The Evolution of Man - The History of Hunting
By Rebecca Blain of http://w
ww.discount-hunting-supplies-and-tips.com
Perhaps one of the eldest activities on the face of the planet
is hunting. The history of hunting, as a result, is also one of
the most diverse. Hunting for food has always been something
that human kind has had to do, dating back to the beginning of
any civilizations known to man.
As a result of this, there have been thousands of weapons and
devices used to hunt. The history of hunting is far more
complicated than any other history in the world, as it stretches
so far into the past. In order to understand this history, you
need to break down and study each era where hunting has been a
major part of life. While there are exact time lines of when
certain guns or weapons were produced, understanding the
importance of hunting should be done on a far broader scale.
There is much more to the history of hunting than when the gun
was created.
The First Era, Pre-Civilization
In this time frame, from before great cities to the first starts
of basic civilization, the human race survived on their skills
of scavenging and hunting. In cultures similar to those of the
first era and pre-civilization, women had the roll of caring for
the home and preparing the food brought in by the men. Some
portions of modern day Africa have conditions similar to this,
where they do not have a great deal of money, and a similar
style of hierarchy. The men all learned how to hunt, and they
held these hunts daily to feed themselves. Unlike today, all
hunting was for survival, and none of it for sport. All of the
materials from the killed animals was used, from the bones to
the pelt. Hunting was also a method of determining who was the
bravest warrior. The bravest would hunt the ferocious creatures
that lived nearby their homes. These kills were a vital part of
the early hierarchies.
A wide variety of different weapons were used during this era,
from slings to spears crafted of wood and stone. For large prey,
the hunters would work together in packs, similar to how a wolf
hunts to bring down their quarry. The only trophies kept were
antlers and teeth. Occasionally the skulls would be kept as
decoration or as symbols of the clan or family group. This
oldest form of hunting was the basis in which the present was
formed.
The Second Era, Growth of Civilization
As people gathered together and civilization really began, the
role of men as hunters changed as well. Cities, by their very
nature, require a variety of people with a lot of skills. There
needed to be craftsmen and weavers, animal handlers and other
trades so that everyone could have access to everything they
needed. Instead of the split between men and women, hunting
became the task of those most suited for hunting. These were
usually always men, as it was looked down upon for women to
participate in this line of work.
This was also the turning point where hunting becoming a sport.
Civilizations, such as the Babylonians, the Egyptians, and the
Romans all had their hunters and craftsmen. The Romans, took
hunting as a sport to a whole new level, capturing prey alive
for sale or gladiatorial competitions. Only certain individuals
were hunters, allowing the select men to feed those in their
community.
The Third Era, The Middle Ages
Perhaps one of the most interesting times in the history of
hunting, is the middle ages. This is the period in time where
hunting for food was a vital part of life for many, though
restricted. Rules on hunting, such as no hunting in the King's
Forest, was the first real restrictions on hunting present in
the world. Only the rich prospered, and the surf classes hunted
whatever they could, when they could for survival. Hunting, from
boar to deer to fox hunting, became primary sports for the
nobility of the time frame. This started the trend of organized
hunts for sport.
Colonists to the New World required as much hunting skills as
possible, during this period of time, although they progressed
quickly from relying on scavenging and hunting to creating farms
and plantations. Popular weapons for use in hunting during this
time period was forms of archery, slings and throwing spears.
The gun was also used, although it had not quite yet reached
full levels of popularity.
The Forth Era, The Industrial Period
On the heels of the Middle Ages was the Industrial period. This
era stretched from beyond the 1700s until just after the start
of the 1900s. The evolution of machines brought about great
changes in hunting. Large farms became very popular, where
livestock was raised instead of the practice of hunting wild
animals, downgrading hunting to only become a past time. Guns,
ranging from muskets to rifles, were being to be used
extensively. Archery was downgraded to sport use only, though it
was very popular for tests of skill.
Present Day
Through these stages of the history of hunting, humans have
perfected this activity, with a wide range of weapons. Archers,
for example, have many types of bows to choose from. Arrows are
just as plentiful as bows, from metal to wood, with many
different types of tips. Guns have evolved the same way, with
many types of bullets and guns for different types of hunting.
Special guns and equipment designed for moose hunting, for
example, wouldn't be the same as deer hunting supplies.
Competitive hunting, such as fox hunting, is still greatly
enjoyed by many people who prefer a little more action to their
hunting. In the modern world, safety and skill are the
requirements for hunting, and it is open for anyone who is
willing to learn proper weapon handling and obtain all of the
documents necessary to hunt. Regulations on guns and hunting
have been developed to prevent species from going extinct. While
hunting is still very popular, the modern day has a lot more
restrictions that in any other era in the history of hunting.
Each of these eras of the history of hunting have done a lot for
the sport and trade, giving it a rich heritage that shouldn't be
forgotten.