Posted by Chester Morton / Friday, 28 April 2017 / No comments
The reasons for the migration of the African stone aged man from the Savannah to the rainforest
Introduction
The Stone Age refers to the periods before the discovery of
metal. It has been demarcated into the Early, Middle and Late Stone Age
periods.
In the Early Stone Age period, the main tools of man were simple. They chipped off flakes from pebbles to form a sharp object which they then used to chop off or cut things. The tools were used by the people classified as Hom* habilis.
In the Middle Aged period, the tools were made from bones instead of pebbles. These tools were used by the people classified as Hom* sapiens. Then in the Late Stone Age period, the tools became more advanced. They produced tools like needles and fish-hooks and were used by the type of men classified as Hom* sapiens sapiens.
In the Early Stone Age period, the main tools of man were simple. They chipped off flakes from pebbles to form a sharp object which they then used to chop off or cut things. The tools were used by the people classified as Hom* habilis.
In the Middle Aged period, the tools were made from bones instead of pebbles. These tools were used by the people classified as Hom* sapiens. Then in the Late Stone Age period, the tools became more advanced. They produced tools like needles and fish-hooks and were used by the type of men classified as Hom* sapiens sapiens.
Then the Stone Aged man decided to move into the forest away
from the Savannah that he had hitherto occupied. Several reasons have been
adduced for this move.
Improved tool-making skills
One of the reasons why the Stone Aged man moved into the
forest was that he had developed better tools than he hitherto had. He had, at
this stage, developed harpoons and needles. With this development, the Stone
Aged man felt he was equal to the dangers that might be entailed in the forest
and beyond.
The discovery of fire
The Stone Aged man made a great discovery that made a great
improvement on his life. He developed the art of making fire. The man knew that
he could use the fire to cook his food to make it tastier. He also realized
that he could use the fire as a weapon to ward off any dangers that the forest
might present. All these enhanced his confidence to venture into the forest.
The Savannah became dryer
The Savannah, in which the Stone Aged man was hitherto
surviving, had dried up because of inadequate rainfall. This state of affairs
did not allow for the easy production of adequate food to feed the people,
hence the need to move into the forest.
Depleted source of protein, fruits and nuts
The dryness of the Savannah also led to the reduction in the
game they hunted for food. There were fewer animals remaining in the Savannah
since most had migrated into the forest to escape the harsh conditions there.
Also, fewer fruits and nuts were available. So the Stone Aged man was compelled
to move into the forest.
Courage to penetrate the forest
As the amount of rainfall reduced over the years, the
thickness of the forest had also reduce over time. The forest, which was dense and
therefore very difficult to penetrate, gave way to a more sparse forest and
therefore, now easy to enter. His courage may also have been boosted by the
type of tools he had been able to make now and with this he felt he could face
any dangers the forest might present to him.
Need for a better land
The reduction in the amount of rainfall also caused a
reduction in the amount of food that could be produced. The land also had
become poor in the Savannah. At this stage, man was only producing food to feed
the immediate family so the reduction in food production meant that he could
not adequately feed his family anymore. This also compelled the man to move
into the woodlands to look for better lands to cultivate to feed his family.
SAMPLE QUESTION(S)
1. Outline six reasons why the Stone Aged man moved from the
Savannah into the forest zone.
