Page | 1
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, Chapter 01_Essay br
Answer each of the following questions with an essay. Be sure to include specific examples that support yo
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ur thesis and conclusions.
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1. What are some of the problems in using evidence from contemporary gatherer societies to study early h
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
umans?
2. How did early Homo erectus spread out of East Africa into other parts of the world? Where did they g
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o, and how early did they reach those places?
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3. What were the key features of Paleolithic food attainment and Paleolithic diets?
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4. What are some of the theories about gender relationships in Paleolithic societies? What changed in t
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hose relationships in the Neolithic period? What kinds of evidence are used in supporting or arguing a
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
gainst these theories?
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5. What is the relationship between pastoralism, disease, and humans?
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6. How did material goods create, define, and perpetuate social hierarchies in Neolithic societies?
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Answer Key br
1. Answer would ideally include: br br br
• Because the earliest humans did not leave behind written evidence, scientists have studied more re
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cent societies that lived by similar gathering means. However, most evidence about recent gatherer societi
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
es was written by external sources and thus includes their biases and expectations, such as the inferiority of
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
foraging as a lifestyle. Furthermore, few modern foragers or gatherers are truly isolated from the influence
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of other agricultural or industrial cultures. Also, this approach assumes that gatherer
br br br br br br br br br br br
Page | 2 br br
,societies are somehow static and remain unchanged over many centuries, which ignores the evidence of ho
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w adaptable such societies really are.
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2. Answer would ideally include: br br br
• Homo erectus migrated out of East Africa into central Africa, and then into northern Africa. This
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
migration took place 2 million years ago. As early as 1.8 million years ago, Homo erectus had spread to A
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
sia, reaching China and Java by 1.5 million years ago. These migrations took place over land, along coast
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
line routes. Because sea levels were lower then, individuals could cross from the mainland of China to Jav
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
a on foot. Homo erectus also moved northward from Africa, into Spain by 800,000 years ago and into Ger
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
many 500,000 years ago. In each of these places, they adapted hunting and gathering techniques to the loc
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
al environment.
br
3. Answer would ideally include: br br br
• The Paleolithic diet consisted of a combination of plants and animal protein. Paleolithic peoples f
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
oraged for their food, engaging in what we would consider a combination of hunting, scavenging, and ga
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
thering. Most of what they ate were plants. Animal protein often came from scavenged foods like insects
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
and shellfish rather than being hunted directly. It is unknown as to whether labor was divided between g
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
enders, but in today's foraging societies, there is some division, with men engaging in hunting large anim
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
als and women responsible for gathering plants and small animals. It took between ten and twenty hours
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
per week to gather food, but this number varied depending on environmental factors and group decisions
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
. Because Paleolithic peoples had to forage for their diet, they expended energy and, in general, avoided
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
diseases common in sedentary societies. Life spans were kept in check by accidents, injuries, and infecti
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
ons.
4. Answer would ideally include: br br br
• Studies of more recent foraging societies suggest that women were valued for their labor, which
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
was recognized as equal to the work of men. Both men and women foraged for food, and both participate
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
d in hunting. Other scholars theorize that even in Paleolithic society one person may have emerged as a le
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
ader, perhaps based on personal skill, and that this person was almost always a man. It is more certain tha
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t by the Neolithic period, after the invention of plow agriculture, society became more hierarchical and m
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
en took on more of a public, elite status. Women were limited to the home or enclosed spaces, and land in
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
heritance favored men over women. Evidence for gender roles in the Neolithic period comes from later w
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
ritten traditions. br
Page | 3 br br
, 5. Answer would ideally include: br br br
• Pastoralism is the herding and raising of livestock. It requires humans to live in close contact with t
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
heir herd animals, thus exposing humans to various animal-
br br br br br br br br
borne diseases, such as smallpox. Initially, exposure to diseases may have caused higher mortality rates in
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pastoralist societies, but over time, humans would have developed some resistance to them. Foragers wer
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e not exposed to these diseases and thus did not develop any resistance to them. When a pastoralist society
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encountered a forager society, this might have led the former to expose the latter to deadly pathogens.
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6. Answer would ideally include: br br br
• The possession of material goods— br br br br
such as livestock, dwelling structures, plows, carts, and pots—
br br br br br br br br
indicated that some individuals had control over more labor. Labor was used to acquire material goods.
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The more material goods one had, the more labor one controlled. This indicated status; to control labor w
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
as to have a higher status than others. Having material goods gave one the ability to acquire yet more mat
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
erial goods and to continue to acquire status. Material goods, along with land, could also constitute an in
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
heritance, and thus perpetuate status into the next generation.
br br br br br br br br
Chapter 01_Matching br
Use the following to answer questions 1-15:
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Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in th
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
e Definitions section.
br br
Terms
a. pastoralism
b. Neanderthals
c. division of labor br br
d. animism
e. social hierarchies br
f. patriarchy
g. Paleolithic era br
h. Agricultural Revolution br
g. foraging
h. shamans
Page | 4 br br
br br
, Chapter 01_Essay br
Answer each of the following questions with an essay. Be sure to include specific examples that support yo
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
ur thesis and conclusions.
br br br
1. What are some of the problems in using evidence from contemporary gatherer societies to study early h
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
umans?
