Section - I - An introductory description of the primitive society briefly
Section - II - primitive human herd
Section - III - Primal hunters
Section - IV - Formation of the genus
Section - V - Agriculture and cattle breeding of ancient people

It is interesting to realize that the course of development and abrupt changes in climate forced our human race to evolve from a half-ape into a completely rational being. A large number of finds in Africa indicate that civilized humanity is one of the smallest parts of the entire history of the existence of our species. Australopithecus.

Primitive man inhabited Africa presumably between 3.5-1.8 million years ago. At that time it was small herds of semi-intelligent monkeys, which were called Australopithecus - that is, southern monkeys. They were distinguished by a rather large jaw, a small brain, a straight posture, as well as the ability to hold a stone or a club in their hands.

A skilled man (eng.homo habilis) arose about 2.5 million years ago. years ago. This primitive man was characterized by the fact that he had the opportunity to use the first tools made of stone in the economy. Stone tools could dig up a root, hunt, skin a dead animal, chop branches, etc. It is a skillful person who is considered the main representative of the entire modern human race. Being homo habilis, primitive people moved on 2 legs. Their flock consisted of several males, and presumably the same number of females. They ate both animals and plant food. They still couldn't talk. Only with the help of simple cries and gestures did they somehow talk to each other.

Pithecanthropus. The next stage in the development of primitive man is considered to be a “straightened man” (that is, from the English homo erectus), Pithecanthropus or ape-man. His appearance this creature still resembled animals. It was hairy, with a large jaw, a low forehead, and a large head. But Pithecanthropus, unlike other homo habilis, learned not just to pick up sticks and pebbles from the ground, but to make them on their own. So there were various scrapers, sharp axes, which helped well to cut roots, branches, hunts, and also cut animal skins. It was during the time of the Pithecanthropes, primitive people learned to adapt different conditions climate. Their sites were recorded in Africa and in Europe, and in China.

And the first parking lot of Pithecanthropus was found on the island of Java. During the existence of homo erectus, glaciers began to advance on the earth. It became very cold and the level of the World Ocean decreased. Therefore, many scattered small groups primitive people were forced to unite. This made it easier to hunt and protect yourself from threats. Around the same period, fire appeared, with the help of which primitive man was heated. The Pithecanthropus community evolved very slowly. In this society, adults began teach younger generations to hunt and n growth crafts, after some time was born

The primitive era of mankind is the period that lasted before the invention of writing. In the 19th century, it received a slightly different name - "prehistoric". If you do not delve into the meaning of this term, then it unites the entire time period, starting from the emergence of the Universe. But in a narrower perception, we are talking only about the past of the human species, which lasted until a certain period (it was mentioned above). If funds mass media, scientists or other people use the word "prehistoric" in official sources, then the period in question is necessarily indicated.

Although the characteristics of the primitive era were formed bit by bit by researchers for several centuries in a row, new facts about that time are still being discovered. Due to the lack of written language, people compare data from archaeological, biological, ethnographic, geographical and other sciences for this.

The development of the primitive era

Throughout the development of mankind, constantly offered various options prehistoric classifications. Historians Ferguson and Morgan divided into several stages: savagery, barbarism and civilization. The primitive era of mankind, including the first two components, is divided into three more periods:

Stone Age

The primitive era received its periodization. It is possible to single out the main stages, among which was and At this time, all weapons and items for Everyday life made, as you might guess, of stone. Sometimes people used wood and bones in their works. Already closer to the end of this period, dishes made of clay appeared. Thanks to the achievements of this century, the area of ​​​​accommodation in the inhabited territories of the planet of man has greatly changed, and it was also as a result of it that human evolution began. We are talking about anthropogenesis, that is, the process of the emergence of intelligent beings on the planet. The end of the stone period was marked by the domestication of wild animals and the beginning of the smelting of certain metals.

