An Overview Of The Hunting And Gathering Mode Of Production

“Until around 12,000 to 11,001 years ago all peoples were hunter-gatherers. Their foraging strategies were diverse and varied depending on their local environment. Foraging included hunting, trapping, and eating wild fruits, vegetables, tubers and seeds. Most hunters, gatherers and foragers use several strategies to create a balanced and healthy diet.

Early Holocene societies gathered food by digging up tubers or plants with stone reaping tools, and hunted using spears and arrows. The majority of Holocene hunter gatherer societies were defined by their flexibility and small-scale nature. The hunter-gatherer lifestyle was replaced by a more sedentary way of life, as the population settled in areas with many resources.

“Domestication involves changes to the genotypes, physical characteristics and behavior of animals and plants as they depend on humans for reproduction success. It is possible that domestication can be an unintentional process, the result of continued interaction between wild and human species. Hunter-gatherers began domesticating plants when they switched from unintentional gathering to voluntary management. Food production increased earth’s capacity to sustain a greater population.

Another biological consequence of cultivation is the use of seeds. Scarre defines cultivating as the intentional preparation of fields, the sowing and harvesting of seeds or plants, and their storage. It required a significant development of human technology, perspectives and subsistence. Hunter-gatherers did more than just observe the evolution of plants and animals. They also changed species that they depended on.

These groups were able to live in harsher ecosystems by using wood tools, wooden weapons, bolas stone, wood and skins. The use of technology was crucial in improving humans’ hunting abilities. Hunting became easier and faster with the use of snares traps and nets. Over thousands of years hunting and gathering groups had become accustomed to every type of environment, whether it was semi-tropical Africa, ice-age Europe or the deserts south-west Africa.

The environment changed dramatically during the domestication process. Most of the open spaces were converted into fields and the forests were cleared to make way for farmland. “However, humans’ biggest impact on the earth was due to hunting. The technological advancements of hunter-gatherers allowed them to over-hunt a number of species. They often concentrated on hunting a specific species, leading to its extinction. The disappearance of large flightless animals and birds on all continents was due to humans. Even in Australia and other areas where climates haven’t changed for 100,000 years, killing smaller herbivores which carnivores are dependent on can lead to extinction.

Hunter-gatherers adjusted to all types of environments they inhabited. Their environment was markedly altered by their mobility. Agriculture affected their relationship to nature.

As the size of these communities increased, so did their social complexity. These societies were characterized by a strong sense of kinship. However, authority, possessions and status became increasingly antagonistic. A variety of social standing can be seen in the items placed in the wake of a death or in the quantity and the quality. The importance of prominent goods is important in building and establishing social distinctions. Such items include shells, stones and ornaments.

“Social differentiations became more institutionalized. Status that was initially based on personal achievement (e.g. The ability to hunt or lead a war was transferred from individuals to families or lineages.

Pottery and material goods were produced by sedentism. These items, including bracelets and necklaces, are meant to be worn all over your body. The world of people has become increasingly manufactured, influencing social diversity.

“Also, the growth of the population caused by agriculture has led to an increase in warfare.” In Australia’s rock art, warfare is shown. This is a fact that hunter/gatherers are not used to war. The trend of group violence was influenced by the investments in houses and fields that were easily raided. Food stores, too, increased as did the number of people.

Hunting and Gathering was an important step in the development of civilization, states, and cities. It is therefore a very important era in the history of mankind.

Bibliography

Britannica is the Editors of Encyclopaedia. Encyclopaedia Britannica. On the 28th of December, 2017. Accessed November 19, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/topic/hunting-and-gathering-culture.

Scarre, Christopher. The Human Past. World Prehistory. Development of Human Societies. Includes 788 illustrations, including 296 in colour. Thames & Hudson published a book about New York in 2013. Pg. 134

Ponting, Clive. A Green History of the World. St. Martin’s Press, New York. 1992.