On The Trail of The Earliest People

The earliest people to walk on earth were called hunter-gatherers. The earliest people were always on the move from one place to another in search of food. They depended on the flora and fauna of a particular place to obtain their food. They hunted down animals, caught fish from the water bodies, collected fruits, and obtained their food from the leaves, stalks, roots, other plant produces, etc. The earliest people were highly skilled hunters as they had to keep up with the animals without many tools. 

They had to be fast runners, always alert, quick and had to employ quite a lot of presence of mind to gather their food. Over time they understood the seasons when fruits ripened, which plant produces can be eaten and which could be poisonous, and many such things that were required to survive life in early times.

Why did The Hunter-Gatherers Move From Place to Place?

First, if the earliest people had stayed at one place for a longer length of time, they would have consumed all plant and animal resources of that place. Hence, they would have had to look for food elsewhere.

Second, animals migrate from one area to another, either in search of food. For example, deer and wild cattle move from one place to another searching for grass and leaves. As a result, the hunter-gatherers who fed on these animals had to follow their movements.

Third, fruits are born in different seasons. As a result, people may have travelled seasonally in quest of various plant species.

Fourth, water is required for the survival of humans, plants, and animals. Many rivers and lakes are perennial and they have water all year, but others are seasonal. During the dry seasons, people living on the banks of the seasonal water bodies would travel from one place to another in search of water.  Furthermore, people may have travelled to see friends and relatives. The earliest people used to move from one place to another on foot.

How did The Earliest People Choose a Place to Reside?

The archaeological remains of the hunter-gatherers have been found in many places, most of which were found to be close to water bodies such as rivers and lakes. The early man life story has been carved out by stone tools. The hunter-gatherers tried to find places to live where quality stones could be easily found. Such places where stones were easily found, were utilized by the hunter-gatherers as factory sites. Archaeologists have found tiny chips of waste stones, bigger blocks of stones, and a few tools that might have been used and discarded by the hunter-gatherers, at the factory sites. It is believed that the earliest people might have lived at such places for longer periods of time. Such places are known as habitation-cum-factory sites.

Sites: The places where remains of the things used by the earliest people, like pots, tools, building materials, etc were found, are referred to as sites. These things were made and discarded by the hunter-gatherers, and can be found even under the earth or water. 

Stone Tools Used by The Earliest People  

As per the evidence found, it is most likely that the earliest people on earth used tools made of wood, stones, and bones. Of these, the stone tools are believed to have survived for the longest, as they are found in the sites where these people lived. The stone tools could have been used by the hunter-gatherers to cut meat, chop fruits and roots, scrape animal skin or hides and tree barks, etc. Some of these stone tools might have had wooden handles or handles made of bones so that they could be used as arrows or spears to hunt down the animals. Some tools of the earliest people must have been used to chop wood to gather firewood. The wood obtained from tree barks and branches were used to make huts and other tools.

How did The Hunter-Gatherers Make Stone Tools?

The stone tools found at the sites of hunter-gatherers were made by either of the below two techniques.

• The first technique is called stone on stone. In this technique, the pieces of stone or pebble from which the tool was carved out were called the core. This piece of stone called the core was held in one hand, whereas, the other stone that was to be used as the hammer was to be held in the other hand. This second piece of stone was hammered into the first stone, striking off the flakes from the pebble until the desired tool shape was obtained.

(Image will be uploaded soon)

• The second technique is now referred to as stone flaking. In this technique, the first piece of stone known as the core was to be placed on a firm surface. The second piece of stone was hammered to strike off the stone flakes from the core to shape it into the desired tool. The core could be a piece of bone as well. 

The earliest people had discovered fire and its uses in their day-to-day life. Remains of ashes have been found at the sites. They used fire to scare off wild animals, to cook raw meat, as a source of light, and so on.

Impact of The Changes in The Environment

The climatic conditions of the earth had undergone major changes, nearly 12000 years ago. The changes favoured warmer climatic conditions, which led to the development of grasslands in several areas. This, in turn, caused the population of deer, sheep, antelope, goats, and cattle to increase, as they survived on the grasslands. Gradually, people who hunted these animals started to follow them and understand their food habits, natural habitats, and breeding seasons. Thus, they learned about cattle rearing and herding.
Also, fishing was an important source of food. During this phase of environmental change, the warm climate favoured the growth of crops like wheat, rice, barley in various parts of the world. It is believed that this climate change played a pivotal role in the early man life story. They learned about various crops, they found where these crops grew, and when they ripened. This might have triggered the thought of growing crops among the earliest people and engendered the traditional methods of agriculture. These were the ways of life in early times.        

Wall paintings have been found on the walls of the caves where the early people lived. These rock paintings have been found mostly in southern Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The cave paintings exhibit the high accuracy and skill of the early people. These paintings tell us about the lifestyle of early men and women. In some paintings, men can be seen chasing or hunting animals, while in some paintings the dressing style of men and women can be observed. 

(Image will be uploaded soon)

Hungsi

A number of early people’s habitats or palaeolithic sites are found in Hungsi. Many sites are found to be closer to springs. Various tools found at these sites imply that the early men used these tools for their day-to-day activities. Most of these tools can be found at the habitation-cum-factory sites. Some smaller sites inhabited by the early people suggest that tools were made there. Several tools were made of limestone that was available at the sites, locally. 

Interestingly, a large number of ostrich eggshells have been found in Maharashtra, in Patne. On some ostrich eggshells, various engravings can be found, and from some eggshells, beads were also made. 

Some of the most important features of human history has been covered here. Thus, various interesting things can be found on the trail of the earliest people. The archaeologists refer to the period when the earliest people lived as the Palaeolithic period. The early man life story has been traced from the archaeological evidence found at these palaeolithic sites.