According to time periods, the primitive era to which this age belongs was divided into stages:

copper age

The eras of primitive society, having a chronological sequence, characterize the development and formation of life in different ways. In different territorial areas, the period lasted for different times (or did not exist at all). The Eneolithic could be connected with the Bronze Age, although scientists still distinguish it as a separate period. Approximate time period - 3-4 thousand years It is logical to assume that this primitive era was usually characterized by the use of copper devices. However, the stone did not go out of "fashion". Acquaintance with new material was rather slow. People, finding it, thought it was a stone. The processing that was common at that time - hitting one piece against another - did not give the usual effect, but still the copper succumbed to deformation. With the introduction of cold forging into everyday life, work with it went better.

Bronze Age

This primitive era has become one of the main ones, according to some scientists. People learned how to process some materials (tin, copper), due to which they achieved the appearance of bronze. Thanks to this invention, a collapse began at the end of the century, which occurred quite synchronously. We are talking about the destruction of human associations - civilizations. This entailed a long formation of the Iron Age in a certain area and a too protracted continuation of the Bronze Age. The last one in the eastern part of the planet lasted a record number of decades. It ended with the advent of Greece and Rome. The century is divided into three periods: early, middle and late. During all these periods, the architecture of that time was actively developing. It was she who influenced the formation of religion and the worldview of society.

iron age

Considering the epochs of primitive history, one can come to the conclusion that he was the last before the advent of reasonable writing. Simply put, this century was conditionally singled out as a separate one, since iron objects appeared, they were widely used in all spheres of life.

The smelting of iron was a rather laborious process for that century. After all, it was impossible to get real material. This is due to the fact that it is easily corroded and does not withstand many climatic changes. In order to obtain it from ore, a much higher temperature was required than for bronze. And iron casting was mastered after too long a period of time.

Emergence of power

Of course, the emergence of power was not long in coming. There have always been leaders in society, even if we are talking about the primitive era. During this period, there were no institutions of power, and there was no political dominance either. Here social norms were more important. They invested in customs, "laws of life", traditions. At primitive order all requirements were explained in sign language, and their violations were punished with the help of an outcast from society.

Primitive society- the first form of human life in the history of human development, covering the era from the appearance of the first people to the emergence of the state and law. (Babaev V.K.)

The history of the development of primitive society is divided into two periods:

The first period is characterized by tribal communities, an appropriating economy, and the presence of matriarchy.

Human race- a group of blood relatives on the maternal (matrilineal family) or paternal (patrilineal family) line, descending from a common ancestor.

tribal community- a form of social organization of primitive society, i.e. a community (association) of people based on consanguinity and leading a joint household. (L.A. Morozova)

Matriarchy- an early form of tribal organization of the primitive communal system, characterized by the leading (dominant) role of women in social production(raising offspring, maintaining a public economy, maintaining a hearth, and other vital functions) and in social life tribal community (managing its affairs, regulating the relations of its members, performing religious rites).

Social management in the tribal community:

1. The source of power is the entire tribal community as a whole. The rules of conduct, their execution and maintenance, were established by members of the tribal community independently, and they themselves brought violators of the established order to responsibility;

2. The highest authority is the general meeting (council, gathering) of all adult members of the clan, tribal community. The Council made decisions on the most important issues of the life of the tribal community (issues of production activities, religious rites, settlement of disputes between members of the clan or between individual clans;

3. Power in primitive society was based on the authority of the most revered member of the community, as well as on respect and customs;

4. The daily management of the affairs of the tribal community was carried out by the elder, who was elected at the gathering of all adult members of the clan;

5. Coercion to violators of the established rules of conduct, the accepted order of communication between people, was carried out on the basis of the decision of all adult members of the tribal community.

The second period is characterized by tribal and tribal unions, a productive economy, and patriarchy.

During the second period of development of primitive society, due to a number of objective and subjective reasons, processes gradually took place, on the one hand, the unification of tribal communities into larger social formations - tribes (phratries), on the other hand, patriarchal families were formed.

Important reasons for the unification of tribal communities into tribes were:

1) the establishment of a ban on intra-clan marriage and family relations, since as a result of incest, handicapped, sick people were born and the clan was doomed to extinction; prohibition of incest (incest);

2) the need to collectively and in an organized manner repel attacks from others social groups who sought, on the one hand, to conquer more fertile lands used by other tribal communities, on the other hand, to enslave their own kind in order to exploit them;

3) commonality of language, religion, traditions, rituals, customs and a single occupied territory.

