Science and Western Civilization Part a Paleolithic

Science and Western Civilization

Part a Paleolithic Era (Old Stone Age): 135,000 years ago

The culture and society of the Paleolithic Era was based on hunter-gathering. This is when men and women worked together to survive by foraging for food. The way that this was accomplished was through a nomadic existence. In most places, different groups of people would follow the migration patterns of animals (by constantly moving around). (McClellan, 2006, pp. 5 -- 16) (Hodges, 2004) (Hodges, 2012)

However, as time went by science and technology enabled more people to spread out in various regions. Moreover, there were advanced tools (i.e. spears and fire) that helped to improve hunting technique. This caused society to change with more people using the new technology to increase their lifestyle. (McClellan, 2006, pp. 5 -- 16) (Hodges, 2004) (Hodges, 2012)

The way these issues are relevant in today's society is to illustrate the development of humankind throughout the centuries. This occurred with a series of changes in the weather and migratory patterns of the other animals. The combination of these factors forced humans to shift how they were living their daily lives. (McClellan, 2006, pp. 5 -- 16) (Hodges, 2004) (Hodges, 2012)

For example, the Ice Age made it more difficult for people to sustain themselves in one region. To address these challenges, everyone started moving to other areas that had more to offer (i.e. Africa, Asia, Australia and North America). This formed the basic foundation of various tribes and ethnic groups. To this day many of the descendants of these individuals live in areas that were once settled by their ancestors 10 thousand years ago. As a result, this impacts contemporary society by highlighting who has the rightful ownership to the land and natural resources inside specific regions. (McClellan, 2006, pp. 5 -- 16) (Hodges, 2004) (Hodges, 2012)

Part B Early Neolithic Era (New Stone Age): 12,000 years ago

In the Neolithic Era there was a focus on humans organizing themselves on the local level. This was accomplished through groups of people establishing various cities and towns. During this process, there was less of emphasis on using hunter-gathering techniques. Instead, everyone became involved in farming and established permanent settlements. (McClellan, 2006, pp. 5 -- 16) (Hodges, 2004) (Hodges, 2012)

Technology had a major impact on history by creating tools and weapons which allowed everyone to change their lifestyle. For example, the timeframe from: 10,000 BC to 2,300 BC invited shifts in the way people were able to hunt and farm. This occurred based on technological innovations with: the development of bronze and sharp knives. Moreover, the tremendous advancements in engineering improved the ability of planners to design and create a variety of structures. These different elements lead to innovations such as: fortified cities (which were protected by armies using copper and other metal tools). This made them more lethal and capable of defending the city against possible attackers. Once this occurred, is when various nations and cities states began to emerge (which ultimately resulted in development of different empires). (McClellan, 2006, pp. 5 -- 16) (Hodges, 2004) (Hodges, 2012)