Page | 1
, Chapter 01_Essay st
Answer each of the following questions with an essay. Be sure to include specific examples that support your
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thesis and conclusions.
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1. What are some of the problems in using evidence from contemporary gatherer societies to study early hu
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mans?
2. How did early Homo erectus spread out of East Africa into other parts of the world? Where did they go,
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and how early did they reach those places?
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3. What were the key features of Paleolithic food attainment and Paleolithic diets?
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4. What are some of the theories about gender relationships in Paleolithic societies? What changed in th
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ose relationships in the Neolithic period? What kinds of evidence are used in supporting or arguing agai
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
nst these theories?
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5. What is the relationship between pastoralism, disease, and humans?
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6. How did material goods create, define, and perpetuate social hierarchies in Neolithic societies?
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Answer Key st
1. Answer would ideally include: st st st
• Because the earliest humans did not leave behind written evidence, scientists have studied more rec
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
ent societies that lived by similar gathering means. However, most evidence about recent gatherer societies
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
was written by external sources and thus includes their biases and expectations, such as the inferiority of fora
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
ging as a lifestyle. Furthermore, few modern foragers or gatherers are truly isolated from the influence of othe
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
r agricultural or industrial cultures. Also, this approach assumes that gatherer
st st st st st st st st st st
Page | 2
,societies are somehow static and remain unchanged over many centuries, which ignores the evidence of how
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
adaptable such societies really are. st st st st
2. Answer would ideally include: st st st
• Homo erectus migrated out of East Africa into central Africa, and then into northern Africa. This mi
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
gration took place 2 million years ago. As early as 1.8 million years ago, Homo erectus had spread to Asia, r
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
eaching China and Java by 1.5 million years ago. These migrations took place over land, along coastline ro
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
utes. Because sea levels were lower then, individuals could cross from the mainland of China to Java on foot
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
. Homo erectus also moved northward from Africa, into Spain by 800,000 years ago and into Germany 500,
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
000 years ago. In each of these places, they adapted hunting and gathering techniques to the local environm
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
ent.
3. Answer would ideally include: st st st
• The Paleolithic diet consisted of a combination of plants and animal protein. Paleolithic peoples fo
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
raged for their food, engaging in what we would consider a combination of hunting, scavenging, and gathe
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
ring. Most of what they ate were plants. Animal protein often came from scavenged foods like insects and
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
shellfish rather than being hunted directly. It is unknown as to whether labor was divided between genders
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
, but in today's foraging societies, there is some division, with men engaging in hunting large animals and w
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
omen responsible for gathering plants and small animals. It took between ten and twenty hours per week t
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
o gather food, but this number varied depending on environmental factors and group decisions. Because P
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
aleolithic peoples had to forage for their diet, they expended energy and, in general, avoided diseases com
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
mon in sedentary societies. Life spans were kept in check by accidents, injuries, and infections.
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
4. Answer would ideally include: st st st
• Studies of more recent foraging societies suggest that women were valued for their labor, which w
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
as recognized as equal to the work of men. Both men and women foraged for food, and both participated in
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
hunting. Other scholars theorize that even in Paleolithic society one person may have emerged as a leader,
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
perhaps based on personal skill, and that this person was almost always a man. It is more certain that by the
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
Neolithic period, after the invention of plow agriculture, society became more hierarchical and men took on
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
more of a public, elite status. Women were limited to the home or enclosed spaces, and land inheritance fav
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
ored men over women. Evidence for gender roles in the Neolithic period comes from later written tradition
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
s.
Page | 3
, 5. Answer would ideally include: st st st
• Pastoralism is the herding and raising of livestock. It requires humans to live in close contact with the
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
ir herd animals, thus exposing humans to various animal-
st st st st st st st st
borne diseases, such as smallpox. Initially, exposure to diseases may have caused higher mortality rates in p
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
astoralist societies, but over time, humans would have developed some resistance to them. Foragers were n
st st st st s t st st st st st st st st st st
ot exposed to these diseases and thus did not develop any resistance to them. When a pastoralist society enco
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
untered a forager society, this might have led the former to expose the latter to deadly pathogens.
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
6. Answer would ideally include: st st st
• The possession of material goods— st st st st
such as livestock, dwelling structures, plows, carts, and pots—
st st st st st st st st
indicated that some individuals had control over more labor. Labor was used to acquire material goods. Th
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
e more material goods one had, the more labor one controlled. This indicated status; to control labor was to
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
have a higher status than others. Having material goods gave one the ability to acquire yet more material g
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
oods and to continue to acquire status. Material goods, along with land, could also constitute an inheritanc
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
e, and thus perpetuate status into the next generation.
st st st st st st st st
Chapter 01_Matching st
Use the following to answer questions 1-15:
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Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the
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Definitions section. st
Terms
a. pastoralism
b. Neanderthals
c. division of labor st st
d. animism
e. social hierarchies st
f. patriarchy
g. Paleolithic era st
h. Agricultural Revolution st
g. foraging
h. shamans
Page | 4
, Chapter 01_Essay st
Answer each of the following questions with an essay. Be sure to include specific examples that support your
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st s
thesis and conclusions.
t st st
1. What are some of the problems in using evidence from contemporary gatherer societies to study early hu
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
mans?
