Chapter 1 part 2

The second section of chapter one addresses the cogs of early society. Mainly lamenting how important kinship and togetherness was for the earliest groups. An important historical date of note however is around 70,000 years ago a massive volcanic eruption greatly changed the climate of earth and almost led to a near extinction, leaving human kind around 10 thousand. However the small societies were able to adapt,survive and even thrive enough to create a positive population growth to have half a million people by 30,000 years ago. These groups lived active and nomadic lives, living off of seasonal plants, berries and game. In a study done on the direct ancestral descendants of these groups, the San people showed, that their society was not plagued by the double standards of gender, felt in the modern sphere. As the women provided 70% of the food by way of gathering, which creates no room for a double standard favoring men. This division of labor/ equality then showed itself in every facet of the society, from marriage, to puberty, showing that early man may have been more evolved than us in someways. However the key thing to understand about early pre-farming cultures was that they lived in unison with the land, moving and eating with the other migratory animals.

Following what we now know to be a warming period on earth, the flora and fauna of earth were able to expand their territories greater. The warming also allowed for regions to have year round foods, allowing some groups to establish the first villages. With this invention also comes the invention of storing and accumulating goods, and thus the first established economy.This also allowed for an agricultural revolution to take place, as man learned to domesticate grains, and animals. This allowed for not just villages but permanent settlements to be founded. With settlements and permanence also comes the idea roles, and caste, as families would inherit farms, or herds. This shows itself time and time again, as across the world early settlements point to similar "ah hah" moments in agriculture that shaped the regions.

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