1. Characteristics of hunter gatherer societies

2. Brief History of the World
- Beginning of the universe: 13.7 billion years ago
- First life on earth (single-celled organisms): 3.5 billion years ago
- First multi-celled organism emerged from the oceans: 500 million years ago
- First bipedal apes: 7 million years
example: Lucy, found in 1992 in current Ethiopia by Mary Leaky, stood 3.5 feet tall.
Why bipedalism? Possibly an advantage in the savanna to look for food and dangers, and to carry food or babies)
Homo Sapiens: emerged in Africa 200,000 years ago
Neanderthals emerged about 400,000 years ago
Genetic mapping has shown significant interbreeding between homo sapiens and
Homo sapiens extinguished Neanderthals about 40,000 years ago.

3. Should we see ourselves at the center of the universe?
If we say that the universe began 13 years ago, bipedal apes appeared three days ago, homo sapiens appeared 53 minutes ago, and the industrial revolution took place six seconds ago.
(from Cynthia Stokes Brown)

4. The Paleolithic (or the Hunter Gatherer) Period
is the longest period in human history
All groups of people have behaviors, activities and beliefs that they pass from generation to generation. We call this culture.
Specific cultures vary from group to group, but all cultures have some common categories. What are the categories you would call universal?

5. Food
clothing
Shelter
economics
religion and philosophy
family and society (including hierarchies)
communication (including language, art, literature and architecture

6. What distinguishes humans from animals?
A. Bipedalism
B. Tool-making
C. Larger brains
D. Symbolic language

7. Symbolic Language & Collective Learning
Why is symbolic language significant?
allows for more sophisticated sharing of ideas and collective knowledge

8. Hunter Gatherer Life Nomads, regularly on the move
Lived in small groups, usu adults plus children
Kinship is important:
clans of adults
Common ancestor, identity, allies/enemies, myth, spiritual beliefs
Religion: the spiritual dimension infused all activities and all things
Animistic beliefs: ascribe spirits to the natural environment
Ancestor worship

11. Permanent villages around coastal areas
Technology
By 10,000 BC, wide range of tech was developed
Most fundamental was the ability to make and maintain fire. WHY?
Permanent villages around coastal areas

12. Discuss: Is foraging life “nasty, brutish, and short” as Thomas Hobbes thought?
(benefits and limitations of hunter gatherer life)