CHAPTER 2: EARLY MAN - KCSE HISTORY & GOVERNMENT NOTES

PREVIOUS: INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT

Theories that explains the origin of man 

1. The creation theory
2. The mythical/traditional theory
3. The evolution theory  

Was put forward by Charles Darwin in 1859. In his book “the origin of species by means of natural selection. He argues that plants and animals evolved from simple life form to complex organisms that occurred slowly over millions of years ago through

• Mutations
• Natural selection
• Environmental adaptation
• Isolation

He noted the following important points

1. All organisms of  creatures uniquely different and this uniqueness is based on hereditary factors which the organisms has from birth 
2.  Although many young organisms are produced,  few manage to develop to maturity
3. Those who manage adapt to the existing environment
4. Only the fittest organisms could survive as the weak species become extinct.
5. Having now survived all the states the species may be isolated from the rest. Through adaptation to the new environment and this may take on a significantly different physical form

The archaeologists have proved that Africa was the cradle of mankind and particularly east Africa. From Africa human beings spread to other parts of the world. They adapted in the environment of different areas bringing about race differentiation  

​The creation theory

• In the book of genesis it is written that God created the universe and all the living creatures including man, six day
• God created man and woman in his own image
• He blessed them and told them to reproduce and fill the earth

Mythical theory

• Most African community has myths of origin whose main points are that the first people were created by God.

The evolution theory

Why Africa is considered the cradle of man    ​

1. There are numerous archeological sites on the continent where early fossils that resemble man has been found
2. The savannah grasslands provided space for early man to effectively hunt and gather his food
3. The tropical climate was suitable for early man’s existence for it was warm throughout the year
4. There were many all seasons rivers that provided fresh water and trapping for wild animals
5. Geographically Africa was at the centre of the Pangaea which made it possible for all early ape-like creatures to move to other regions during the continental drift.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL sites in east Africa   ​

​Uganda

Pre-historic sites in Kenya

• Rusinga
• Kanjera 
• Njoro river caves
• Olorgesile
• Hyrax hills
• Fort tenan
• Kariandusi
• Gamble caves
• Koobi fora
• Kanapoi
• Alla bay
• lokalelei

​Tanzania

• garusi
• apis rock
• ngorera caves
• eyasi
• olduvai gorge
• isimila
• peninj
• laefoli

• nsongezi
• nyero
• magosi
• paraa
• napak
• ishanga
• nyabusora
• mweya 

​Ethiopia

• omo river valley
• hadar
• afar  depression 

​South Africa

• skerkfontein
• kromaruai
• swartkrans
• maka pansgat

Stages trough which man evolved 

1. Aegyptopithecus
2. Dryopithecus africanas (proconsul)
3. Kenyapithecus (ramapithecus)
4. Australopithecus
5. Homo habilis
6. Homo erectus
7. Homo sapiens
8. Homo sapiens sapiens

​Aegyopithecus (egyptophicus) 

• He was an ape like skull found in the faiyum depression in Egypt
• He means an Egyptian shape
• The teeth was closer to that of a herbivore 

Features 

• He was small about 4 kgs
• He lived in the forest and looked like a monkey
• Had stereoscopic vision (sharp)
• He had enclosed eye sockets
• He had 32 teeth
• Had a tail
• Walked on four limbs
• Used his hand to swing from one tree to the other 

​Drypithecus africunus (proconsul)

• The skull was found at Rusinga Island in Lake Victoria
• He lived in the east African forests
• He lived between 20-25 million years ago

Characteristics ​

• He moved on all four limbs
• He was small in size and looked like a chimpanzee
• He had long teeth
• He had a smooth forehead

​Ramapithecus / kenyapithecus / woodland ape

• The skull was discovered at fort tenan near kericho by Louis Leakey in 1961
• He lived between 12-14 million years ago
• He lived in open savannah 

Characteristics

• ​He had 32 teeth and he had smaller canines than earlier apes
• He had a brain size of 400cc
• He had massive jaws
•  He weighed between 18-36 kgs
• He occasionally walked one two legs

