The Human Origin

and
Capacity for Culture
 The theory of the biological evolution was first

developed by Charles Darwin. It refers to the process by

which organisms undergo changes overtime as a result

heritable physical or behavioral trait. These changes

happened to help organisms adapt to its environment

and produce offspring. This theory explained that

organisms can survive and reproduce evolved into a

more fit, new organism. This means that all living

things, including humans, came from one living

organism.
Archaeology is the study of human

history through the excavation of sites and

the analysis of artifacts.

Paleoanthropology is the study of

human history through the fossil and

archaeological record.
 Hominids
Creatures that showed characteristics of

humans as well as apes.

 Pleistocene (3.75 million years ago)
Lucy The Australopithecus
Lucy proved that we obtained our human features

in Africa - infact, Eastern Africa, in the Afar region

of Ethiopia. Moreover, she proved that bipedal

upright walking went back as far 3.5 million years,

the proof being her pelvis. Lucy's pelvis contrasted

heavily with the pelvis of a four-legged animal like

a chimp.
Lucy The Australopithecus
 Homo Habilis
This species, one of the earliest

members of the genus Homo,

has a slightly larger braincase

and smaller face and teeth
than in Australopithecus or

older hominin species. But it

still retains some ape-like

features, including long arms

and a moderately-prognathic

face.
 Homo Erectus
are the oldest known early humans

to have possessed modern human-

like body proportions with

relatively elongated legs and

shorter arms compared to the size

of the torso. These features are

considered adaptations to a life

lived on the ground, indicating the

loss of earlier tree-climbing

adaptations, with the ability to

walk and possibly run long

distances.
 The Oldowan Industry
Stone tool industry characterized by the use of "hard

water-worn creek cobbles made out of volcanic rock"

(O'Neil, 2012)
Form of technology used in this industry allowed for the

species to butcher large animals and it improved food

gathering skills using the `hammering, digging, and

chopping implements' (O'Neil, 2012).

 Scavenging
- was a way of finding food during

times of shortage.
Following other scavengers made it easy to

find carcasses. Using stone tools made it easy

to break open bones for marrow.

Oldowan Tools
The Acheulean Industry
This industry was named after Saint Acheul, a patron

saint in southwest France, as the artifacts were

discovered in the area.

Schoolars argue that its extensive use may have been

out of Africa as Homo Erectus invented this industry

and brought it to Europe 500 000 - 900 000 years ago

and to China 800 000 years ago.

Acheulean Tool
Note how they

are worked all

over with many

small chips

removed
Homo Erectus learned

how to use and

control fire
 Homo Sapiens

500,000 years ago

the species to which all

modern human beings belong.

Homo sapiens is one of several

species grouped into the genus

Homo, but it is the only one

that is not extinct. The name

"Homo sapiens" means 'wise

man' or 'knowledgeable man'.

Homo Sapien Tools
Homo sapiens not only made

and used stone tools, they

also specialized them and

made a variety of smaller,

more complex, refined and

specialized tools including

composite stone tools,

fishhooks and harpoons,

bows and arrows, spear

throwers and sewing needles..

 Neanderthal
100,000-33,000 years ago
are our closest extinct human relative.
Some defining features of their skulls

include the large middle part of the

face, angled cheek bones, and a huge

nose for humidifying and warming

cold, dry air. Their bodies were shorter

and stockier than ours, another

adaptation to living in cold

environments. But their brains were

just as large as ours and often larger -

proportional to their brawnier bodies.

Neanderthal Tools
Neanderthals created tools for

domestic uses that are distinct

from hunting tools. Tools

included scrapers for tanning

hides, awls for punching holes

in hides to make loose-fitting

clothes, and burins for cutting

into wood and bone. Other tools

were used to sharpen spears, kill

and process animals, and

prepare foods.
 Homo Sapiens Sapiens
30,000 years ago
the first human being of the modern

type found in China. the subspecies

of Homo sapiens that consists of the

only living members of genus Homo,

modern human beings. Homo

sapiens sapiens 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.

 Chauvet Cave
20,000 years ago
The Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave in the Ardèche

department of southeastern France is a cave that

contains some of the best-preserved figurative cave

paintings in the world, as well as other evidence of

Upper Paleolithic life. The Chauvet Cave was discovered

in the Ardèche valley (in southern France) in December

1994 by three cave explorers, after removing the rumble

of stones that blocked a passage. The cave is extensive,

about 400 meters long, with vast chambers.

 Altamira Cave
17,000 years ago
The Cave of Altamira is a cave complex, located

near the historic town of Santillana del Mar in

Cantabria, Spain. It is renowned for prehistoric

parietal cave art featuring charcoal drawings

and polychrome paintings of contemporary local

fauna and human hands. The cave was

discovered in 1879.
4.5 million Before Present
Noted the first appearance of

bipedal homo. Bipedal is one of

the main human biological

evolutionary adaptation.
 2 million Before Present
Improvement of bipedal structure. A

gradual improvement of the structure

of the brain. Hunting and gathering

food culture give way to the

production of stone tools.

500, 000 Before Present

showed rapid brain growth

 200, 000 Before Present

Appearance of first Homo Sapiens and

language. Fire was also discovered.

 40, 000 Before Present

The start of modern humans with fully

developed brain and speech. Made

complex tools.
 25, 000 Before Present

Humans started to migrate. Made cave

art in Europe.
 10, 000 Before Common Era

Started the domestication of plants and

animal. Invented bow and arrow.

The Role of Culture in

Human Adaptation
The biological evolution tells us that organisms survived

and evolved into a more complex species. It is also a

catalyst for cultural evolution. It takes million years

before our species developed into what we are today. The

homo habilis, known as the handyman, created simple

tools to help them in hunting for food. The homo

continued to create more complex tools, and included art

like cave paintings, rituals, languages, and domesticate

plants and animals. In other words, early humans created

a culture to adapt to their environment. This cultural

evolution helps humans control nature and shape it to

meet their growing needs.

