300,000BC – 7600BC
Briefing
Assumptions rob us of our sight. If I assume who you are before I have learnt who you are, I fail to see you. People of African descent have been assumed to be many things, many things which they are not. This project is to show you who we are; ours and your legacy.
“If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going….” Maya Angelou
Throughout this project you will learn how the building blocks of the world we enjoy today are international. People from all corners of the earth have come together to produce greatness. This project will focus on the contribution of those individuals of recent African descent.
We should all be proud of our heritage and bare in mind that although we don’t inherit the sins of our fathers, we do inherit the world which has been left to us. And it is our duty to improve that world for ourselves and for others.
Listen carefully and contribute. You’ll be asked to explore, put forth arguments and debate. Let your views be heard and share this work.
Lucy – the first human and early Civilisation
200,000 years ago in north east Africa, a new species evolved; homosapien AKA us humans. Most things about humans are the same as many other species. We walk on two legs, can run, sweat, we have 5 senses etc like many other animals but mutations in the first human DNA has led to huge changes in how we behave in comparison to other species, causing a far greater impact on the planet.
But how does DNA work?
Mutations occur in our DNA at random during reproduction. A lot of the time these can produce changes that are insignificant or disadvantageous. They’ll then become less popular because those who possess those mutations are less likely to reproduce.
But specific mutations had led to 2 very significant changes which were very favourable. Those who inherited these mutations were therefore more likely to survive.
These significant changes were
- The development of consciousness
- Dexterity (improved coordination) of our hands and other movements used to build tools
Have you ever caught yourself mid thought and said “no that’s stupid…” or “yes, that’s it! That would work!”. Have you ever decided to put your feelings to one side so you can crack on with the task at hand?
This is because you can observe the workings of your own mind. Essentially, you aren’t your mind.
Imagine your mind is like a ship. That ship would sail depending on the direction of the wind and the current. This is how many animals act. They have instincts and these instincts react to the environment.
Now imagine putting a captain on that ship. All of a sudden the ship is no longer at the mercy of the wind and the current. The ship is influenced by the current and the wind, but not totally at its mercy.
Our new and larger brains also means that we can imagine very complex procedures and interactions with one another even though they haven’t happened yet.
For example, you go to the park and meet a group of kids who you have never met before but because both groups can imagine the rules of football, you can all play football together.
This brain power becomes very important when we need to coordinate large groups of people.
Task A:
When do you think large groups of early humans would have had to coordinate themselves? In which situations would this be helpful?
Exploration: Consciousness
Have you ever caught yourself mid thought and said “no that’s stupid…” or “yes, that’s it! That would work!”. Have you ever decided to put your feelings to one side so you can crack on with the task at hand?
This is because you can observe the workings of your own mind. Essentially, you aren’t your mind.
Imagine your mind is like a ship. That ship would sail depending on the direction of the wind and the current. This is how many animals act. They have instincts and these instincts react to the environment.
Now imagine putting a captain on that ship. All of a sudden the ship is no longer at the mercy of the wind and the current. The ship is influenced by the current and the wind, but not totally at its mercy.
Our new and larger brains also means that we can imagine very complex procedures and interactions with one another even though they haven’t happened yet.
For example, you go to the park and meet a group of kids who you have never met before but because both groups can imagine the rules of football, you can all play football together.
This brain power becomes very important when we need to coordinate large groups of people.
Task A:
When do you think large groups of early humans would have had to coordinate themselves? In which situations would this be helpful?
Task B:
Split the class into 4 groups, each North, East, South, West
The tribe is experiencing a famine and hasn’t eaten in a week. A scout spots a group of wildebeests heading in our direction. They can be hunted but have 4 possible escape routes:
North: the way they came
East: over the river
West: through the forest
South: through the village
How can the tribe trap the wildebeests without them escaping or stampeding the village?
Tip: they move slowly through water, are scared of forest wolves and will turn away if they hear them; they are also scared of fire
Each group has to separate to each pole to come up with an idea to hunt or trap the wildebeests for hunting.
