Lesson 3: Looking back at Human Biocultural and Social Evolution

Objectives:
At the end of this module, you are expected to:
A. trace the biological and cultural evolution of early to modern humans;
B. explore the significance of human material remains and arti-factual evidence in interpreting
cultural and social, including political and economic processes; and
C. make an illustrated timeline that shows the developments of human society.

Instructional Materials: Arcinas, Myla (2016). Understanding Culture, Society, & Politics. Phoenix Publishing
House. Pg.37-49

HUMAN BIOLOGICAL & CULTURAL EVOLUTION

Biological and cultural evolution: from Homo habilis (or earlier) to Homo sapiens sapiens in the fossil record

Biological Evolution- refers to the changes, modifications, and variations in the genetics and inherited traits of
biological populations from one generation to another.
- based on the theory of evolution that was introduced by the famous English naturalist and geologist
Charles Darwin (1809-1882). Because of the result of his studies, he introduced the concept of
evolution to explain the origins of modern humans.
Human evolution- is the revolutionary process leading to the appearance of modern-day humans.
HOMO- is used to determine the species of human beings.
HOMINIDS- is the direct ancestors of homo species.

• Australopithecus- the first definite hominids, lived 4.4 million to 1.4 million years ago.
- they were fully bipedal which means that they could walk using their two legs.
Divided into 2 groups:
1. Gracile Australopithecines- have smaller dentition and facial muscle.
- they lacked bony crests for the attachment of heavy chewing muscles, that’s why they are
frugivores (feeds on fruit).
- shared several traits with modern apes and humans and were widespread throughout Eastern
and Southern Africa as early as 4 to as late as 1.2 million years ago.
- the earliest evidence of fundamentally bipedal hominids can be observed at the site of Laetoli in
Tanzania.
2.Robust Australopithecines- or Paranthropus, are characterized by several features of the skull
that give them a "robust" appearance when compared to gracile hominids.
- they existed in East and Southern Africa between approximately 2.5 and 1.4 million years ago.
- the most notable of these features are large, thickly enameled, post canine teeth that were
supported by deep and broad mandibular corpora with tall and broad rami.
- robust forms adapted to consume heavy and gritty vegetation as they are herbivores.
• Homo Species- have a brain larger compared0to the Australopithecus species which appeared about
2.3million years ago.
o Divided into 2 species:
1. Homo habilis- has a larger brain and reduced the size of molars and premolars compared to the A
Australopithecus.
- a.k.a Handy man because this species was thought to represent the first maker
stone tools.

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 2. Homo rudolfensis- somehow the same as the features of H. habilis.
- many paleoanthropologists make no distinctions between the two species.
Some say that the difference lies on their cheek teeth and face.
- it has a broader face, larger braincase, and larger molar and premolar
teeth compared to the H. habilis.
o Homo erectus- the first hominid species that was distributed in the “Old world”.
- it was seen in parts of Africa and Asia, and was discovered by Eugene Dubois
which he called Pithecanthropus erectus at first which means erect ape man.
- had smaller teeth than other Homos genus.
- it is known that they have the capacity to control fire, because of this, they
survived the cold weather.
- lower paleolithic tools and other artifacts were probably produced by them.
o Homo sapiens sapiens- appeared 50,000 years ago and was characterized as the modern
human beings.
- have a domed skull, chin, small eyebrows, and a rather puny skeleton.
- is thought to have evolved sometime between 160,000 and 90,000 years ago
in Africa before migrating first to the Middle East and Europe and later to
Asia, Australia, and the Americas.

CULTURAL & SOCIOPOLITICAL EVOLUTION

Cultural and sociopolitical evolution: from hunting and gathering to the agricultural, industrial, and
post- industrial revolutions

The Neolithic Revolution

➢ also called the Agricultural Revolution, marked the transition in human history from small
nomadic bands of hunter-gatherers to larger, agricultural settlements and early civilization.
➢ it started around 10,000 B.C. in the Fertile Crescent, a boomerang-shaped region of the Middle East
where humans first took up farming. Shortly after, Stone Age humans in other parts of the world
also began to practice agriculture.
➢ Neolithic Age is sometimes called the New Stone Age.
➢ Neolithic humans used stone tools like their earlier Stone Age ancestors, who eked out a marginal
existence in small bands of hunter-gatherers during the last Ice Age.