​ Australopithecus / zinjanthropus / southern ape

• He lived between 1-7 million years ago
• The skull was first discovered at taung in Botswana in 1924
• Dr Louis and Mary Leakey discovered similar fossils at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania and Lake Turkana in 1959
• Similar fossils were found in omo valley and hadar in Ethiopia

​ Types of austropithecus

Australopithecus anamensis

• This is the latest fossil found at kanapoi and allia bay of Lake Turkana by dr meave Leakey

Australopithecus afarensis

• Lived between 4-3 million ago It was found at afarensis afar depression (hence it name)

Australopithecus africanus

• It was found at koobi fora and taungi makapansgat bterkfontaini in South Africa

Austropithecus robustus/ bosei

• Found in South Africa
• East Africa at olduvai gorge in Tanzania and was called the bosei.
• Also called zinjantropus

Characteristics

• Walked on two legs
• He was hairy, short and strong
• He has a low forehead and deep-set eyes
• His brain capacity was 450-550cc
• They had sharp vision
• They had massive jaws with large molars and smaller canines
• They did not make tools

Homo habilis

• Homo means man habilis means ability. It means man with ability
• He was the first species of man
• His remains were discovered by Jonathan Leakey at Olduvai Gorge in 1964

​ Characteristics

• He developed elementary speech
• His brain capacity was between 500-800cc
• He was a tool maker (oldowan)
• He developed the thumb
• He was about 1.8 m in height
• His skull was shaped like modern man
• His teeth were in the same position on the jaws as ours

​ Homo erectus

• The word means upright man
• His remain were found at afar triangle, hadar valley in Ethiopia and Lake Victoria region

​​ Characteristics

• They walked in an upright posture
• They had a more advanced speech than his predecessors
• He was 5 feet tall 
• He had a brain capacity of between 775-1250cc
• They were the first people to use fire
• They were omnivorous
• He made more advanced tools (Acheulian)

Homo sapiens

• It means thinking man or intelligent man
• His remains were found near Lake Turkana, kanjera, omo valley and Lake Victoria

​Types of Homo sapiens

The Rhodesian man

• Was discovered in modern Zambia hence the name Rhodesian man

Neanderthal man 

• Was found in the neander valley in German in 1856
• He was heavily built, with a thick skull, broad shoulders and eyebrows like an ape
• He was a nomad gathering and hunting deer, wild pigs and wild sheep
• Other remains were found in Asia and other parts of Europe e.g. France, Belgium, gilbraitar, Italy and former Yugoslavia

Cro-magnon man

• He cooked with fire and made improved tools
• He was hunter-gatherer, painter and lived in caves

Characteristics

• He was about six feet tall
• He had long straight legs for swift movement
• He had small teeth with a steep was round four head
• He was a fisherman
• He was a religious  
• He made tools that were refined (microliths)

Homo sapiens sapiens

• Modern man
• He lived from 10000 years ago

Characteristics 

• He is curious. Intelligent and plans ahead
• He made boats
• He developed agriculture
• He has a brain capacity of about 1400
• He lived in settlements
• He has invented which have made life more

​The culture of early man and economic practices

Culture refers to the way of life a people. It is understood through the study of the stone age of Paleolithic periods.
This periods includes:

• Old Stone Age
• Middle Stone Age
• New Stone Age 

Old Stone Age/ early / lower Paleolithic tools and weapons   

• ​Stone Age refers to a period in time when man widely used stone as materials to make tools, weapons and artifacts
• These tools are found at Olduvai Gorge, koobi fora, omo valley in Uganda and kariandusi in Kenya
• The tools are associated with Homo habilis and austalopithecus. They are referred to as oldwan or peeble tools
• They represent the first phase of Old Stone Age
•  Other tools were at acheul valley in France and are known as Acheulian tools

They are associated with Homo erectus and represent the second phase of Stone age. They include:

• Fist hatchet
• Hand axes
• Knives
• Scrappers
• Spear heads
• Arrow heads
• Clubs

