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Essay / Paleolithic Hunter-Gatherer Period: The Healthiest and Safest Era of Human Life
Table of ContentsIntroductionThe Effects of the Environment on Hunter-Gatherer SocietyBiological EnvironmentPhysical EnvironmentSocial EnvironmentConclusionReferencesIntroductionThe Paleolithic Period Was a Cultural Era ancient characterized by the use of rudimentary cut stone tools. These tools were used to hunt for food and gather materials necessary for survival. As a result, this period is also known as the Hunter-Gatherer Period, which is the subject of this essay. A hunter-gatherer's health was affected by three different environments: physical, biological, and social. Although their health was affected by the different environments, it was the healthiest and safest time of human life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The Effects of Environment on Society Hunter Gatherer Biological EnvironmentA biological environment consists of what we need to survive, plants and animals. This environment acts as a source of food, shelter, non-human companionship, and other factors (Last, Stallones, White, 2013). A biological environment affected the health of people in the Paleolithic era because they had to gather their own food and find their own shelter. There were no grocery stores or houses already built, so hunters and gatherers had to do this work themselves. During the Paleolithic, malnutrition and starvation were not as common as they were later after this period. One of the dangers for hunters who went out foraging for their own food was that they were at high risk of being attacked or killed by the animals. Gatherings have also struggled, not knowing if what they are gathering is toxic or not. Hunters and gatherers had to create the tools they needed from rudimentary chipped stone implements (Britannica Encyclopedia, 2018). Although there were many dangers, this era also had its advantages. By hunting for their own food, they knew exactly what they were eating. All the food they ate was fresh, even the food provided by the gatherings was fresh. The fat content of the Paleolithic diet was similar to that of our diet today. Although very similar, the ratios in which fats are consumed are different: in Paleolithic times the omega-6/omega-3 ratio was 3:1 and today the ratio is 12:1. 1. This means that the Paleolithic era consumed less fat (Paleolithic age). Animal parts were also used to create the structure of some of their dwellings, for framing they used the bones of larger animals and also used their skins to cover the bones to protect them from the elements. Physical Environment A physical environment is the natural environment in which we live. This environment includes topography, water availability, temperature and geological structures (Last et al., 2013). A physical environment affected the health of the Paleolithic era because the terrain was more rugged, so it would be more difficult for them to move around. They were trying to build their community close to water, so they would have a constant supply of water, and then when water availability started to decrease, they would have to move. One of the benefits of the water at that time was that it did not contain any contaminants like we currently have in our water systems in modern society. Another