THE PRIMIAL ERA OF HUMANITY
• Options for periodization of ancient history
• Transition from an appropriating economy to a producing one
• Decomposition of the primitive communal system
1.1. Variants of periodization of ancient history
The first stage in the development of mankind, the primitive communal system,
takes a huge period of time from the moment a person was separated from the
animal kingdom (about 35 million years ago) until the formation of class societies
in various regions of the planet (about the 4th millennium BC). Its periodization is
based on differences in the material and technique of making tools (archaeological
periodization). In accordance with it, three periods are distinguished in the most
ancient era:
Stone Age (from the emergence of man to the III millennium BC),
Bronze Age (from the end of IV to the beginning of the 1st millennium BC),
Iron Age (from 1 thousand BC).
In turn, the Stone Age is subdivided into the Old Stone Age (Paleolithic), the
Middle Stone Age (Mesolithic), the New Stone Age (Neolithic) and the Copper
Stone Age transitional to Bronze Age (Eneolithic).
A number of scientists divide the history of primitive society into five stages, each
of which differs in the degree of development of tools, the materials from which
they were made, the quality of housing, and the corresponding organization of
housekeeping1.
The first stage is defined as the prehistory of the economy and material culture:
from the emergence of mankind to about 1 million years ago. This is a time when
the adaptation of people to the environment was not much different from obtaining
a livelihood by animals. Many scientists believe that the ancestral home of man is
East Africa.It is here that bones of the first people who lived more than 2 million
years ago are found during excavations.
The second stage is a primitive appropriating economy approximately I million
years ago - XI millennium BC, i.e. covers a significant part of the Stone Age - the
early and middle Paleolithic.
, The third stage is a developed appropriating economy. It is difficult to determine
its chronological framework, since in a number of areas this period ended in the
20th millennium BC. (subtropics of Europe and Africa), in others (tropics) -
continues to the present. Covers the Late Paleolithic, the Mesolithic, and in some
areas the entire Neolithic.
The fourth stage is the emergence of a manufacturing economy. In the most
economically developed regions of the earth - IX-VIII thousand BC. (Late
Mesolithic - Early Neolithic).
The fifth stage is the era of the producing economy. For some areas of dry and
humid subtropics - VIII-V millennium BC.
In addition to the production of tools, the material culture of ancient mankind is
closely connected with the creation of dwellings.
The most interesting archaeological finds of the most ancient dwellings date back
to the early Paleolithic. The remains of 21 seasonal camps have been found in
France. In one of them, an oval stone fence was discovered, which can be
interpreted as the foundation of a light dwelling. Inside the dwelling there were
hearths and places for making tools. In the cave of Le Lazare (France), the remains
of a shelter were found, the reconstruction of which suggests the presence of
supports, a roof made of skins, internal partitions and two hearths in a large room.
Beds - from the skins of animals (foxes, wolves, lynxes) and algae.These finds date
back to about 150 thousand years ago.
The primitive era of mankind is characterized by a low level of development of the
productive forces, their slow improvement, the collective appropriation of natural
resources and the results of production (primarily the exploited territory), equal
distribution, socio-economic equality, the absence of private property, the
exploitation of man by man, classes, states.
An analysis of the development of primitive human society shows that this
development was extremely uneven. The process of isolation of our distant
ancestors from the world of great apes was very slow.
The general scheme of human evolution is as follows:
australopithecine man;
Homo erectus (early hominids: Pithecanthropus and Sinanthropus);
a man of a modern physical appearance (late hominids: Neanderthals and Upper
Paleolithic people).
• Options for periodization of ancient history
• Transition from an appropriating economy to a producing one
• Decomposition of the primitive communal system
1.1. Variants of periodization of ancient history
The first stage in the development of mankind, the primitive communal system,
takes a huge period of time from the moment a person was separated from the
animal kingdom (about 35 million years ago) until the formation of class societies
in various regions of the planet (about the 4th millennium BC). Its periodization is
based on differences in the material and technique of making tools (archaeological
periodization). In accordance with it, three periods are distinguished in the most
ancient era:
Stone Age (from the emergence of man to the III millennium BC),
Bronze Age (from the end of IV to the beginning of the 1st millennium BC),
Iron Age (from 1 thousand BC).
In turn, the Stone Age is subdivided into the Old Stone Age (Paleolithic), the
Middle Stone Age (Mesolithic), the New Stone Age (Neolithic) and the Copper
Stone Age transitional to Bronze Age (Eneolithic).
A number of scientists divide the history of primitive society into five stages, each
of which differs in the degree of development of tools, the materials from which
they were made, the quality of housing, and the corresponding organization of
housekeeping1.
The first stage is defined as the prehistory of the economy and material culture:
from the emergence of mankind to about 1 million years ago. This is a time when
the adaptation of people to the environment was not much different from obtaining
a livelihood by animals. Many scientists believe that the ancestral home of man is
East Africa.It is here that bones of the first people who lived more than 2 million
years ago are found during excavations.
The second stage is a primitive appropriating economy approximately I million
years ago - XI millennium BC, i.e. covers a significant part of the Stone Age - the
early and middle Paleolithic.
, The third stage is a developed appropriating economy. It is difficult to determine
its chronological framework, since in a number of areas this period ended in the
20th millennium BC. (subtropics of Europe and Africa), in others (tropics) -
continues to the present. Covers the Late Paleolithic, the Mesolithic, and in some
areas the entire Neolithic.
The fourth stage is the emergence of a manufacturing economy. In the most
economically developed regions of the earth - IX-VIII thousand BC. (Late
Mesolithic - Early Neolithic).
The fifth stage is the era of the producing economy. For some areas of dry and
humid subtropics - VIII-V millennium BC.
In addition to the production of tools, the material culture of ancient mankind is
closely connected with the creation of dwellings.
The most interesting archaeological finds of the most ancient dwellings date back
to the early Paleolithic. The remains of 21 seasonal camps have been found in
France. In one of them, an oval stone fence was discovered, which can be
interpreted as the foundation of a light dwelling. Inside the dwelling there were
hearths and places for making tools. In the cave of Le Lazare (France), the remains
of a shelter were found, the reconstruction of which suggests the presence of
supports, a roof made of skins, internal partitions and two hearths in a large room.
Beds - from the skins of animals (foxes, wolves, lynxes) and algae.These finds date
back to about 150 thousand years ago.
The primitive era of mankind is characterized by a low level of development of the
productive forces, their slow improvement, the collective appropriation of natural
resources and the results of production (primarily the exploited territory), equal
distribution, socio-economic equality, the absence of private property, the
exploitation of man by man, classes, states.
An analysis of the development of primitive human society shows that this
development was extremely uneven. The process of isolation of our distant
ancestors from the world of great apes was very slow.
The general scheme of human evolution is as follows:
australopithecine man;
Homo erectus (early hominids: Pithecanthropus and Sinanthropus);
a man of a modern physical appearance (late hominids: Neanderthals and Upper
Paleolithic people).
