- The main working techniques in prehistory
- The hunt
- Fishing
- Harvesting and cultivation
- The manufacture of fabrics and use of wood
- Stone carving
- Carving the bone
- Polished stone
- Pottery
- Metallurgy
- References
The work techniques in prehistory were developed according to the needs of man, they were based on his survival and instincts. They are born from the need for subsistence, to adapt to the environment that surrounds us by applying ingenuity.
Prehistory is divided into two major stages or ages, depending on the application of technology, which are: The Stone Age and the Metal Age.
The Stone Age is the technological stage of prehistory in which the use of stone begins until the discovery of metals. The Metal Age is the stage in which work begins making objects with the most common metals in the geographical area.
The main working techniques in prehistory
A Diorama showing cavemen in prehistory. National Museum of Mongolian History in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
They are the set of resources that appear in response to a specific need, in the case of prehistory that need was to obtain sustenance in the environment that surrounded the individual.
From there a series of work techniques are born that we will detail below:
The hunt
It is the first activity to which man dedicated himself as a means of life. Hunting became one of the great passions of prehistoric man.
Hunting resulted in meat for sustenance, furs for shelter, and some mementos of battle.
Fishing
The presence of life in lakes, rivers and seas, aroused in man the interest of looking for ways to catch these living beings for food.
Sticks and stones were used at the beginning. Then the hooks, spear tips, nets, baskets, among others, are developed.
Harvesting and cultivation
The collection of fruits and tubers was done by hand or with the help of sticks and stones, which were used to remove the roots from the subsoil.
Tools like the hoe and planter were born with the discovery of stone carving.
The manufacture of fabrics and use of wood
The manufacture of fabric arises through the use of plant fibers and animal skins. There are indications of the manufacture of fishing nets, baskets and some pieces of clothing used to provide shelter.
The use of wood in the making of tools and utensils was made possible by discovering its hardness and malleability.
Stone carving
The carving technique was evidenced in the first finds dating from the prehistoric era.
The carving was carried out through percussion, either direct or indirect, of the stone with other more or less solid objects.
Some of the items found dating back to prehistory are: spear tips, darts, arrowheads, bowls, scrapers and excavation tools, among others. All carved in stone.
Carving the bone
The bone was used as a tool in its natural form but over time they were carved to achieve other tools and utensils, such as: needles, punches, weapon tips, spatulas, hooks, among others.
Polished stone
The discovery of the polishing technique was through the rubbing of the stone against a harder or abrasive object.
This type of work begins the manufacture of objects with a cutting surface such as knives and spears.
Pottery
The modeling and firing of masses formed by mixing clay with water gives life to the pottery.
The creation of vessels, containers, plates and glasses is achieved thanks to the need to collect water or serve food in a cleaner way.
Metallurgy
With the discovery of minerals such as copper, gold and silver, as well as their different alloys, metallurgy began in the Neolithic period.
The man discovered that they had different hardness and shine. This discovery begins the Age of Metals.
By hitting them, it was possible to flatten them into sheets, and later the same pottery techniques were applied.
When subjected to fire, it is discovered that they change their state to liquid and it begins to be used in that of tools with the help of molds.
References
- Alimen, M.-H., & Steve, M.-J. (1989). Prehistory, Volume 1. Siglo XXI de España Editores.
- Clark, G. (1969). World Prehistory: A New Outline. CUP Archive.
- Eiroa, JJ (2006). Notions of general Prehistory. Grupo Planeta (GBS).
- Miato, SA, & Miato, L. (2013). Produce. A cognitive and social competence. Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports.
- Peregrine, P., & Ember, M. (2001). Encyclopedia of Prehistory: Volume 2: Arctic and Subarctic, Volume 6. Springer Science & Business Media.