These are important points of cultural development that

help in human adaptation.

1. Humans are the survivors among all hominid species.
2. Human species migrated and spread all over the

world.
3. Humans built camps to serves as base for hunting and

gathering.
4. Humans created sophisticated tools.
5. Humans developed a system of language.
6. Humans created arts and symbols.
7. Human species domesticate plants and animals and

discover the system of agriculture.

The Evolution of
Human Culture
 Paleolithic, the oldstone age
▪foodHunting, fishing, and gathering of
▪▪ Gather in small group
No regular settlement
 Mesolithic, the middlestone age

▪or wood
Used small, polished stone tools and bone
▪▪ Lived serve as spears and arrow
in camps near a body of water
Agriculture was first introduced
 Neolithic, the newstone age
▪production
Started agriculture and food

▪▪ Domesticate animals
Created advance tools in

▪ Settled in plains
farming,pottery, sewing and weaving
 The Bronze Age Period
▪▪ Copper and tin alloy was discovered
Bronze, a harder metal give way to innovations like plow

▪fireplace
and the wheel
Advance architecture seen in stone walled houses with

▪▪ Villages
Textile was also invented
▪▪ An and cities were formed
organized government, law, religion started
Ancient Egyptian writing, the hieroglyphs created in

this period
 The Iron Age
▪mostTheimportant
discovery of forging iron with heatis the

▪▪ Mass discovery.
production of steel tools and weapons
More advancement in the field of architecture

▪▪ City
with bigger houses and stables.
planning was noted
▪ A more sophisticated system of writing

Advancement in agriculture, art, and religion.

including alphabets emerged
The Process of Cultural and

Sociopolitical Evolution of

Humans
In our society, there are two distinct social roles. First are

the working or creative roles. These are the

entrepreneurs, artists and crafts people, scientists, and

other important workers and professionals. These people

are responsible for the continuation and development of

culture. The second is the maintenance role whose main

responsibility is to maintain the social traditions and

structure. These are the government officials, politicians,

priests, and leaders of different institutions. The

relationship of these two roles is crucial in cultural and

sociopolitical evolution.

Curtural Structure Sociopolitical Structure

Composed of groups offamilies

Hunting and gathering lifestyle

Characterized by egalitarian
that cooperatedwith each other
culture, where everyone worked
Strict gender roles, wheremen

to survive. nobody hada higher

hunted and fishedwhile women

Bands status or more political power gatheredfruits, roots, and seeds

Typically believed in magic,
Egalitarian, where noperson

he/she can directly affect others,

had any significantpolitical

either for good or for ill power or higherstatus or

exempted fromdaily work


Curtural Structure Sociopolitical Structure

More complex whichconsisted of

The plain tribes, hunted bigger

multiple subgroups or clans with

animals and depended mostly on

separate duties
horticulture where women tended

Assigned chief or council of leaders

gardens with simple digging tools

who canrecommend a course

Tribes while men continued to hunt

ofaction and decisions.
Gradual transition from belief in

With the women producing

animistic spirits to belief in godsin

majority of the food supply, society

heaven
became matriarchal

Curtural Structure Sociopolitical Structure

Characterized by
Specialization in labor with a

excess of food
leader, a chief who take charge in

there distribution of wealth

production Chief is well taken care off, all

Chiefdoms Large and permanent

needs were provided.
Chiefdoms was hierarchal with its

population who lived

power secured not by laws but

in a diverse
through loyalty gained from the

environment. process of redistributing wealth


Curtural Structure Sociopolitical Structure

Built great buildings and

Large and complex

temples, cities arebuilt

chiefdoms, known as city-

around these temples

states
Divine Involved in idol-making

See their leaders as living

Kingdom whom they worship asgod

gods who’s responsible for

which made Clay

prosperity, health and

figurines common in this

security of their kingdom

age

Curtural Structure Sociopolitical Structure

Men switched from

Social relation focused on the basic

production of goods, which is farming, men

hunting to farming making

started to dominate government, religion, and

them the heads of the

politics, while women dominate the area of

household family and home.

Agricultural
Distinct specialization and classes- military,

People began to see

clergy and government were created
State themselves through the
State government own the exclusive right to

eyes of their culture and

use force through police and military power
With the military power, states were able to

conform to society’s
conquer and expand beginning the era of

standards and expectations colonialism


Curtural Structure Sociopolitical Structure

The age of manufacturing

and advance technology

Organized system of

Industrial Integration of culture government

State
Characterized by the shift
Worldwide integration
(modern
of perception, where people
Men and women worked
are more concentrated on
again as equals, side by

world)
their destinations rather

side in factories and offices

than the journey
There is no doubt that our culture, society, and politics

undergo rapid changes and development. Even from

the beginning, human beings always looked for ways

to understand the world by creating tools, forming

groups, and establishing religion and government. It

has been noted that as the brain of the early humans

developed, their way of doing things also developed.

This we can presume that our culture is the result of

humans' conscious thinking and many of its cultural

activity is the result of humans' struggle to adapt to

his environment.
 The importance of knowing

the human origin

Knowing where we came from helps us understand the

world in which we now live; it informs us of our purpose

and becomes a filter through which we see daily life. Our

perspective of how man came to be is an important

influence on our worldview - our view of the world that

comes to be out of religion, historical influence, and motive.

It helps us to understand who we are, what we do, and

where we fit in as humans. Looking at how Homo sapiens

came to be, as well as considering our hominid and primate

ancestors, tells an important part of the story of evolution.