the end of the prehistoric period were structured communities in which there were leaders, assistant leaders, judges and military leaders.