Tribe- a form of association of primitive people, based on single territory, common language, religion, culture and social norms, as well as having unified governing bodies. The tribe included tribal communities that still existed, as well as newly formed patriarchal families, a council of elders (tribal council), military or civil leaders.

The social administration in the tribe was as follows:

1. The source of power is the entire adult population of the tribe. The highest authority was the general meeting (council, gathering, people's council -) of all adult members of the tribe. At the gatherings of the population of the tribe, all the most important issues related to the establishment of rules of conduct, production activities, religious rites, and the resolution of disputes between members of the tribe or between individual clans were resolved.
2. Power in the tribe was based on the authority, respect, customs, strength, intelligence of the council of elders and the leader.
3. The daily management of the affairs of the tribe was carried out to a lesser extent by the council of elders and to a greater extent by the leader.

Council of Elders- the body of social management of primitive society consisted of representatives of tribal communities and patriarchal families.

At the same time, a volume (list) of issues common to all neighboring communities (families, clans) was formed. In particular, the council of elders:

a) coordinated the actions of families, tribal communities in carrying out agricultural work and grazing livestock;

b) considered the issues of organizing defense and protection against attacks from other tribes;

c) discussed sanitary and hygienic issues and resolved disputes between clans and families.

4. Coercion to violators of the established rules of conduct, the accepted order of communication between people, was carried out on the basis of a decision either by all adult members of the tribe, or by the council of elders, or in later stages of development by the leader.

During this period there was patriarchy, which was one of the later forms of development of primitive society. This period is characterized by the fact that a significant role in social production (in the cultivation of the land, cattle breeding, crafts, trade and other processes important for the existence of the family), as well as in the social life of the tribe (in managing its affairs, regulating the relations of its members, sending religious rituals, etc.) are played by men.

Introduction

The origins and roots of our culture are in primitive times.

Primitiveness is the childhood of mankind. Most of the history of mankind falls on the period of primitiveness.

We know nothing about the soul of a man who lived 20,000 years ago. However, we know that throughout the history of mankind known to us, man has not changed significantly either in his biological and psychophysical properties, or in his unconscious primary impulses (after all, only about 100 generations have passed since then). The first formation of a person is the deepest mystery, still completely inaccessible to us, incomprehensible.

In times and epochs inaccessible to our definition, the resettlement of people on the globe took place. It went within limited areas, was infinitely scattered, but at the same time it had an all-encompassing uniform character.

The emergence of art is a natural consequence of the development labor activity and the technique of Paleolithic hunters, inseparable from the addition of the tribal organization, the modern physical type of man. The volume of his brain has increased, many new associations have appeared, the need for new forms of communication has increased.

The culture of primitive society covers the longest and perhaps the least studied period of world culture. Primitive, or archaic culture has more than 30 thousand years.

1. Prerequisites for the emergence of primitive culture

Under primitive culture, it is customary to understand an archaic culture that characterizes the beliefs, traditions and art of peoples who lived more than 30 thousand years ago and died long ago, or those peoples (for example, tribes lost in the jungle) that exist today, preserving their primitive image intact life. Primitive culture covers mainly the art of the Stone Age.

Primitive art - the art of the era of primitive society It arose in the late Paleolithic around 33,000 BC. e., reflected the views, conditions and lifestyle of primitive hunters (primitive dwellings, cave images of animals, female figurines). Neolithic and Eneolithic farmers and pastoralists had communal settlements, megaliths, and piled buildings; images began to convey abstract concepts, the art of ornamentation developed. In the Neolithic, Eneolithic, Bronze Age, the tribes of Egypt, India, Western, Central and Minor Asia, China, South and South-Eastern Europe developed an art associated with agricultural mythology (ornamented ceramics, sculpture). Northern forest hunters and fishermen used to have rock carvings and realistic figurines of animals. The pastoral steppe tribes of Eastern Europe and Asia at the turn of the Bronze and Iron Ages created the animal style.

