First peoples….
It was very interesting to read about Dreamtime, the Paleolithic
peoples outlook on the world. All of the
events of the past were shared through stories, rock art, ceremonies. From the beginning of all things, this ritual
revealed how the people evolved from ancestors to current day. It’s amazing how they were able to relate to each
other, to animals and to the land through this mode of communication. When I think of this in today’s world,
Ancestor.com is a far cry from Dreamtime.
It made me very angry to read about how in the first human
societies, although women were treated as equal as women could be treated to
men, how these same women had to endure public brutal beatings by their husbands
due to this need to compete with other men..
Did this pave the way to the world of domestic violence. It makes me sick to my stomach to read this,
especially because I grew up in a home filled with domestic violence!! I feel that men who hit women are week and pathetic!
When comparing Paleolithic societies, I was most impressed and
intrigued with the Jo/Hoansi society. On
one hand their life was extremely simplistic, no leaders, decisions were made
by individual families, on the other hand, they had this extremely complex
social system. They measured the bond of
relationships based on their names. So,
two complete strangers with the same name treated each other as if they were
family.. the kicker is, because of this, one could not marry another if that
person has the same name as a family member.
I guess that would be considered incest…
I was very surprised to read that divorce was common back
then..
One question that the Paleolithic ask and that I too ask “What
have we lost in the mad rush to modernity and how can we recover it” (ch 1 pg 32). Sometimes I sit, think and wonder what life
would be like if things were simple, if men and women were treated equal, if
there wasn’t this fast past, need to excel, need to be better than your
brother, way of life. If I had it my
way, I’d be living in the old west, riding horse and carriage, focusing more on
family, friends and living than working 80 hours a week, having little time to
do anything else, days running into each other.. before you know it.. ten years
have passed…
First Farmers….In this chapter it was interesting to read about the different aspects and changes through the agriculture revolution. The most interesting is reading about how this revolution shaped the various agriculture village societies.
It was kind of refreshing to know that in some of these
societies they had “Chiefdoms” which unlike lineage societies and the typical actions
of kings, in order to build their power and prestige, they did not use force,
take war captives, or implement
slavery.. Instead they gained followers by showering them with gifts, and the
power of persuasion… This to me is a far
better way to gain power and respect; it shows that one does not have to use
force and violence to make your mark in society.
First Civilizations…
This is the period when states were formed, hierarchies established
and equality destroyed. I realize That
is the natural progression of evolution, but it saddens me that the actions of
the people from 3500 B.C.E.- 500 B. C. E. set the stage for the world that we
live in today. Unfortunately this is the
time when women and men are viewed in two different ways. Women were looked upon as inferior, child
bearers (barefoot and pregnant) . Amazing, how someone who really is the
creator of life. Slavery was in full force
as early as 2000 B.C.E. and regarded as “normal” and casual. In a marriage, men were allowed o sleep with
the help but women caught sleeping around were “hung’ at their husbands discretion. And finally, if a woman was raped, the father
or husband would be considered the “victim”.
The question is, "will we ever evolve from this period….." 
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