Appearance of fire in the Paleolithic
We can certainly say that the control of fire by human societies was a discovery of first order since it served so that the groups of the first men were evolving in steps gigantic. In this lesson from a TEACHER we will talk about the appearance of fire in the Paleolithic stopping at the various theories that exist about the appearance of this and how the first groups were using them.
Index
- Homo erectus
- Fire control
- Before the arrival of fire
- The arrival of fire
Homo erectus.
Around 1.9 million years and 70,000 BC. C. the earth was inhabited by the Homo erectus, a human species that colonized Asia, Africa and Europe and which in turn were divided into several subspecies.
Within our lesson on the appearance of fire in the Paleolithic we must know that between the years 700,000-130,000 a. C. The control of fire by human groups is cataloged, therefore this species is active.
Possibly the first contact of humans with fire was by chance, after lightning struck a tree, after a storm. This fact would be taken by these hominids as a divine element (we know that many cultures have worshiped fire over time).
During the first experiences they would realize that the fire burned and scared off predators, being for both an indispensable ally to protect the community, in addition to allowing warmth in the caves while they slept.
In this other lesson from a TEACHER we will discover the species evolution, Darwin's theory of evolutionism.
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Control of fire.
Within our lesson on the appearance of fire in the Paleolithic, we have to see a linear evolution in the domain of that element. At first, the communities would do everything possible to keep this element on uninterruptedly, because, although they benefited from it, they did not know how to provoke it.
In this way, women and children would be in charge of this task, along with collecting fruits and vegetables; while that of men would be those who should go hunting to find large specimens of mammals.
Close to 130,000 a. C. possibly these groups of hominids, would have learned to light bonfires by means of rubbing with sticks or with the help of stonesalso very difficult practices that required an enormous amount of energy and time.
In this other lesson we will discover the Palaeolithic characteristics.
Before the arrival of the fire.
Before the appearance of fire in the Paleolithic, societies had a very precarious life. This was due, in large part, to the diet and disease that they usually had. We have to take into account that they were hunters, they ate larger and larger mammals, due to the improvement in hunting techniques, together with the improvement in lithic tools.
The problem was that these proteins, so essential for the evolution of brain mass (as has been scientifically proven), were sometimes not well assimilated; In addition, eating raw meat was an element of risk due to the bacteria that the hunted animal could contain.
In the same way, the nights were very coldThese groups sheltered themselves from the elements and predators in caves, using the hides of hunted animals to warm themselves.
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The arrival of fire.
With the appearance of fire in the Paleolithic the quality of life of these groups would be greatly improved:
- First, populations could heat up in the cold nights, being able to enter even more in the caves, since the fire also provided light.
- Second, they would understand that they could use this to cook something the products they obtained in their environment, facilitating the intake of meat elements. This would be reflected in a lower percentage of obtaining foodborne diseases.
- The third element that we must assess is undoubtedly the appearance of parietal art, that is to say, the cave paintings. These have been closely related to the interior of the caves, which were inhabited by hominids, after the appearance of fire, an essential element to enter them.
In this other lesson we will discover the rock art from Spain.
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