BEGINNING WITH FIRE... 500000BC
For long forest fires, thunderstorms, and floods have caused devastation on earth. Man has tried to bring these forces under control. But human beings succeeded in "domesticating" fire quite early. They learned how to light a fire and how to keep it going. At first the flames were use for warmth, protection from wild animals and for preparing food. Later it was used to produce ceramic vessels, weapons, and jewelry.
In Africa as early as 1,500,000 to 1,400,000 BC, man's ancestors made use of brush fires. In the early Pleistocene era (730,000 to 200,000 BC) prehistoric man searched for natural fires since it was not then known how to create fire. Natural fires were caused by lightning and man carefully kept them burning when found. Towards the end of the mid-Pleistocene era(200,000 to 600,000 BC) it was discovered how to light a fire to cook food, There were evidence to this on prehistoric sites.
The Neanderthal man (60,300 to 40,300 BC) built carefully guarding camp fires. Fire radically changed the life of prehistoric people by providing protection, warmth, and nourishment. For instance, fire was used to thaw animal carcasses from their store rooms. When the nomadic lifestyle was abandoned for a settled one, new applications for fire were discovered, such as making clearings for cultivation.
Magical powers were ascribed to fire when people were still living in caves. Fire was considered a living being, one that had to be pacified with burnt offerings. Later civilizations gave names to their gods of fire, such as Prometheus. The guardian of the holy flame was highly respected. The ancient Romans worshiped Vesta as the goddess of the hearth. The eternal flame burning in the inner shrine was tended by "Vestal Virgins", young women whose lives were dedicated to Vesta and who were punished by death if unchaste. Though the man has brought the fire under his control, nature does not surrender control even today. Environmental pollution has led to climate changes, with the weather becoming hotter and drier. This in turn results in natural calamities such as forest fires.
Counting Numbers Has Begun 30000BC
Early numbers used the tally system of notation and these early "natural" numbers laid the foundation for the "whole" numbers 1, 2, 3... There were evidence that Stone Age hunters during 30,000 BC carved a notch in a bone or piece of wood for each animal they had killed in order to keep a record in a method of counting in groups. This method of counting already points to the fundamental system of counting by the aid of body parts, normally the fingers. The decimal system of today is probably based on this method. Adding the toes created an alternative counting system based on 20 that was used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Persians. Many paintings and carvings discovered in Egypt depict people counting numbers by different movements of the fingers.
The Sumerians and Babylonians discovered the number "0". Their numerical system was based on the number 60, the origin of the division of the circle into 360 degrees and the second-minute-hour system. The development of numbers is closely linked with that of the alphabet, since people also wanted to record the description of what they were counting, such as slaves or coins. The naming of cardinal number lead to the definition of further numbers when put together: five and ten make fifteen: etc. This avoided the need for an endless number of terms for designating numbers and resulted in endless number variations.
As per numerology, this 'science of numbers' developed at the same time as the number system. Many people believe even today that certain numbers are endowed with magical powers. This superstition was widespread during antiquity, particularly in Byzantium. For instance, people would try to tell the sex of an unborn child or the date of death by using numerology. They believed that the numbers 30, 12, and 7 had important cosmic significance, So much so that hotels stopped using number 13 and painted 14 immediately after number 12.
The origin of Arabic numerals is interesting. The most important characteristic of these numerals is the use of zero as a number and the numerical value is determined by the position of the numbers. The Arabic numerals are probably originated from India. Detail of the cave paintings of Lascaux. In order to keep a count of the animals killed, the stone Age hunters developed a simple counting system of notches.
The bow and arrow are among the most important long range weapons ever invented; only disappearing when firearms appeared. The bow and arrow was used for thousands of years for hunting or in war. During the Paleolithic era (30,000-20,000 BC), for the first time hunters began throwing their spears from a distance instead of just using them in close combat. As an extension of this technique a small spear, an arrow released from a tensioned bow, was considerably faster and more effective than a spear. Hunters and warriors could hit their prey or their enemy from distance using the bow and arrow. During the Mesolithic era hunters "sharpened" their arrows by attaching points made of small pieces of flint or the thorns of plants.
Usually the bows were made from elm wood and were between five and six ft long. Cave paintings in Spain and Southern France depict hunting scenes with hunters using using a bow and arrow. Unfortunately none of the early time bow and arrow has survived, since being made of wood they rotted long ago. However today there is indirect evidence of their use in the rectangular stone guard plate with rounded corners used to protect the arm from the snap of the bowstring when it was released.
"Otzi," the mummified corpse discovered on a glacier in the Otzi valley, gave scientists further information on the use of bow and arrow during the transitional period from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age (3350-3100 BC). In a quiver made from chamois skin the "man from Similaun" had two arrows ready to shoot, still showing traces of feathers, as well as 12 tubular shafts measuring 33-34 in length. The feathers were fitted to the notches for attaching the string had been made.
The wall paintings in Tutankhamun's tomb (c. 1325 BC) in Egypt, were decorated with illustrations of an elegant composite bow, a quiver, and leather arm protection. The devotion behind these beautiful illustrations explains the importance bow and arrow use to enjoy.
Mesopotamia was the country between two rivers. People depended on agriculture and animal husbandry. Fields and plants, animals and humans, all needed water. The water supply in its turn was dependent on the natural lie of the land in the populated areas. As rain clouds tend to catch on the mountain peaks and release their rain generally, there is more water to be found in mountainous regions. The plains tend to b drier, especially if there are few rivers. Even at the edges of the river banks, agriculture still has to struggle with the problems of wet marshland and regular flooding. In large areas of Mesopotamia it rained only occasionally, so that agriculture would have been unable to feed the population. However, the inhabitants adapted to the situation and leaned to plant and utilize plants that could cope with dry conditions.