Use of stone tools

• Cutting meat and vegetables
• Grinding tough vegetables  
• Skinning animals
• Digging roots
• Scrapping skins
• Sharpening
• Defense and hunting

Houses and food 

• They sheltered in stone caves during the day and at night they slept on trees to avoid animal attacks
• They ate raw meat, fruits, vegetables, eggs, insects and roots

Climate and clothes

• The climate is coldest than it is now
• Man had hairy body and didn’t wear clothes

Social life

• They lived in small groups of about 20-30 people. They had small families
• Man used gestures growling and whistling to communicate
• There was division of labour as women were involved in gathering and men hunted animals

Hunting methods used during the Old Stone Age

• Chasing and throwing stone and spears at the animals
• Digging large on the paths through which animals went to drink water and covering the pit with delicate stones and grass
• Chasing animals over steep cliffs and forcing them to fall over and break their limbs
• Driving the animals in the swampy areas where they stuck
• Waiting for animals near watering points
• Man killed animals that were injured by others 

​Middle Stone Age period / middle paleolithic 

Tools and weapons

• The period is associated with Homo erectus who continued to use smaller, thinner, lighter and sharper tools known as Acheulian
• He used wood together with stone and this reduced the weight and size of tools
• Some of these tools were named sango bay of Lake Victoria and were named sangoan

Climate and clothing / food

• It become warmer leading to heavier rainfall
• They ate meat. He also ate vegetables, fruits, insects, eggs and fish
• He cooked his food
• Man started wearing animal skin, necklaces and he his body with red ochre and oil
• He made waist belts using skins     

Shelter

• Man started living in cares and rock even at night
• The entrance of the cave was covered to keep out wind and rain
• At night they kept fire burning at the entrance of the care to scare away wilds

Social life/language

• They lived in groups of 50 people had a leader
• They helped each other in times of hardship
• They moved in groups for security reasons
• They developed a language of communication which strengthened their social bonds
• They used clicks and grants

Rock art/ painting

• Man painting pictures of the animals he with arrow piercing them would their hunting expectations great rules
• Cave painting also shows a keen observation of life
• They painted to decorate their caves
• Cave painting helped to develop mans writing skills
• Man preserved his cultural heritage through painting

​Invention of fire 

• Man learnt to make and use fire

How fire changed man’s way of life

• Warming himself during the cold nights
• The flames of fire gave him light
• Fire provided man with protection by keeping away dangerous animals at night
• He used fire to cook and soften his food
• Fire was used to harden the tips of his tools
• He used fire to hunt by scaring wild animals towards muddy or swampy areas at night
• He used fire to preserve his food e.g. meat and fish by drying it
• Fire was used as means of communication
• Fire made it possible for man to move out of the warm savannah to other cold parts of the world 

​New Stone Age – upper PALEOLITHIC 

Tools and weapons

• They are associated with Homo sapiens
• The types of tools were known as microliths. They were very small.
• The tools were found in qadan site in the Nile valley and gamble caves in Kenya

They includes

• Daggers
• Fishing harpoons
• Saw blades
• Knives
• Arrow heads
• Bone needles
• Bows and arrows 

Shelter /clothing /social life

• He lived in rock shelters
• He built hut using sticks, mud, grass and trees branches  
• People lived in groups of up to 1000 members
• Man developed speech or spoken language
• Man wore clothes made from animal skins, fibres and barks of trees
• He decorated his body using red ochre and beads

Art and craft 

• Man continued painting animal and hunting scenes and other designs
• Man learnt to make rough baskets and pots

Religion and government

• Man started performing rites and ceremonies to influence natural forces e.g. rain drought and death
• He started burying the dead with some of their tools and possessions showing man believed in life after death
• Man developed a way of maintaining law and order where he lived and this was the beginning of government

Agriculture and trade

• Man started growing crops and keeping animals
• With development of agriculture there was surplus food which man exchanged with what he lacked leading to development of trade 

CHAPTER 3: DEVELOPMENT OF AGR. AND ANIMAL DOMESTIFICATION