Epilogue/Chapter 1
By reading this assignment i have realized one thing that has been there in front of me all the time. Anthropology is history because it narrates history; it takes the place of writings. We use fossils, cave paintings, and a few other things that the time buried to tell a story of what happened back in those times before writing developed. Anthropology is the gateway to embracing history in a true manner, because it tells the story of most of the time of the planet. It is not fair to only study the 5 percent that is written in history and that is why anthropology is key to Paleolithic history.
When humans first moved out of Africa, it was the land and the ice that they took to their advantage. along the way things like tools and containers helped them survive. Along with the fossilized artifacts, cave paintings have helped to understand how people at the place and time lived. I found interesting how humans developed these things to leave a footprint. Reflecting on these methods of leaving a footprint, I come to the conclusion that cave paintings, artifacts, and human fossils are just as reliable if not more reliable than current methods of recording history. Paper that is a few hundred years old is already deteriorating, and the fact there exists older artifacts and fossils in just as good contrition makes a strong statement.
The ways of survival are mind blowing. Hunter gathering eventually became farming, agriculture, and animal husbandry. I personally thank the Olmec for learning about corn and its uses, since their footprint has been key for my existence. Their skills were handed down to my ancestors and that is how they survived. To this day, I still keep tortillas in my refrigerator to feed myself.
