Hunter-Gatherer: The Evolution Of Humans

Definition Of Hunter-Gatherer Economy

At the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic period around 80,000 to 70,000 years ago, some human hunters gained popularity in the economy. Eventually, these human hunters came forward into numerous groups and were known as Hunter-Gatherer in the economy. A hunter-gatherer economy is a type of economy where humans are widely dependent on the method of foraging for the collection of food. Thus, foraging is a technique of collecting wild plants and pursuing wild animals for their survival and development. In simple words, foraging is a technique introduced in the stone age, where humans used to hunt for animals for their survival. Apart from wild animals, they were also dependent on fruits from wild plants.

Hunter-Gatherer societies stand in contrast to agricultural communities, which widely depends on the domestication of animals to ensure their survival. But, the method of hunting and gathering has been practised by humans since the Paleolithic age and is the oldest method. In ancient history, this method occupied most of the human population as it was considered as the primary source for survival. Sooner or later, as new techniques came into the market, the most famous of them was the invention of agriculture. The introduction of agriculture began a new revolution in the ancient era, dissolving most of the hunter-gatherer societies. Therefore, the hunter-gatherers who refused to adapt agricultural method were abandoned by farming or pastoralist groups in most parts of the world.

Another reason for the extinction of hunter-gatherer societies was their demand for an extensive land area to practice their method. Further studies have revealed that people who were dependent on this method required a land area of 18 to 1,300 square km per capita. So, the demand for an enormous tract of land was the primary reason for the displacement of this method. Also, the foraging groups used to migrate from place to place after their local food supply began to be exhausted. However, even after thousands of years, the society of hunter-gatherer still exist in some remote areas around the world.

Working of Hunter-Gatherer Economy

Hunter-Gatherer economy works on the idea of preying on other forms of life for their survival. Thus, this kind of economy can be considered as heterotroph in nature due to their dependency on wild plants and animals. The citizens of this economy were great hunters as they were highly dependent on other life forms to prevent their extinction. Moreover, they used this technique for their self-defence from wild animals. It is definite that during the stone age, people were highly dependent on wild plants and animals for their food and shelter. 

Hunting and Gathering Society

A society that widely depends on hunting wild animals and gathering fruits from wild plants to support their diet. The civilisation of this society is strictly heterotroph in nature and depends on other organisms for their food. The technique of foraging has a great significance in hunting and gathering society allowing them to sustain in extreme conditions. The community of hunting and gathering was established at the time when humans were exposed to the most significant threat in their surrounding. Stone age people used to live in forests among wild animals with bare bodies exposing themselves to extreme risks in their surrounding. Therefore, until humans began to domesticate plants and animals, i.e., thousands of years ago, all human societies came under hunter-gatherers. 

In today's date, the society of hunter-gatherers is outnumbered and on the verge of extinction with their presence only in a few remote areas. The midget population of hunter-gatherers are isolated and survive in extreme areas like deserts, tundra, and dense rain forests. Thus, sustaining in extreme conditions made them physically tough and immune to various natural diseases. Moreover, the people of this society has contributed a lot to the development of medical and herbal science. This is because they revealed most of the challenges and threats possessed by nature for the development of humanity. Therefore, hunting and gathering society has taught us a lot about nature and allowed us to achieve growth today.

Hunter-Gatherer Diet

The population of this society extensively depends on hunting or trapping wild animals, fishing, and gathering insects. Also, they rely on wild plant foods such as fruits, seasonal vegetables, tubers, berries, seeds, and nuts. Therefore, a combined variety of this strategy helps them to maintain a healthy balanced diet. It is imperative for these people to follow balanced and healthy eating as they survive in extreme conditions. Besides their heterotrophic nature, the people of this society were so lethal that they even ate the meat of their kind. Thus, the hunter-gatherer civilisation was considered to be more deadly than the wild animals among them because of their diet.

Benefits of Hunting and Gathering

3 Major Benefits of Hunter-Gatherer Life

• Not materialistic: The best quality of Hunter-Gatherer civilisation is that they do not possess greed for more in their lives. All they are concerned about is a simple and casual life politely resolving their arguments. Moreover, they believe in unity and standing for the people of their tribe under any circumstances.

• Higher status to women: Women are honoured as one of the most significant members of their tribe as they contribute to about 70 per cent of hunter-gatherers food and supply.

• Simple life: The primary reason for a simple life among hunter-gatherers is that they were nomadic. Their main task is to hunt animals for the rest of the tribe and keep the food on the table. They are not concerned with other functions or any financial or economic challenges due to their simple behaviour.

Difficulties of Hunter-Gatherer Economy

The major challenge faced by the people of the hunter-gatherer economy is the threat possessed by nature or wild animals. They live in the most extreme situations without proper facilities and medical supplies to treat their people in case of an emergency. Moreover, the people of this economy has to move from one place to another when their supplies begin to exhaust. Thus, living a nomadic life without necessities like food, shelter, and clothing is not possible for people living in the modern world.

Books On Hunter-Gatherer Economy

Book 1

Hunter-gatherers today: an Aboriginal economy in north Australia

Published by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies in 1987

By Jon C. Altman (Author)

Book 2

Hunter-gatherer Economy in Prehistory: A European Perspective

Published by Cambridge University Press in 1983

By G. N. Bailey (Author)

Book 3

Hunter-Gatherer Behavior: Human Response during the Younger Dryas

Published by Routledge in 2012

By Metin I Eren (Editor)

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