2. How did early Homo erectus spread out of East Africa into other parts of the world? Where did they g
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
o, and how early did they reach those places?
br br br br br br br br
3. What were the key features of Paleolithic food attainment and Paleolithic diets?
br br br br br br br br br br br
4. What are some of the theories about gender relationships in Paleolithic societies? What changed in t
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
hose relationships in the Neolithic period? What kinds of evidence are used in supporting or arguing a
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
gainst these theories?
br br
5. What is the relationship between pastoralism, disease, and humans?
br br br br br br br br
6. How did material goods create, define, and perpetuate social hierarchies in Neolithic societies?
br br br br br br br br br br br br
Answer Key br
1. Answer would ideally include: br br br
• Because the earliest humans did not leave behind written evidence, scientists have studied more re
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
cent societies that lived by similar gathering means. However, most evidence about recent gatherer societi
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
es was written by external sources and thus includes their biases and expectations, such as the inferiority of
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
foraging as a lifestyle. Furthermore, few modern foragers or gatherers are truly isolated from the influence
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
of other agricultural or industrial cultures. Also, this approach assumes that gatherer
br br br br br br br br br br br
Page | 2 br br
,societies are somehow static and remain unchanged over many centuries, which ignores the evidence of ho
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
w adaptable such societies really are.
br br br br br
2. Answer would ideally include: br br br
• Homo erectus migrated out of East Africa into central Africa, and then into northern Africa. This
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
migration took place 2 million years ago. As early as 1.8 million years ago, Homo erectus had spread to A
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
sia, reaching China and Java by 1.5 million years ago. These migrations took place over land, along coast
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
line routes. Because sea levels were lower then, individuals could cross from the mainland of China to Jav
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
a on foot. Homo erectus also moved northward from Africa, into Spain by 800,000 years ago and into Ger
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
many 500,000 years ago. In each of these places, they adapted hunting and gathering techniques to the loc
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
al environment.
br
3. Answer would ideally include: br br br
• The Paleolithic diet consisted of a combination of plants and animal protein. Paleolithic peoples f
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
oraged for their food, engaging in what we would consider a combination of hunting, scavenging, and ga
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
thering. Most of what they ate were plants. Animal protein often came from scavenged foods like insects
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
and shellfish rather than being hunted directly. It is unknown as to whether labor was divided between g
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
enders, but in today's foraging societies, there is some division, with men engaging in hunting large anim
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
als and women responsible for gathering plants and small animals. It took between ten and twenty hours
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
per week to gather food, but this number varied depending on environmental factors and group decisions
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
. Because Paleolithic peoples had to forage for their diet, they expended energy and, in general, avoided
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
diseases common in sedentary societies. Life spans were kept in check by accidents, injuries, and infecti
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
ons.
4. Answer would ideally include: br br br
• Studies of more recent foraging societies suggest that women were valued for their labor, which
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
was recognized as equal to the work of men. Both men and women foraged for food, and both participate
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
d in hunting. Other scholars theorize that even in Paleolithic society one person may have emerged as a le
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
ader, perhaps based on personal skill, and that this person was almost always a man. It is more certain tha
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
t by the Neolithic period, after the invention of plow agriculture, society became more hierarchical and m
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
en took on more of a public, elite status. Women were limited to the home or enclosed spaces, and land in
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
heritance favored men over women. Evidence for gender roles in the Neolithic period comes from later w
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
ritten traditions. br
Page | 3 br br
, 5. Answer would ideally include: br br br
• Pastoralism is the herding and raising of livestock. It requires humans to live in close contact with t
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
heir herd animals, thus exposing humans to various animal-
br br br br br br br br
borne diseases, such as smallpox. Initially, exposure to diseases may have caused higher mortality rates in
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
pastoralist societies, but over time, humans would have developed some resistance to them. Foragers wer
br br br br b r br br br br br br br br br
e not exposed to these diseases and thus did not develop any resistance to them. When a pastoralist society
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
encountered a forager society, this might have led the former to expose the latter to deadly pathogens.
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
6. Answer would ideally include: br br br
• The possession of material goods— br br br br
such as livestock, dwelling structures, plows, carts, and pots—
br br br br br br br br
indicated that some individuals had control over more labor. Labor was used to acquire material goods.
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
The more material goods one had, the more labor one controlled. This indicated status; to control labor w
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
as to have a higher status than others. Having material goods gave one the ability to acquire yet more mat
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
erial goods and to continue to acquire status. Material goods, along with land, could also constitute an in
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
heritance, and thus perpetuate status into the next generation.
br br br br br br br br
Chapter 01_Matching br
Use the following to answer questions 1-15:
br br br br br br
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in th
br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br br
e Definitions section.
br br
Terms
a. pastoralism
b. Neanderthals
c. division of labor br br
d. animism
e. social hierarchies br
f. patriarchy
g. Paleolithic era br
h. Agricultural Revolution br
g. foraging
h. shamans
Page | 4 br br
