Evolution of Prehistoric Cultures

To study prehistory’s cultural evolution, we need to know history and prehistory.

History is divided into two significant periods that are:

• History:- In simple words, history is knowledge about our past
• Prehistory:- Prehistory is that branch of Anthropology that is concerned with the remains of human culture
• Prehistory is a time when writing was not discovered
• The sources that help trace the evolution of prehistoric development and cultures are called archaeological sources

Archaeological sources are usually of four types:

• Inscriptions
• Coins
• Monuments 
• Artefacts 

Cultural evolution

• If we look at the formation of the earth, it was formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago, while the presence of humans on our planet is comparably new
• Humans evolved from apes like structures, and cultural evolution was tracked 1500 million years ago. The age in which humans lived earliest was considered as prehistoric age

Cultural evolution of Man

• “Charles Darwin”, a famous and known biologist, viewed that humans gradually evolved from ape ancestors called hominids
• Anthropologists called them Homo Erectus, and a species of human beings called ‘Homo sapiens’ evolved around 35000 years ago
• Features of Homo sapiens
• Huge brain size
• Have the capacity for reason and thinking
• Communication through speech
• Capability to create tools, weapons, etc

The Stone Age

It is the earliest age when prehistoric cultures began. Stones were used on large scales to construct tools, weapons, etc. 

It is divided into further periods, which are:

• Palaeolithic Age (old Stone Age)
• Mesolithic Age ( middle Stone Age)
• Neolithic Age ( Modern Stone Age)
• Chalcolithic Age (copper-stone age)

The Palaeolithic Age

• This is considered the first stage of human evolution. This stage lasts from 5,00,000 BCE to 10,000 BCE
• It was claimed that the life of a Palaeolithic man was hard and struggling. They were considered food gatherers and were entirely dependent upon nature for food such as fruits and animal hunting, even if they ate insects

Tools

The tools were wholly made up of stones and were unpolished sharp tops. They were heavy such as hand axes, spears, etc. The tools division was done in two categories: core tools and flake implements.

• Core tools were large and constructed by chipping stones
• Flake implements were usually smaller and were used to chop the meat of animals etc

Discovery of fire

Fire is one of the historical and greatest inventions discovered by humans. The early generation was afraid of fire but steadily started using it as a light source, cooking food, fighting animals, and protecting themselves from cold.

The Mesolithic Age

• After the Palaeolithic age, the advent of the Mesolithic period started
• It was when humans transitioned themselves to create their lives more comfortably. And the period lasted from 10,000 BCE to 8,000 BCE
• In this age, tools were more advanced than the Palaeolithic age. Now bones of animals were also used to make weapons, tools, etc., which weighed less and were easy to use. 

Livelihood

• Mesolithic people, apart from hunting, started fishing as various archaeological sources discovered many fishhooks
• Apart from this, agriculture got its base as some crops grew naturally, which gave an idea to them

The Neolithic Age

This age transitioned after the Mesolithic period and lasted from 8,000 BCE to 4,000 BCE. This age showed some remarkable development in the progress of human beings, like:

• Mud houses were constructed
• Wheat and barley were grown
• The rearing of animals began
• Tools: Tools of this age were polished sharper and were made of stones or bones of animals. Basalt tools came into existence during this age. Only bones were used in the construction of needles, blades, etc

The invention of the wheel

One of the greatest inventions of the Neolithic age was the invention of the wheel. It made travelling quick, easy and more comfortable. Also, wheels were used for spinning and weaving.

Religious beliefs

Neolithic people were afraid of natural phenomena such as thunder striking, lightning, etc. They were afraid of natural calamities like earthquakes, floods, etc. So, they began worshipping natural forces like the sun, moon, air, etc., as gods. 

The Chalcolithic Age or Copper Stone Age

• This age lasted from the period of 4000 to 2000 BCE
• Copper tools came into existence during this age
• It was also considered a transition from stone tools to metal tools

Society during this age

People preferred to live in groups. The society was simple, and no partition was considered. Everything was in the everyday use of members. With time, complexity in society arose. 

The Iron Age

After the Chalcolithic age, this age came into existence and lasted from 1000 BCE to 500 BCE. In this age, man implemented the use of iron, and this age is further divided into three substages:

• First substage (1300-1000BCE) 
• The second substage (1000-800BCE) 
• Third substage (800-500BCE) 

Megalith cultures

Megalith culture was generally known as the culture of south India. The meaning of it in the present context is graves or memorials constructed from large pieces of stones.

It extends its origin in Andhra Pradesh as Nagarjunaikonda prevail.

• In Karnataka as Maski and Piklihal, Brahmagiri
• In Kerala as Kalam and Tamil Nadu, it is in Chengalpattu

Conclusion

Tracing the evolution of human history and its various cultures is a complex process as it is the earliest concept, and during that time, no written records were formulated. However, by studying multiple archaeological sources, archaeologists made it possible and gave us an idea about how our ancestors evolved their lifestyle, religious beliefs, and achievements?During the Neolithic Age, the greatest invention was the invention of the wheel. It made travelling quick, easy and more comfortable. Also, these wheels were used for spinning and weaving.