Primitive art is only a part of primitive culture, which, in addition to art, includes religious beliefs and cultures, special traditions and rituals.

Anthropologists associate the true emergence of art with the appearance of Homo sapiens, which is otherwise called Cro-Magnon man. The Cro-Magnons (as these people were called after the place of the first discovery of their remains - the Cro-Magnon grotto in the south of France), who appeared from 40 to 35 thousand years ago, were tall people (1.70-1.80m),

slender, strong build. They had an elongated narrow skull and a distinct, slightly pointed chin, which gave the lower part of the face a triangular shape. In almost every way they resembled modern man and became famous as excellent hunters. They had a well-developed speech, so that they could coordinate their actions. They skillfully made all kinds of tools for different occasions: sharp spearheads, stone knives, bone harpoons with teeth, excellent axes, axes, etc.

Conditions for the emergence of art:

Physical development of a person;

Mental development of a person (the ability to think abstractly to recreate objects of art);

A certain technical development that ensures some stability of society (people unite in clans and tribes, division of labor), and as a result of this - the availability of leisure.

A characteristic feature of primitive art- the uniformity of its forms (similarity in details, manufacturing technique, subject matter, manner of depiction) regardless of location.

Syncretism of primitive culture manifested in the fact that art, religion, games - all this was combined together. Rite, song, dance, ritual were inseparable, there were no performers and spectators - all were participants in ritual actions, creators and consumers of culture at the same time. The dances imitated scenes of hunting, fishing, gathering, military operations.

Gradually, art stands out from this syncretic culture as an independent branch.

Distinguish between the art of the Upper Paleolithic, the art of the Mesolithic and the art of the Neolithic.

In the era Upper Paleolithic rock art appears: "pasta" - a series of straight and wavy parallel lines drawn with a finger on damp clay; ritual animals.

Mesolithic art(rock art of everyday scenes): black images of everyday scenes (groups of people hunting, fishing), conveying movement (long legs are shown, twine jumps). The images are related compositionally. There are no images of women. People and animals are often depicted in silhouette or thin lines. Images are stylized, more abstract, generalized.

Neolithic art(rock art - ornament; cult architecture; ceramics) is characterized by symbolism, abstraction, which are expressed through ornament.

In general, primitive art is impersonal in nature, combining a mixture of fantasy and reality, realistic and symbolic.

2. Evolution of primitive society

The emergence of marriage and the family

Matriarchy and patriarchy

neolithic revolution

Manifold historical development associated with the characteristics and differences of the occurrence public life in various regions of the earth. Its occurrence was influenced by climatic and geographical conditions, the position of the regions. different speed community development led to the uneven pace of historical formation different peoples. All peoples had common starting point of development - primitive, or primitive, society. But even at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries, peoples reached its different levels, which is due to various reasons. And even today our planet is inhabited by tribes living in a primitive society.

Primitive society - the first form of being of human society or the first stage of its historical development. Apparently, this form of human activity was characterized by collectivism to ensure living conditions and the relative social equality of members of society.

In the development of primitive society, two stages are clearly traced:

The stage of the early primitive community;

The stage of the late primitive community.

At the primitive stage of development, people are made of stone, bone, horn, wood, and possibly others. natural materials they created tools, but they still did not know how to produce food. Gathering and hunting, and later fishing, were the main ways of obtaining funds to ensure life. The excess product was extremely small, or it was not possible to extract it. Most likely, communities of people created no more product, or not much more, than it was required for physical provision

the existence of all its members. This type of farming is called appropriating .

Under the conditions of appropriating economic management, there most likely existed common ownership of the means of production and consumer goods, especially food, which was distributed among members of society, regardless of participation or non-participation in its production. This distribution is called egalitarian .

Having begun to work consciously, a person was forced to keep records of production, the results of labor, and the creation of reserves. As man developed, the process of accumulating knowledge went on - he began to take into account time, the change of seasons, the movement of the nearest celestial bodies (Sun, Moon, stars). Members of the community began to appear who were able to keep records, and they were provided with conditions for such activities, since records helped maintain order and made it possible to survive.