2. How did early Homo erectus spread out of East Africa into other parts of the world? Where did they go,
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
and how early did they reach those places?
st st st st st st st
3. What were the key features of Paleolithic food attainment and Paleolithic diets?
st st st st st st st st st st st
4. What are some of the theories about gender relationships in Paleolithic societies? What changed in th
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
ose relationships in the Neolithic period? What kinds of evidence are used in supporting or arguing agai
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
nst these theories?
st st
5. What is the relationship between pastoralism, disease, and humans?
st st st st st st st st
6. How did material goods create, define, and perpetuate social hierarchies in Neolithic societies?
st st st st st st st st st st st st
Answer Key st
1. Answer would ideally include: st st st
• Because the earliest humans did not leave behind written evidence, scientists have studied more rec
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
ent societies that lived by similar gathering means. However, most evidence about recent gatherer societies
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
was written by external sources and thus includes their biases and expectations, such as the inferiority of fora
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
ging as a lifestyle. Furthermore, few modern foragers or gatherers are truly isolated from the influence of othe
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
r agricultural or industrial cultures. Also, this approach assumes that gatherer
st st st st st st st st st st
Page | 2
,societies are somehow static and remain unchanged over many centuries, which ignores the evidence of how
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
adaptable such societies really are. st st st st
2. Answer would ideally include: st st st
• Homo erectus migrated out of East Africa into central Africa, and then into northern Africa. This mi
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
gration took place 2 million years ago. As early as 1.8 million years ago, Homo erectus had spread to Asia, r
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
eaching China and Java by 1.5 million years ago. These migrations took place over land, along coastline ro
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
utes. Because sea levels were lower then, individuals could cross from the mainland of China to Java on foot
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
. Homo erectus also moved northward from Africa, into Spain by 800,000 years ago and into Germany 500,
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
000 years ago. In each of these places, they adapted hunting and gathering techniques to the local environm
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
ent.
3. Answer would ideally include: st st st
• The Paleolithic diet consisted of a combination of plants and animal protein. Paleolithic peoples fo
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
raged for their food, engaging in what we would consider a combination of hunting, scavenging, and gathe
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
ring. Most of what they ate were plants. Animal protein often came from scavenged foods like insects and
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
shellfish rather than being hunted directly. It is unknown as to whether labor was divided between genders
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
, but in today's foraging societies, there is some division, with men engaging in hunting large animals and w
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
omen responsible for gathering plants and small animals. It took between ten and twenty hours per week t
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
o gather food, but this number varied depending on environmental factors and group decisions. Because P
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
aleolithic peoples had to forage for their diet, they expended energy and, in general, avoided diseases com
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
mon in sedentary societies. Life spans were kept in check by accidents, injuries, and infections.
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
4. Answer would ideally include: st st st
• Studies of more recent foraging societies suggest that women were valued for their labor, which w
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
as recognized as equal to the work of men. Both men and women foraged for food, and both participated in
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
hunting. Other scholars theorize that even in Paleolithic society one person may have emerged as a leader,
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
perhaps based on personal skill, and that this person was almost always a man. It is more certain that by the
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
Neolithic period, after the invention of plow agriculture, society became more hierarchical and men took on
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
more of a public, elite status. Women were limited to the home or enclosed spaces, and land inheritance fav
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
ored men over women. Evidence for gender roles in the Neolithic period comes from later written tradition
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
s.
Page | 3
, 5. Answer would ideally include: st st st
• Pastoralism is the herding and raising of livestock. It requires humans to live in close contact with the
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
ir herd animals, thus exposing humans to various animal-
st st st st st st st st
borne diseases, such as smallpox. Initially, exposure to diseases may have caused higher mortality rates in p
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
astoralist societies, but over time, humans would have developed some resistance to them. Foragers were n
st st st st s t st st st st st st st st st st
ot exposed to these diseases and thus did not develop any resistance to them. When a pastoralist society enco
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
untered a forager society, this might have led the former to expose the latter to deadly pathogens.
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
6. Answer would ideally include: st st st
• The possession of material goods— st st st st
such as livestock, dwelling structures, plows, carts, and pots—
st st st st st st st st
indicated that some individuals had control over more labor. Labor was used to acquire material goods. Th
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
e more material goods one had, the more labor one controlled. This indicated status; to control labor was to
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
have a higher status than others. Having material goods gave one the ability to acquire yet more material g
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
oods and to continue to acquire status. Material goods, along with land, could also constitute an inheritanc
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
e, and thus perpetuate status into the next generation.
st st st st st st st st
Chapter 01_Matching st
Use the following to answer questions 1-15:
st st st st st st
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the
st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st st
Definitions section. st
Terms
a. pastoralism
b. Neanderthals
c. division of labor st st
d. animism
e. social hierarchies st
f. patriarchy
g. Paleolithic era st
h. Agricultural Revolution st
g. foraging
h. shamans
Page | 4