The Great Migration
Human beings evolved in Africa around 200,000 years ago. At that time there were many lakes, it was very hot and sunshine was plentiful. This meant that humans
had to release heat from their bodies, cool themselves and protect themselves from skin cancer.
Which physical characteristics do you think protect humans from:
- Hyperthermia (getting excessively hot)
- Skin cancer
The answer:
- Sweat glands enable us to cool
- Long arms and legs give off heat
- Curly hair stands up in a helix, allowing heat to escape
- Melanin (darker skin) darkens in the sun and absorbs UV light, protecting us from skin cancer
As human beings moved north from Africa, certain characteristics started to become more favourable as the climate became cooler and the skies became cloudier/darker so they had to wrap up in more clothing. UV light became less plentiful which is needed for vitamin D and to protect us from rickets (bending bones). We also want to trap more heat in our bodies.
Which physical characteristics would protect humans from:
- Darker climates and rickets
- Colder weather
The answer:
1.
- Less melanin to absorb more vitamin D
2.
- More fat cells for insulation
- Shorter arms and legs to reduce surface area
- More straight hair that lays flat on heads and body to trap heat
It wasn’t until the climate started to cool that humans needed to make these adaptations to colder climates (img). Which is why the vast majority of humans remained relatively darker in complexion up until 8,000 years ago, when Northern humans migrated southward (ref)
The cheddar man; first Britain found (img)
The truth is that we are all African in origin. All of our genetics come from Africa. We are all one human species.
San Tribe (
Ethiopia
India, Delhi
Task
All of our ancestors were Black, but different human characteristics have evolved for different groups of people due to the different climatic conditions.
Is there an irony to being racist/derogatory towards a group of people that look different to you? (something like this wording might need to change)
Origin of Human Civilisation
Civilisation: Exploration of Human Needs
The psychologist Abraham Maslow (img), created the hierarchy of needs. Psychologists study human thought and mental health. He proposed that we as humans have innate needs that need to be fulfilled for us to become healthy. These needs are everything from basic shelter, food and warmth to realising our own potential.
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Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid.
Needs lower down in the hierarchy must be satisfied before individuals can attend to needs higher up. From the bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the needs are: physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.
Task: Can you compare how Maslow’s hierarchy of needs might be fulfilled in a hunter gatherer society, an early civilisation (absence of modern day technology) and a modern civilisation. (img)
Exploration: progression of civilisation
Do you think that as early societies progressed into becoming more advanced, that more time could be spent fulfilling the higher levels of the pyramid? How do you think this changed society?
Early Societies
Hunter Gatherer Hunt:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=826HMLoiE_o
Early African civilizations (check When We Ruled)
Early human societies were very different to today (img). Food, water, warmth and rest were not a given. Life was short and often dangerous. Most time was spent securing the lower tiers of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
Everything that was needed to keep us alive was kept in a fine balance. Just enough sleep, just enough food etc. This means that a large amount of time had to be dedicated to fulfilling the basics. We have to acknowledge that everything that we accept today as common sense, had to be discovered. Everything was new. For example, even the gathering enough food to survive was made possible by an accumulation of small discoveries
Discoveries that produce diet (img):
- Which vegetation is non-poisonous
- Which vegetation is nutritious
- Which vegetation provides more energy
- Where can this vegetation be found
- What do we do when this food runs out
Human beings had to learn and remember 1000s of different species of plants, their locations and their benefits before they could even hope to sustain a healthy diet.
This is a lot for one person to remember. Naturally these roles would be assigned to different specialists so one individual could do one task really well. As this continued, tasks could be made more efficient
Let’s have a look at the basic discoveries that might have made the following possible.
