LOWER PALAEOLITHIC: CHARACTERISTICS, TOOLS, ART - HISTORY - 2024

The Lower Paleolithic is one of the phases into which the Paleolithic, the first stage of the Stone Age, is divided. This period was the longest in human history, beginning 2.5 million years ago and ending about 120,000 years ago.

The term Paleolithic means "ancient stone" and was chosen by experts for the way of carving the most important raw material of the time: stone. The techniques used were very simple, resulting in basic and rather crude tools.

Singles of unifacial carving - Source: Adolfobrigido

In addition to the use of these first tools, the Lower Paleolithic was characterized by the evolutionary advance that the first human beings lived. Thus, throughout this stage appeared types of hominids capable of dominating fire and hunting using rudimentary weapons.

Being a time when several ice ages occurred, living conditions were very harsh. The inhabitants of this time used to live in small nomadic groups that had to move to look for food. Most of the time, they sought refuge in caves located in areas rich in resources until they were exhausted.

characteristics

The Stone Age was the first period of the Prehistory of mankind. Experts have divided it into three different parts, depending on how the primitive human being worked the stone. The first of these parts was the Paleolithic (old stone), the second the Mesolithic (between stones) and the third the Neolithic (new stone).

The longest phase was the Paleolithic, which has also been divided into three stages: the Lower, Middle, and Upper Palaeolithic. Its beginning is dated about 2.5 million years ago and its end approximately 120,000 years ago.

Glaciation

The Lower Paleolithic was characterized by the successive glaciations that occurred. The drop in temperatures was more pronounced in the northern hemisphere due to the growth of polar ice.

Other areas of the planet, such as South America, also suffered the effects of this climate change, although it was in a period prior to the arrival of human beings.

In total, according to geologists, the planet suffered four different glaciations, with effects that lasted until 10,000 BC. C.

Human evolution

The first ancestors of the human being appeared in Africa. Although Australopithecus can be considered as a distant ancestor, it was actually the appearance of Homo habilis that marked the beginning of human evolution.

This type of hominid was the first to start making tools, as the remains found in some sites have shown.

The next important link in evolution was Homo erectus. These, apart from their greater resemblance to the human being thanks to their upright posture, were organized into larger and more complex groups than those of their predecessor. The most accepted theory indicates that it was the need to collaborate to ensure survival that forced them to create family clans.

Out of Africa

The departure of human ancestors from the African continent and, therefore, their expansion throughout the rest of the world occurred about 1.8 million years ago. It is, however, an approximate date, since new discoveries are causing anthropologists to consider new hypotheses

Tools use

One of the characteristics that marked the appearance of the human being was the manufacture and use of tools. At first, they collected boulders and carved one of their faces.

Later, when the hominids acquired greater cranial capacity and manual ability, they began to carve the two faces of the stone, managing to elaborate more effective bifaces to perform tasks such as cutting animals. Another advantage of these bifaces was that they could be transported, something important for a nomadic way of life.

Social organization

The organization of the first human groups was very simple, without complex hierarchical structures. The groups they formed were usually small in size and based on family ties.

During the Lower Paleolithic, human beings were nomads and foragers. The meat they ate came from sick or dead animals they found. Over time, even within the same period, they began to hunt using the weapons they built.

These weapons were, first, simple rudimentary carved stones that could be used as knives or hammers. Later, the complexity grew and the effectiveness of these hunting tools increased.

Discovery of fire

Among the advances that the human being made during the Lower Palaeolithic, the learning of the use of fire stood out in a remarkable way. The remains found show how Homo erectus was the first to use it for heating, cooking or defending itself from predators.

To achieve fire, these first human beings had to wait for it to appear spontaneously, by the lightning of a storm or a fire. Likewise, they had to learn to conserve it and transport it with them from one location to another.

Later, about 500,000 BC. C, human beings learned to light fire. In this way, they stopped depending on nature to achieve it.

Tools

Although Homo habilis received that name for being able to make tools, the most important advances were made by Homo erectus. It was this last type of hominid who began to carve the stone to build biface or hand axes.

