Hunting Methods of Early Man - Research Paper Example

 Hunting Methods of Early Man Introduction The high level of thinking possessed by the modern man today began with very simple methods used to survive in the prevailing environment. The core factor that influenced the development in the manner of thinking and survival began with the hunting techniques from Homo habilis. The brain had to undergo changes to comply with the changing environment in which man lived. The techniques used in hunting as a major way of acquiring food inspired the changes right from the earliest species to Homo habilis, Homo erectus and to the Neanderthal man. The paper will describe the hunting methods used by early man, more specifically the Homo habilis, Homo erectus and the Neanderthal man. Homo habilis The major distinguishing feature of Homo habilis is his ability to organize into groups. This idea became possible because of development of language that eased communication and understanding (Leakey 3). The groupings build more strength and hunting became easier with increased chances of success and low risks of attacks from animals. It is in this stage that man began making and using tools from stones and this is why the name handy man becomes more appropriate in describing him. The tools facilitated the hunting process and made killing easier and this enabled him to start killing bigger animals for food. The tools also gave him an advantage and he could thus fight back in case of any aggression from some other animals. The tools also enabled him to split the prey into smaller pieces to easily, carry the meat to their proffered destination as well as in the preparation of the meat before consumption. This therefore enabled him to lead a more settled life compared to the earlier species. However, the man did not establish permanent settlements like towns and cities because from time to time he had to move from one place to another in search for animals to hunt (Leakey 3). Despite feeding on meat, the man also consumed fruits, leaves, roots, insects as well as birds and their eggs. The conditions prevailing in the environment sometimes forced him to resolve into omnivorous especially when there were no animals to hunt. The man hunted in groups, as the chances of succeeding were very low if one hunted alone. They therefore used to move together while ganging up on the prey killing with very great force. Homo habilis, just as the other earlier species of man was also a scavenger feeding on fruits and berries that he collected from his environment. Compared to the earlier species the man had more food to eat due to the use of tools in hunting as well as the improved tactics brought by the idea of gathering together to add up to their strength (Leakey 3). Archeologists found the stone tools of Homo habilis together with animal bones at Oldavai and a good examination of the bones proved that they were from the lower legs of antelope. The presence of some marks on the bones indicated that the man used the tools for splitting the meat into smaller pieces. Having a higher brain capacity than the earlier species, Homohabilis managed to start the culture of planning ahead in order to live a more organized life and hence paving the way for the advancement into the next stage (Leakey 3). Homo erectus Homo habilisevolved into Homo erectus, which was also a very important step in the history of man. Homo erectus was more skilled in his work compared to Homo habilis and he advanced the tools further to ease hunting. Homo erectus continued hunting and moved from one place to another just like his ancestor homo habilis to look for animals to hunt (Thieme 115). Homo erectus did not establish permanent settlements but led a more settled life relative to Homo habilis. Homo erectus improved his hunting skills as he could now chase the animals faster due to his ability to stand on two feet. It is in this stage that man started walking upright and hence the name erectus. This is because of the necessity to improve his means of survival by acquiring beneficial characteristics to respond to the ever-increasing scarcity of food. Homo erectus was thus more aggressive in hunting and had greater chances of succeeding and acquiring enough food (Thieme 115). A greater achievement of man in this stage was the invention and use of fire. He used fire as a hunting tool as he could scare animals and force them to move towards a given desirable direction with the aim of killing them. For example, he could scare animals and force them to move towards a swampy area where he could kill them easily after sticking in the mad. Sometimes the man dug big holes on the ground and scared animals using fire where they fall into the holes and could thus easily kill them (Thieme 115). The man used fire to keep away harmful animals that posed danger to his security around his settlement. In addition, fire provided light during the night enabling him to work and conduct hunting even during the night. He also used fire to warm himself during cold nights. Above all, it is during this stage that man started using fire to cook the meat and hence he could eat food that tasted better and thus became healthier than all the previous species (Thieme 115). The idea of cooking food made the Homo erectus to focus more on dietary concerns and this improved the quality of food. The improvement in the diet, coupled with the availability of enough food because of improved hunting techniques, led to increased reproduction that saw the population of man growing faster than in the earlier times (Thieme 115). Homo erectus demonstrated a high level of intelligence and began migrating to various regions. He was more of a hunter than a scavenger since he had learnt better methods of acquiring and preparing food. Generally, the invention of fire greatly changed the life of man different from all the earlier species. However, this was not the end, man was eager to always, lead a more comfortable life than before, and this made Homo erectus to advance to Neanderthal man (Thieme 115). Neanderthal man The Neanderthal man further advanced the hunting methods and aimed at overcoming the weaknesses of his father homo erectus. Neanderthal man was closer to the modern man than all the other species. They inherited advanced patterns of migration and very different means of living relative to Homo erectus. However, he also moved from one place to another in search for food. He further advanced his hunting techniques and thus was capable of killing even the most striking animals. Being successful hunters, they completely avoided scavenging since they were capable of hunting almost all animals hence the availability of enough food. He could even choose the kind of animal to kill depending on their availability in the environment. Through advanced means of communication, they were capable of coordinating and working together that made them to kill more animals for food (Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research par. 1). The fact that Neanderthal man could kill the large and dangerous animals during his time is a clear indication that had significantly advanced his hunting methods and that they hunted in large groups with more powerful means of killing. The man had very broad shoulders as well as hips making him more suited for powerful shorts and less suited in running. They therefore hunted through ambushing the animals rather than chasing them. The idea of ambushing means that they were also more intelligent than the earlier man was. They thus attacked animals unswervingly through propelling knives or spears rather than throwing things at them. This suggests that they successfully hunted in dense forests where the tactic is more applicable giving the best results. The idea of surrounding the animal is an excellent voracious tactic as it makes the animal more confused and difficult to escape and resist. They enhanced their hunting through the use wooden spears with a sharp stone end to ease penetration (Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research par. 1). Apart from consuming large animals, Neanderthal man also ate ripe plants, shellfish, tortoise, rabbits, reptiles and carcasses. However, plants consumption was only during difficult times of starvation. The bones of Neanderthal man excavated by archeologists showed some marks indicating that stone tools played an important role in removing the meat from the bones. The man used fire to heat the bones that made it easier to break to get the marrow. He also used fire for removing ice from frozen meat to make it easier to eat. Conclusion Hunting developed gradually from time to time to make human beings arrive where they are now. The need for better methods of hunting greatly influenced the development of the brain. Man therefore developed gradually in each stage while becoming wiser as he learnt new methods and advanced his tools to make survival easier. The invention and improvement in the tools he needed in hunting inspired man to think more and find solutions to the existing problems as a means of making his life better, which is a culture that continues up to date. Works Cited Leakey, Mill. Olduvai fossil hominids: their stratigraphic positions and associations.Early hominids of Africa.London: Duckworth, 1978. Print Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research.Neanderthals Sophisticated and Fearless Hunters. Science Daily, 14 May 2009. Web. 29 October 2014. Thieme, Hartmut. The Lower Palaeolithic art of hunting.The hominid individual in context. Archaeological investigations of Lower and Middle Palaeolithic landscapes, locales and artefacts.New York: Routledge, 2005. Print Read More