The early Mesopotamians established fields close to the rivers and developed plows that were suitable for the kind of soil found there. The early Mesopotamians dug irrigation ditches. By filling them in and digging them again when necessary, they regulated the water supply. This way thy regulated the water supply. In areas where the soil was sandier and the water drained away more quickly, the workers lined their canals with masonry or stone slab. To store water, thy also built dams, aqueducts, wells, and cisterns.
The Mesopotamians had a large administrative system to take car of irrigation canals. To Irrigate their fields thy needed strict organization and the matter of water supply often stained social relations between neighboring villages. The struggle for water sometimes ended in war. Nevertheless, the advantages outweighed such negative side-effects. Their various techniques for distributing water enabled the Mesopotamians to harvest a surplus resulting in the rise of the first advanced civilizations there.
The Sumerians and Babylonians discovered the number "0". Their numerical system was based on the number 60, the origin of the division of the circle into 360 degrees and the second-minute-hour system. The development of numbers is closely linked with that of the alphabet, since people also wanted to record the description of what they were counting, such as slaves or coins. The naming of cardinal number lead to the definition of further numbers when put together: five and ten make fifteen: etc. This avoided the need for an endless number of terms for designating numbers and resulted in endless number variations.
As per numerology, this 'science of numbers' developed at the same time as the number system. Many people believe even today that certain numbers are endowed with magical powers. This superstition was widespread during antiquity, particularly in Byzantium. For instance, people would try to tell the sex of an unborn child or the date of death by using numerology. They believed that the numbers 30, 12, and 7 had important cosmic significance, So much so that hotels stopped using number 13 and painted 14 immediately after number 12.
The origin of Arabic numerals is interesting. The most important characteristic of these numerals is the use of zero as a number and the numerical value is determined by the position of the numbers. The Arabic numerals are probably originated from India. Detail of the cave paintings of Lascaux. In order to keep a count of the animals killed, the stone Age hunters developed a simple counting system of notches.
BOW & ARROW:WAR AND FOOD 30000BC
The bow and arrow are among the most important long range weapons ever invented; only disappearing when firearms appeared. The bow and arrow was used for thousands of years for hunting or in war. During the Paleolithic era (30,000-20,000 BC), for the first time hunters began throwing their spears from a distance instead of just using them in close combat. As an extension of this technique a small spear, an arrow released from a tensioned bow, was considerably faster and more effective than a spear. Hunters and warriors could hit their prey or their enemy from distance using the bow and arrow. During the Mesolithic era hunters "sharpened" their arrows by attaching points made of small pieces of flint or the thorns of plants.
Usually the bows were made from elm wood and were between five and six ft long. Cave paintings in Spain and Southern France depict hunting scenes with hunters using using a bow and arrow. Unfortunately none of the early time bow and arrow has survived, since being made of wood they rotted long ago. However today there is indirect evidence of their use in the rectangular stone guard plate with rounded corners used to protect the arm from the snap of the bowstring when it was released.
"Otzi," the mummified corpse discovered on a glacier in the Otzi valley, gave scientists further information on the use of bow and arrow during the transitional period from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age (3350-3100 BC). In a quiver made from chamois skin the "man from Similaun" had two arrows ready to shoot, still showing traces of feathers, as well as 12 tubular shafts measuring 33-34 in length. The feathers were fitted to the notches for attaching the string had been made.
The wall paintings in Tutankhamun's tomb (c. 1325 BC) in Egypt, were decorated with illustrations of an elegant composite bow, a quiver, and leather arm protection. The devotion behind these beautiful illustrations explains the importance bow and arrow use to enjoy.
IRRIGATION LUSH FIELDS IN SPITE OF DROUGHT 6000BC
Mesopotamia was the country between two rivers. People depended on agriculture and animal husbandry. Fields and plants, animals and humans, all needed water. The water supply in its turn was dependent on the natural lie of the land in the populated areas. As rain clouds tend to catch on the mountain peaks and release their rain generally, there is more water to be found in mountainous regions. The plains tend to b drier, especially if there are few rivers. Even at the edges of the river banks, agriculture still has to struggle with the problems of wet marshland and regular flooding. In large areas of Mesopotamia it rained only occasionally, so that agriculture would have been unable to feed the population. However, the inhabitants adapted to the situation and leaned to plant and utilize plants that could cope with dry conditions.
The early Mesopotamians established fields close to the rivers and developed plows that were suitable for the kind of soil found there. The early Mesopotamians dug irrigation ditches. By filling them in and digging them again when necessary, they regulated the water supply. This way thy regulated the water supply. In areas where the soil was sandier and the water drained away more quickly, the workers lined their canals with masonry or stone slab. To store water, thy also built dams, aqueducts, wells, and cisterns.
The Mesopotamians had a large administrative system to take car of irrigation canals. To Irrigate their fields thy needed strict organization and the matter of water supply often stained social relations between neighboring villages. The struggle for water sometimes ended in war. Nevertheless, the advantages outweighed such negative side-effects. Their various techniques for distributing water enabled the Mesopotamians to harvest a surplus resulting in the rise of the first advanced civilizations there.
THE ASTROLABE: STARS SHOW THE WAY 4000BC
Will be posted soon
