A Hunter-Gatherer Story
Directions
For this assignment, you will need to do some research on your own in order to create your own historically accurate hunter-gatherer. You will need to create a backstory for your hunter-gatherer by answering a series of questions about your character. This character's backstory should be based on the secondary and primary sources on this page, or the details from the documentary on the Hadza Tribe. Follow the directions on the Showbie assignment: Early Human Character Sheet.
Hunter gatherers were prehistoric nomadic groups that harnessed the use of fire, developed intricate knowledge of plant life and refined technology for hunting and domestic purposes as they spread from Africa to Asia, Europe and beyond. The evolution of humans can be traced through the remnants of the hunter gatherers. Although hunting and gathering societies largely died out with the onset of the Neolithic Revolution, hunter gatherer communities still endure in a few parts of the world.
Hunter gatherer culture developed among the early hominins of Africa, with evidence of their activities dating as far back as 2 million years ago. Among their distinguishing characteristics, the hunter gatherers actively killed animals for food, as opposed to scavenging meat left behind by other predators, and devised ways of setting aside vegetation for consumption at a later date.
The culture accelerated with the appearance of Homo erectus (1.9 million years ago), whose larger brains and shorter digestive systems reflected the increased consumption of meat. Additionally, these were the first hominins built for long-distance walking, pushing nomadic tribes into Asia and Europe. (Why do you think that the change to Homo Erectus would make us more likely to migrate to Asia and Europe?) HUNTER GATHERER DIET![]() From their earliest days, the hunter gatherer diet included various grasses, tubers, fruits, seeds and nuts. Lacking the means to kill larger animals, they procured meat from smaller game or through scavenging.
As their brains evolved, hominids developed more intricate knowledge of edible plant life and growth cycles. Examination of the Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov site in Israel, which housed a thriving community almost 800,000 years ago, revealed the remains of 55 different food plants, along with evidence of fish consumption. With the introduction of spears, dating back at least 500,000 years ago, hunter gatherers became capable of tracking larger prey to feed their groups. Modern humans were cooking shellfish by 160,000 years ago, and by 90,000 years ago they were developing the specialized fishing tools that enabled them to haul in larger aquatic life. |
Tools and Technology![]() The early hunter gatherers used simple tools, such as sharpened stones for cutting, before developing the hand-axes that marked the onset of Acheulean technology about 1.6 million years ago.
Controlled use of fire for cooking and warding off predators marked a crucial turning point in the early history of these groups, though debate remains as to when this was accomplished. Use of hearths dates back almost 800,000 years ago, and other findings point to controlled heating as far back as 1 million years ago. Early Homo sapiens continued to develop more specialized hunting techniques by inventing fishhooks, the bow and arrow and harpoons, as well as domestic tools like bone and ivory needles. |
How were hunter-gatherers organized?
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Studies of modern-day hunter gatherers offer a glimpse into the lifestyle of small, nomadic tribes dating back almost 2 million years ago.
With limited resources, these groups were egalitarian by nature, scraping up enough food to survive and fashioning basic shelter for all. Division of labor by gender became more pronounced with the advancement of hunting techniques, particularly for larger game.
Along with cooking, controlled use of fire fostered societal growth through communal time around the hearth. Physiological evolution also led to changes, with the bigger brains of more recent ancestors leading to longer periods of childhood and adolescence.
By the time of the Neanderthals, hunter gatherers were displaying such “human” characteristics as burying their dead and creating ornamental objects. Homo sapiens continued fostering more complex societies by 130,000 years ago, interacting with other groups based nearly 200 miles away.
With limited resources, these groups were egalitarian by nature, scraping up enough food to survive and fashioning basic shelter for all. Division of labor by gender became more pronounced with the advancement of hunting techniques, particularly for larger game.
Along with cooking, controlled use of fire fostered societal growth through communal time around the hearth. Physiological evolution also led to changes, with the bigger brains of more recent ancestors leading to longer periods of childhood and adolescence.
By the time of the Neanderthals, hunter gatherers were displaying such “human” characteristics as burying their dead and creating ornamental objects. Homo sapiens continued fostering more complex societies by 130,000 years ago, interacting with other groups based nearly 200 miles away.
What did they live in?
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Early hunter gatherers moved as nature dictated, adjusting to proliferation of vegetation, the presence of predators or deadly storms. Basic, impermanent shelters were established in caves and other areas with protective rock formations, as well as in open-air settlements where possible.
Hand-built shelters likely date back to the time of Homo erectus, though one of the earliest known constructed settlements, from 400,000 years ago in Terra Amata, France, is attributed to Homo heidelbergensis.
By 50,000 years ago, huts made from wood, rock and bone were becoming more common, fueling a shift to semi-permanent residencies in areas with abundant resources. The remains of man’s first known year-round shelters, discovered at the Ohalo II site in Israel, date back at least 23,000 years.
Hand-built shelters likely date back to the time of Homo erectus, though one of the earliest known constructed settlements, from 400,000 years ago in Terra Amata, France, is attributed to Homo heidelbergensis.
By 50,000 years ago, huts made from wood, rock and bone were becoming more common, fueling a shift to semi-permanent residencies in areas with abundant resources. The remains of man’s first known year-round shelters, discovered at the Ohalo II site in Israel, date back at least 23,000 years.