Task C: Brainstorm which discoveries made the below possible? (img)
- Shelter (i.e. suitable materials, waterproof materials, how to set a liquid into a sturdy solid)
- Hunting (i.e. animal behaviour, tool making, how to sharpen tools, where to find animals, which animals are dangerous etc)
- Clothes making (i.e. where to find suitable material, how to cut it, how to stitch, what to stitch with
The First Civilisation
Ancient Egypt is argued to be the first civilization on the planet. Closely succeeded or preceded by Mesopotamia in modern day Iraq by 300 years. Ancient Egypt has many features to warrant it being one of the most fascinating and well developed civilisations to have ever existed.
Length of Civilisation
Ancient Egypt arguably had its origin circa 5600BC (Julius Africanus Chronology) becoming the first nation to gain the title “Civilization” and until finally collapsing with the end of Cleopatra’s reign in 30BC. To put how long this is into perspective, Cleopatra’s reign is closer to our own lifetime than she was to the building of the Pyramids by Pharaoh Khufu (4800BC)by around 2800 years.
Feeding many people
The ancient Egyptians mastered agricultural farming by developing irrigation. Because they knew the nile would flood on a regular basis, they developed lanes for water to flow from the nile to the dry land. This produced land so fertile that the Ancient Egyptians were feeding more people per acre of land than any other nation.
Architectural Mystery
The Ancient Egyptians were fascinated with philosophy and science. Their scientific understanding of agriculture and the universe has been unrivalled since the fall of their empire.
For example, the great pyramids were the tallest buildings on the planet for over 5000 years. The architects of the Pyramids used Pythagerous’ theorem thousands of years prior to his birth; the pyramids were also built to the accuracy of 1/60th of a degree and correlate to complex mathematical equations as well as true north. Scientists and architects cannot even replicate a 60 foot version of the great pyramid which stands over 140m tall
Exploration
Interestingly enough, before the expedition launched by Columbus is (1492) as the first interaction between Europe and the Americas, there is evidence of previous interactions between the Americas and Africa.
According to professor Van Sertima, Africans influenced early American civilisation. He draws attention to
- Olmec heads displaying negroid features (ref)
- Similar north and south facing Pyramids which would have required a similar understanding of astrology and architecture
- Other similar traits such as false beards, purple symbolising priesthood, double crowns
- (ref)
- Cocaine and Tobacco has also been found in the bellies of Egyptian Pharaohs. The cocaine plant is natively American (ref). This indicates that Ancient Egypt was trading with America at that time or had previously cultivated the plant after extracting it from the Americas
- Professor Andrej Wiercinski found many early Olmec (2500-400BC) skulls to be African (ref)
Great Scientific Insight
The Dogon tribe reside in Mali, west Africa and claim to have inherited their understanding from ancient Egypt. There is evidence that the Dogons knew of Sirius star B hundreds of years before its discovery in 1862 by the use of telescopes.
But the Ancient Egyptians didn’t just spring up out of nowhere. Their civilisation took thousands of years to develop. Many historians argue that the people of the Ancient Sudan, Ta-Seti (Kush) and Nubia migrated in a northern direction as the Sahara desert expanded.
This is because culture doesn’t tend to randomly spring from just anywhere. It tends to develop slowly and gradually. This means that if we can find similar cultural traits outside of Egypt that pre-date ancient Egypt, it is likely that these areas influenced ancient Egypt. This is likely through the migration of people from these places into ancient Egypt.
For example, over 200 pyramids are found in the Sudan. Wall paintings similar to the burial artwork in the ancient egyptian pyramids have been found further south of Upper Egypt (Southern Egypt) in Ta-Seti (biblical Kush). Gold ornaments in tombs depicting similar myths to Ancient egypt, such as the “Order of the Fly”.
A statue of Horus, the eagle headed God of sight and consciousness in ancient Egypt was also found but its manufacturing pre-dates ancient Egypt.
The all powerful God, Osiris, seems to come from Ethiopia. An ancient Egyptian text called the “Leyden Papyrus” reads “I looked out before…. To observe Osiris the Ethiopian”
But before Ancient Egypt even had a hope of forming, something else had to occur. Before humans settled, they had to function as a group to hunt and gather on a daily basis. This meant constantly moving to find new vegetation or new herds of animals to hunt.
