নিম্ন পুরাপ্রস্তর যুগ
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| Oldowan Tools |
.jpg "Acheulian Hand Axe") |
| Acheulian Hand Axe |
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| Clactonian Hand Axe |
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| Levallosian Hand Axe |
হোমো ইরেক্টাসরা আগুনের ব্যবহারও আয়ত্ত্ব করেছিল। বাসস্থান গরম রাখা, আক্রমণকারী হিংস্র পশুদের তাড়াতে এবং মাংস ঝলসাতে আগুনের ব্যবহার হত। বেইজিং এর কাছে উত্তর চিনের ঝৌকোদিয়েনে যে নিম্ন পুরাপ্রস্তর যুগীয় (আজ থেকে প্রায় ৫০,০০০ বছর পুরানো) প্রত্নক্ষেত্রটি রয়েছে সেখানে মানুষের আগুন ব্যবহারের চিহ্ন পাওয়া গেছে। এছাড়া ইংল্যান্ডের হক্সনে এবং স্পেনের টোরালবাতেও আগুনের ব্যবহার ছিল।
সুতরাং নিম্ন পুরাপ্রস্তর যুগে প্রস্তরায়ুধ নির্মাণের মাধ্যমে মানব সভ্যতার জয়যাত্রা সূচিত হয়েছিল। প্রারম্ভিক মানব প্রজাতি যেমন হোমো হ্যাবিলিস এবং হোমো ইরেক্টাস শুধু আয়ুধ নির্মাণ প্রযুক্তিতেই উন্নতি করেনি, তারা সামাজিক যোগাযোগ স্থাপন এবং আগুন ব্যবহারে দক্ষতা অর্জন করেছিল। এই উদ্ভাবনগুলি পরবর্তী মানব অগ্রগতি এবং সাংস্কৃতিক বিবর্তনের ভিত্তি স্থাপন করেছিল।
Lower Paleolithic Age
The Lithic Age is the earliest phase of human prehistory. During this period, humans first mastered the creation and use of tools, most of which were made of stone. Hence, this era is called the Stone Age or Lithic Age. Based on the development of tool-making culture and socio-economic growth, the Stone Age is mainly divided into three periods: the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic. The Paleolithic Age is further divided into three stages: Lower Paleolithic, Middle Paleolithic, and Upper Paleolithic. The Lower Paleolithic period began approximately 2.5 million years ago. Although Australopithecus Robustus first used tools, the consistent tool-making tradition is observed with the more advanced species, Homo habilis. Nicholas Toth demonstrated that tool-making required not only the use of both hands but also deep concentration, imagination and coordination of various parts of the body (limbs, eye, finger), which was possible due to the larger brain (800 cc) of Homo habilis. The earliest tools were at a very rudimentary level of technology, gradually becoming more advanced over time.
The Oldowan culture marks the beginning of the Paleolithic Age. This culture was discovered in the Olduvai Gorge area of Tanzania, primarily by Louis Leakey and Mary Leakey. It is uncertain who exactly created and used the Oldowan tools. Initially, it was thought that the early Homo species were the creators of this culture, but recent research suggests that both the late species of Australopithecus and early Homo species were the makers and users of Oldowan tools. These tools were mainly used for cutting plants, cracking nuts, digging, cutting meat, or collecting honey. Generally, they consumed plant-based foods and occasionally hunted small animals. Homo habilis often scavenged the remains of animals hunted by other predators. Some Oldowan tools were used for skinning and extracting marrow from bones. Therefore, in the early phase of the Lower Paleolithic period, humans were more scavengers than hunters. A question has arisen about the evidence of meat consumption with Oldowan tools, but recent paleontological and archaeological studies have shown that animal fossils from 1.5 to 2 million years ago bear marks of tool-induced cuts, confirming early human meat consumption.
Homo erectus, with a larger brain capacity (1000 cc) compared to Homo habilis, appeared around 1.5 million years ago. Originating in Africa, they gradually spread to various parts of Asia and Europe. The advent of Homo erectus led to significant advancements in tool-making technology. Among their tools, the most notable was the hand axe, shaped like a teardrop, with one end pointed and the other broad for gripping. The hand axe, large and heavy, is known in archaeology as a "core tool." J. Desmond Clarke described the hand axe as "an all-purpose skinning tool and meat chopper." With the development of hand axes, humans became capable of hunting large animals. Recent research also indicates that Homo erectus used smaller tools, known as flake tools. Evidence from archaeological sites in the Far East shows the absence of hand axes but the presence of small chopper-like tools. Different types of hand axes, like turtle-shaped and round ones, were found in Northern Europe and England, respectively, associated with the Clactonian and Levalloisian cultures.
The Homo erectus culture is known as the Acheulian culture. The first discovery of hand axes in St. Acheul, northern France, led to this naming convention in archaeology. Acheulian tools have been found in various parts of Europe, Western Asia, and South Asia, including India. Acheulian people hunted large animals; for instance, evidence from the Torralba site in Spain shows they hunted and consumed elephants. They likely used traps and then killed the animals with hand axes.
Homo erectus' most significant advantage was their larger brain, capable of storing more information. This enabled them to master complex tool-making technologies and pass them down through generations. Fascinatingly, wherever Homo erectus migrated, they carried the hand axe technology, maintaining a relatively consistent technique, barring a few exceptions. Such technological transmission would not have been possible without substantial social bonds and communication methods.
Homo erectus also mastered the use of fire. Fire was used to keep their dwellings warm, ward off predators, and roast meat. Evidence of fire usage by early humans, dating back approximately 500,000 years, has been found at a Lower Paleolithic site near Zhoukoudian in northern China. Other sites in England's Hoxne and Spain's Torralba also show signs of fire use.
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