The Lower Palaeolithic has been divided into two different stages in terms of the development of the lithic industry: the Olduvayense and the Acheulean, also called technical mode 1 and technical mode 2, respectively.

Olduvayense

This period is also known as that of the boulders or technical mode 1. In addition, in Europe the name Archaic Lower Paleolithic is common. The most used raw material was stone, more specifically boulders.

This type of stone was worked with percussion techniques to produce flakes and sharpened pieces. In this way they produced some of the characteristic tools of this stage, such as unifacial carved edges.

Acheulean

Acheulean became the most important type of lithic industry during the Lower Palaeolithic. Also called technical mode 2, this period spanned from 500,000 BC. C and 90,000 a. C.

It was Homo erectus who began to carve the stone in a more elaborate way. Thus, he was able to build tools such as splitters, bifaces or scrapers. Likewise, they were the ones who began to use weapons to capture animals.

Art

The most consensual opinion among experts is that during the Lower Paleolithic there was nothing that can be called art. It is generally considered that it was not until later, with the appearance of the Neardental man, when the human being began to perform funeral rites and, related to them, some type of artistic representation.

However, some deposits found in recent years are causing that theory is beginning to be reconsidered. Thus, for example, it seems that Homo heidelbergensis may have made some objects taking into account their aesthetics.

Religious and artistic sense

Part of the discussion about whether art existed during this period or not is related to the time when the first human beings began to have symbolic and / or ritual thinking.

In present-day Algeria and Germany some remains have been found that seem to have an aesthetic or ritual sense. However, experts have not yet reached a conclusive decision.

Other finds, these made in Atapuerca, seem to show a burial place not accidental, but with ritual or religious elements. In addition, a very carefully carved biface has been found (which has been baptized as Excalibur) that is considered an almost artistic manifestation.

However, the most important discovery was that of some crudely carved statuettes that some experts identify with female figures related to fertility. This interpretation, however, is still under discussion.

Lifestyle

As noted above, the Lower Paleolithic was characterized by the various ice ages that took place. This climate was one of the factors that conditioned the way of life of the first human beings.

The cold of the time caused the groups that were formed to seek refuge in caves. When food became scarce, these clans moved looking for a more suitable place.

First habitats

The abundance of food and water were the main factors for the first hominids to choose a place to temporarily reside. Archaeologists claim that the oldest settlements were in central and eastern Africa and belonged to H omo ergaster.

Nomadism

Humans began to organize themselves into small groups in order to better survive. The members of these groups, which did not usually exceed 8 or 12 people, used to belong to the same family.

Collaboration among group members was essential in order to improve the chances of survival. However, that collaboration was not enough for them to establish permanent settlements. These would not arrive until the end of the ice ages and the discovery of agriculture and livestock.

Feeding

The basis of the diet of these hominids was what they could collect as they passed. They were vegetables, roots and fruits and, sometimes, meat from sick or dead animals.

This way of feeding began to change with Homo erectus and, above all, with Homo heidelbergensis. The first, according to some remains found, began to hunt animals. In addition, by knowing how to control the fire, the meat was digested more easily and lasted longer without spoiling.

References

1. Cart, Adrian. What is the Lower Paleolithic ?. Obtained from patrimoniointeligente.com
2. Didactalia. The Lower Palaeolithic. Obtained from didactalia.net
3. Arthistory. The hominids of the Lower Paleolithic. Obtained from artehistoria.com
4. Hirst, K. Kris. Lower Paleolithic: The Changes Marked by the Early Stone Age. Retrieved from thoughtco.com
5. The Regents of The University of California. Lithic Technology 6 - Lower Paleolithic Stone Tool Technologies. Retrieved from stsmith.faculty.anth.ucsb.edu
6. Smithsonian Institution. Early Stone Age Tools. Retrieved from humanorigins.si.edu
7. Groeneveld, Emma. Paleolithic. Retrieved from ancient.eu