Not only did this take up a lot of energy, but it also took up a lot of time. Nowadays we can go to a local shop which has sourced food from farmers who have used very sophisticated techniques to farm and grow crops. But out of a 200,000+ year history of human existence, we have only been farming for around 12-23,000 years (ref)
If we refer back to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, due to the constant stresses of daily living requiring humans to exert themselves to find food and build shelter, up until 23,000 years ago, most of human time was spent fulfilling basic needs.
Discovering that seeds can be planted and grown under optimal conditions quickly led to
creating settlements and the abandonment of a nomadic lifestyle. Refinement of these techniques became the responsibility of farmers. This then freed up the time of the rest of the population who quickly became builders, teachers and philosophers.
To put this into perspective, if human existence was a 90 minute football match from beginning to present day, humans didn’t discover farming until 83 minutes in. Humans first settled and built lasting structures around 87 minutes in. The first civilisations were built in the 89th minute and we are currently living in the 90th minute. This is too strong a correlation to ignore.
Farming freed time that was initially dedicated to hunting and gathering and allowed us to pursue our true potential.
And the Ancient Egyptians were phenomenal farmers.
The predecessors to ancient Egypt had settled in modern day Sudan and Ethiopia. The Sahara desert expanded, eliminating fertile land which would normally produce plentiful fruits and vegetables also dried up and vanished. The only fertile land left was that near the Nile.
The Nubians from Ta-Sety (translates to the land of the bow) or Kush migrated towards the southern part of the Nile (upper Egypt) under the command of their leader. They then started to farm the land as the Nile dumped fresh fertile soil onto the land as it flooded.
It is argued that because the foundations of civilisation were more evenly suited to the physicality of men and women, and because the creation of life has historically been associated with femininity, a more equal and arguably matriarchal culture emerged. Women in ancient egypt could rule, vote and own property. It would take Britain until the 20th century AD to achieve the same equality.
There is evidence of ancient Nubian observatories that predate stonehenge by 2500 years (ref). North Eastern Africans were already starting to explore their own reality shortly after they learnt to settle and cultivate the land. This is a natural step towards religion. As people free up time and create a society which supports their basic needs, they can start to question their purpose. Religion commonly provides a framework for purpose and a harmonious society. Religion provides a guide as to where we should be going, what we should be doing, how we should be behaving etc.
Humans have only recently had the luxury of exploring the meaning of our existence because until recently, most of our time would have been spent fulfilling the basic needs for existence.
At no other time in history had more people been fed per acre of land. Farming had freed up time for them to spend time in the pursuit of esteem and self-actualisation needs. This is where we start to see, for the first time in history, creationist stories emerging.
These Ancient Egyptian creationist stories arguably went on to lay the foundations for the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) and even inspired the early Psychologists Jung and Freud in their understanding of the human mind.
The first civilisations of ancient Egypt provided us today with the foundations for:
- Written Language
- Architecture
- Science
- Religion
- Ethical ideals of good and the balance of good and evil
- Government
Their contributions to the ancient world flowed through Greece and Rome and then passed into Europe and into our modern reality. We have all been hugely affected by the huge contributions that Ancient Egypt made to our modern experience of the world.
Task: Human beings have been migrating from one place to another for the past 300,000 years. This has evidently led to a flow of information and technology which has hugely benefited a multitude of populations such as our own. However, migration has also led to civil unrest, invasion and depletion of resources.
Split yourselves into two groups. One side present an argument for open borders and the terms for open border immigration.
The other side, present an argument for closed borders, disallowing any imigration from your country of residence.
Make sure you address the below points
- Effects on the economy
- Flow of skilled workers
- Flow of new technology
- Holidays
- Essential staff for the public sector (i.e. healthcare, travel etc)