Based on the accumulated knowledge, it was already possible to make the first forecasts necessary for survival: when to start making supplies, how and how long to store them, when to start using them, when and where you can and should migrate, etc. At the same time, probably, accounting for real perceived objects, planning and organization of labor activity, distribution of products and tools of labor appeared. The appearance of surplus products could lead to an exchange, which could be carried out either as an exchange of a natural product for a natural product, or with the use of an exchange equivalent (decorations, shells).

Accounting required record keeping. They could be notches, notches discovered by archaeologists. The appearance of accounting options can be attributed to the prehistoric period, in which color, the shape of the sign, and its length mattered. This is how the economy developed in primitive societies.

The primitive association of people initially completely coincided with the maternal clan. Due to the characteristic of the communal-tribal system

exogamy (prohibition of marriages between close relatives), the genus could not exist without connection with another genus, which led to the emergence

pair marriage and pair family, but still unstable. The joint settlement of the spouses led to the fact that the new association of people ceased to coincide with the genus.

Pair marriage began to form among the most ancient fossil people. Kinship along a certain line begins to take shape, incest is prohibited, which ultimately leads to the social regulation of marriage, the emergence of a clan and a family.

Primitive society - a period in the history of mankind before the invention of writing, after which there is the possibility of historical research based on the study of written sources. The term prehistoric came into use in the 19th century. In a broad sense, the word "prehistoric" is applicable to any period before the invention of writing, starting from the moment the Universe arose (about 14 billion years ago), but in a narrow sense - only to the prehistoric past of man. Since, by definition, there are no written sources left by his contemporaries about this period, information about it is obtained based on the data of such sciences as archeology, ethnology, paleontology, geology, etc. Since writing appeared among different peoples at different times, many cultures the term prehistoric is either not used, or its meaning and temporal boundaries do not coincide with humanity as a whole.

Since data on prehistoric times rarely concern individuals and do not even always say anything about ethnic groups, the main social unit of the prehistoric era of mankind is archaeological culture. All terms and periodization of this era, such as Neanderthal or Iron Age, are retrospective and largely arbitrary, and their precise definition is subject to debate.

The primitive communal system is a Marxist term meaning the very first socio-economic formation, when all members of society were in the same relationship to the means of production, and the method of obtaining a share of the social product was the same for everyone. The primitive communal system differs from the stages of social development following it in the absence of private property, classes and the state.

The most developed periodization is archaeological periodization, which is based on a comparison of man-made tools, their materials, forms of dwellings, burials, etc. According to this principle, the history of mankind is divided into the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. All periodization systems are imperfect in their own way. There are many examples when stone tools of the Paleolithic or Mesolithic form were used among peoples. Far East in the XVI-XVII centuries, while they had a tribal society and developed forms of religion, families.

The Stone Age is the oldest period in the history of mankind, when the main tools and weapons were made mainly of stone, but wood and bone were also used. At the end of the Stone Age, the use of clay (dishes, brick buildings, sculpture) spread.

The Copper Age is a period in the history of primitive society, the transitional period from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age. Approximately covers the period 4-3 thousand BC. e., but in some areas it exists longer, and in some it is absent altogether. Most often, the Eneolithic is included in the Bronze Age, but sometimes it is also considered a separate period. During the Eneolithic, copper tools were common, but stone tools still prevailed.

The Bronze Age is a period in the history of primitive society, characterized by the leading role of bronze products, which was associated with an improvement in the processing of metals such as copper and tin obtained from ore deposits, and the subsequent production of bronze from them. The Bronze Age is the second, late phase of the Early Metal Age, succeeding the Copper Age and preceding the Iron Age. In general, the chronological framework of the Bronze Age: 35/33 - 13/11 centuries. BC e., but different cultures are different.

The Iron Age is a period in the history of primitive society, characterized by the spread of iron metallurgy and the manufacture of iron tools. Strictly speaking, it already goes beyond the history of primitive society itself.