Timeline of Agricultural Innovation and World Population –10,000 to 500 B.C.E:

World Population Year Agricultural Innovation
1–5 million 10,000 B.C.E. Neolithic Revolution begins in Southwest Asia and other areas.
Climate change resulted in longer dry seasons and the end of
a 100,000-year ice age.
Abundance of wild grains enabled hunter-gatherers to settle in
villages.
Domestication of dogs begin in Asia and North America
9500 B.C.E. The “founder crops” of agriculture appear: wheat, barley, peas,
le ntils, bitter vetch, chickpeas, and flax.
8–10 million 8000–6000 0
Nomadic 1
hunter-gatherers begin to grow food and domesticate
B.C.E animals: Rice in China, 7500 B.C.E., Squash in Mexico, 7000
B.C.E. Wheat in Mesopotamia, 8500 B.C.E.
Cattle in SW Asia, and India, 7000 B.C.E. Domestication of
sheep, goats and pigs begin in SW
Asia. Irrigation systems introduced

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 7000–6000 Domestication of cattle begins in Southwest Asia, Pakistan, and
B.C.E. India
6000–3000 A wooden plow, the ard, used in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
B.C.E. Permanent villages established in the Fertile Crescent. Farming
established on the banks of the Nile River
5000–3000 Domestication begins of horses in Ukraine, donkeys in Egypt,
B.C.E. and water buffalo in China.
Corn (maize) production in Mexico.
14–20 million 3000 B.C.E. Irrigation systems and dams built in the Nile River.
Crop production increases trade and spread of agriculture.
Potatoes domesticated in Peru.
2000 B.C.E. Iron plow developed in China.

50 million 1000 B.C.E. Manure used as fertilizer.

Iron plows widely used in China and Southwest Asia.
100 million 500 B.C.E. Mouldboard plow with a V-shaped iron cutting edge developed
in China

Early Civilizations and the Rise of the State

Civilization- is a complex society that creates agricultural surpluses, allowing for specialized labor, social
hierarchy, and the establishment of cities.
- Developments such as writing, complex religious systems, monumental architecture, and
centralized political power have been suggested as identifying markers of civilization, as
well.
- Governments and states emerged as rulers gained control over larger areas and more resources,
often using writing and religion to maintain social hierarchies and consolidate power over larger
areas and populations.
- Characteristics: large population centers; monumental architecture and unique art styles;
shared communication strategies; systems for administering territories; a complex division
of labor; and the division of people into social and economic classes.

First Civilizations
The first civilizations appeared in major river valleys, where floodplains contained rich soil and the
rivers provided irrigation for crops and a means of transportation. Foundational civilizations developed
urbanization and complexity without outside influence and without building on a pre-existing civilization,
though they did not all develop simultaneously.

Location Social Class/ Architecture Religion Other

City State characteristics/
contributions
Mesopotamia (8000-2000 B.C.)- Cradle of civilization; Fertile Crescent
Region of Had three main -Palaces were highly They were polytheistic -It built an extensive
southwest Asia classes; government decorated and (worshipping many man-made irrigation
between Tigris officials, nobles and contained solid ivory gods and goddesses) system that enabled it
and Euphrates priests were at the top; furniture. Houses were as well as henotheistic to grow a surplus of
river. second was a class built from mud bricks, (believed that certain food. They relied on the
comprised of plaster and wood. gods are viewed annual flooding of the
-Its name derived merchants, artisans, - Houses had long- superior to others). two rivers for fertility
from ancient craftsmen and farmers; roofed central Every god has a but the silt became an
Greek “between on the bottom were the hallways, courtyards, priest, temple and a obstacle to its irrigation
two rivers” prisoners of war and and storeys. traditional ritual and systems, which
slaves. Commoners - Ziggurats were huge there were hundreds consisted of hundreds
were considered free pyramidal temple of temples scattered of channels that
citizens and were towers which were throughout each city. watered the crops
protected by the law. first built in Sumerian - Cuneiform- One of
City-States and then the earliest known
developed in forms of written
Babylonia and expression that began
Assyrian cities as as a system of
well. pictographs.

Ancient Egypt (3100-332 B.C.)- The Black Land

a civilization of -Egyptian society was -Built th0e first 1 -Its people followed a - Hieroglyphics—a form
ancient Africa, structured like a pyramids, which were polytheistic religion in of writing that used
concentrated pyramid. At the top both tombs and which a vast number images to express
along the were the gods (such monuments for the of gods and sounds and meanings
lower as goddesses