Module 1.3

Philippine Indigenous Communities
Module 1: Peopling of the Philippines
I. CHARACTERIZE THE PALEOLITHIC PERIOD AND NEOLITHIC PERIOD.
The Paleolithic Era (or Old Stone Age) is a period of prehistorical times from about 2.6 million
years ago to around 10000 years ago. The Neolithic Era (or New Stone Age) started around
10,000 BC and ended somewhere in the range of 4500 and 2000 BC in various areas of the
world. In the Paleolithic period, there were more than one human species yet only one survived
until the Neolithic era. Paleolithic people carried on with a roaming way of life in little
gatherings. They utilized crude stone devices and their endurance relied vigorously upon their
current circumstance and environment. Neolithic people found horticulture and creature farming,
which permitted them to settle down in one region. The Mesolithic time followed the Paleolithic
era however the period of the Paleolithic — Mesolithic boundary shifts by geology by as much
as a few thousand years.
Figure 1. Shows the Comparison chart between the Paleolithic and Neolithic Period
Paleolithic Period Neolithic Period

Meaning Paleo=old; Lithic=stone. Old Stone
Neo=new; Lithic=stone. New Stone age.
age
Dwelling Mouths of caves, huts, skin tents Mud bricks supported by timber
Lifestyle Sedentary. They farmed in permanent
Nomadic; in groups of up to 50; settlements and raised/herded animals;
tribal society; hunters and gatherers agriculture was discovered and became a
major source of food; families evolved.
Tools Chipped stone, wooden weapons, polished stone tools made sharper by
light stone tools (not sharpened) grinding
Clothes Animal skins Woven garments, Animal skins
Governance Tribal society. Clan controlled by
Monarchy emerged. Military and religious
elders or the powerful (according to
leaders had authority.
age)
Economy The concept of private property and
no concept of private property ownership emerged for things such as land,
livestock and tools.
Health Neolithic people were shorter and had
lower life expectancy. Diseases like tooth
Paleolithic people were taller and cavities and typhoid emerged in the new
lived longer than Neolithic people. stone age. Neolithic women had more
children because the life style was no
longer nomadic.
Art Cave Paintings Wall Paintings
Sculpture Reindeer horn, stone, mammoth
Clay (baked), Stone
Material ivory
Main Rough stone tools; Fire Agriculture and tools with polished stones,
Discovery the plow

Food Hunted and gathered for their food They grew crops such as corn, wheat,
supply beans, etc.
Lifestyle
Paleolithic people were hunter-gatherers. They were nomads who lived in tribes and relied on
hunting, fishing and gathering wild fruits. They hunted animals like bison, mammoths, bears and
deer. Meat was a source of food and animal hide was used to make clothes. They lived in clans
of 20-30 people in caves, outdoors or in cabins made of tree branches and animal skin.
The Neolithic era began when humans discovered agriculture and raising cattle, which allowed
them to no longer have a nomadic life style. They were able to settle in fertile areas with
predictable climate, usually near river basins. Rice and wheat were the first plants they
cultivated, and the first animals to be domesticated were dogs, goats, sheep, oxen and horses.
Neolithic humans discovered how to cultivate plants and domesticate animals. They also
invented writing, pottery and weaving. The agricultural revolution in the early Neolithic era had
a profound impact on the human species. The wheel is also believed to have been invented in the
Neolithic period. Calendars and time-keeping were also invented in this era.
Health and longevity
In general, Paleolithic people were healthier than Neolithic man. Life expectancy was 35.4 years
for men and 30.0 years for women in the late Paleolithic era (30000 to 9000 BC). In the early
neolithic era (7000 to 5000 BC) this fell to 33.6 and 29.8 years, and in the late Neolithic era
(5000 to 3000 BC) fell even further to 33.1 and 29.2 years respectively. The adoption of grains in
the Neolithic era coincided with a shortening of stature, thinner bones and crooked, cavity-ridden
teeth. Another interesting physiological change was a decline in pelvic inlet depth, making
childbirth more difficult in the Neolithic era compared with the Paleolithic era. Diseases like
tooth cavities, malaria, tuberculosis and typhoid fever are first known to have occurred in the
Neolithic era.
Tools
Paleolithic tools were made of wood, stone and animal bones. Tools and weapons like harpoons,
axes, lances, choppers and awls were used. Neolithic era tools were more sophisticated. A
variety of tools were invented in the New Stone age, such as sickle blades and grinding stones
for agriculture, and pottery and bone implements for food production. Stone axes allowed
Neolithic man to clear forests, and the adze allowed him to ashioning wood for shelter, structures
and canoes. Archaeologists have also found projectile points, beads, and statuettes from this era.
Art
Paleolithic people are believed to have animistic religious beliefs. They decorated walls of their
cave dwellings with pictures of animals, including deer, bison and mammoths. They also made
small sculptures; notably Venus. The most famous prehistorical paintings are in the caves of
Altamira, in Spain, and Lascaux, in France. This kind of art, distinct from natural formations in
caves, is called cave art. Cave art has been found all over Europe, Asia and Africa. People in
paintings were depicted as stick figures. The human figure became more important in Neolithic
art, which often paints scenes with groups of people hunting, farming or dancing. Figures in
these paintings were very schematic.
Religion
Religion in the paleolithic era was not institutionalized nor was the concept well-developed.
Paleolithic people believed in animism or spirits that controlled their environment and animals
around them. Small stone statues of pregnant women may suggest worship of fertility or nature.
They usually buried their dead.
Human Species
There were several Homo species related to modern humans (including Neanderthals) during the
paleolithic era but only one - Homo sapiens sapiens - survived until the neolithic age.

Module 1.3

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Module 1.3

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Module 1.3

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Philippine Indigenous Communities

Module 1: Peopling of the Philippines

I. CHARACTERIZE THE PALEOLITHIC PERIOD AND NEOLITHIC PERIOD.

Paleolithic Period Neolithic Period

Discovery the plow

Health and longevity

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.