Pre-literate Age: Definition, Age Division, Types of Humans, and Their Legacy

Pre-literate Age: Definition, Age Division, Types of Humans, and Their Legacy – What is meant by the Precocious Age? On this occasion About the knowledge.co.id will discuss what is the Age of Preliminaries and the things that surround it. Let's look at the discussion together in the article below to better understand it.

Pre-literate Age: Definition, Age Division, Types of Humans, and Their Legacy

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The prehistoric era or also known as the prehistoric era is the era when ancient humans were not familiar with writing. Because every existing tribe experienced prehistoric times which had different periods or did not coincide. The disappearance of prehistoric times also has different times.

The prehistoric or prehistoric era is the earliest part of human history. This period begins with the emergence of humans, which is marked by remains such as fossils and stone tools.

This era lasted a very long time and ended when humans created a writing system. The expiration time of this period varies from one region to another. This is because each civilization has a different time in the creation or adoption of writing systems.

The mention of this period as "prehistoric" is not quite right, because there have been many historical events that have occurred in a civilization even though they were not yet familiar with writing. Therefore the term "praaksara" is more appropriate to use. The pre-literate era is also called the nirleka era (nir = not, leka = script writing). Which means the era of writing has not been found.

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Division of the Age of Pre-literacy

The earth is a place for humans, animals and plants created by God. Geology is the science that studies the earth as a whole.

Based on this, the earth from the past until now is divided into four eras. Earth has four ages namely:

• Archeozoic Age

The oldest epoch in the development of the earth and all life on earth, was about 545 to 4.5000 million years ago.

In the Archeozoic Era, the earth was not yet stable, the earth's crust was still in the process of being formed, the air on earth was still very hot, so that at this time there were no signs of life.

And the end of the Archeozoic era was caused by a decrease in temperature which made it possible for life to emerge.

• Paleozoic Age

The Paleozoic Era, also known as the Primary Age, lasted about 340 million years ago. The Paleozoic era occurred with a very drastic decrease in temperature on earth.

The earth cooled down at this time and life on earth is expected to appear. Such as single-celled and spineless creatures such as bacteria and some types of amphibians.

• Mesozoic Age

The Mesozoic era, also known as the secondary era, took place about 140 million years ago.

The Mesozoic era was marked by the emergence of large-bodied reptile animals such as dinosaurs, therefore the Mesozoic era is called the Age of Reptiles.

• Neozoic Age

The Neozoic Age occurred about 60 million years ago. In the neozoic era, life began to grow steadily and diversify.

The Neozoic Age is divided into:

• • Tertiary Age, the Tertiary Age is marked by large animals that begin to decrease. And already have various types of mammals such as monkeys and apes
  • The Secondary Age, the Secondary Age is marked by the emergence of signs of ancient human life.

The Neozoic Age is divided again into 2 epochs, namely:

• • The Pleistocene/Dilivial (Emanglacial/Ice) Age, this period was marked by the melting of ice at the North Pole due to climate change. The Pleistocene epoch lasted about 600 thousand years ago. Human life began to exist at this time.
  • Holocene/alluvium era, this period is marked by the emergence of Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens is the ancestor of modern humans today. This period occurred about 20,000 years ago.

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Types of Human Types in the Prehistoric Age

The results of ancient human research are mostly found in the Java area in the form of fossils. Ancient humans in ancient times lived in several areas such as the Brantas River Valley, East Java and the Bengawan Solo Valley area, Central Java.

In Indonesia there are several types of ancient humans such as Megantrhopus paleojavanicus, Homo (modern humans) and pithacantrhopus erectus.

• Megantrhopus paleojavanicus

Megantrhopus paleojavanicus which means the oldest ancient human in Java and has the characteristics of a stocky body. And it is estimated as the oldest ancient human compared to the others.

The fossils of Megantrhopus paleojavanicus were found by someone named Dr. G.H.R Von Koenigswald in 1936 and 1941 for the first time from Megantrhopus paleojavanicus fossils were found in Sangiran, the Solo valley area close to surakarta.

The characteristics of Megantrhopus paleojavanicus are a large body with a large jaw, thick bones and a prominent forehead.

Megantrhopus lived around 2 million years BC by surviving by eating plants. Megantrhopus paleojavanicus belongs to the Homo hobilis species.

• Pithacanthropus Erectus

Pithacanthropus erectus which means ape man who walked upright. Pithacanthropus erectus has the characteristics of an upright body and has a body height of around 165-180 cm.

Pithacanthropus erectus early humans are mostly found in the Mojokerto area, Kedungtrubus. Trinil, continued the tiger and Ngadong.

The person who first discovered Pithacanthropus erectus was Eugene Dubois in Trinil near the Bengawan Solo river.

• Homo

Homo which means human. Early humans of this type have more perfect features compared to other ancient humans such as Meganthropus paleojavanicus and Pithecantropus erectus.

This Homo type of human has 3 types in Indonesia, namely:

• Homo Soloensis.
  • Homo Soloensis which means from solo. Discovered in 1931-1934 by Ir. Oppenorth at Ngandong and ter Haar.
  • Homo Soloensis has the characteristics of a height of 180 cm and walks upright. Its skull is larger than that of Pithacanthropus erectus.
• Homo wajakensis.
  • Homo wajakenesis which means human from wajak was discovered by Van Reitschoten in 1889 in wajak, Tulungagung, East Java. The characteristics of Homo wajakenesis are having a body height of 130-210 cm and walking upright.
  • The shape of the skull is more rounded, the face is not too protruding forward and has the expertise to make tools from bone, stone and wood
• Homo Sapiens.
  • Homo Sapiens is the last generation of ancient humans. Homo Sapiens has physical characteristics that are almost the same as modern humans at this time.
  • Homo Sapiens lived in the Holocene epoch which is about 4000 years ago.

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Conditions of the Earth in the Prehistoric Age

The Neozoic or Cainozic are thought to have existed up to about 65 million years ago. At that time, the earth's conditions had begun to return to normal and life continued to grow and vary. The Neozoic is divided into 2, namely the tertiary era (third era) and the quaternary era (fourth era). In the tertiary era, the types of large animals began to decline and already lived species of mammals such as apes and monkeys.

In this Quaternary era signs of early human life began to appear. The Quaternary era is divided into 2 periods, namely the Pleistocene and the Halocene. Plaistocene is the early period of human life. Not only is it called diluvium, the Pleistocene is also called the ice age, or glacial.

Glacials are characterized by large amounts of water turning into ice, sea levels have also decreased by about 100 to 150 m, shallow seas have turned into land. During the glacial period, the Sunda Shelf was formed in Indonesia. At that time, the islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Malacca became one and several islands in Eastern Indonesia, Papua and Australia were one mainland.

Therefore, until now you can see the same types of plants and animals on the islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Malacca and mainland Asia. Not only the Sunda Exposure, but also the Suhul Exposure.

Throughout the Pleistocene, there were 4 glacial periods interspersed with interglacial periods. During the interglacial period the earth's temperature rose, the ice melted, sea levels rose, and both shelves turned into shallow seas. The halocene takes place near 20. 000 years ago. At that time, Homo sapiens or intelligent humans, such as Homo wajakensis, began to appear. This species is the ancestor of today's modern era.

Not only did the earth's temperature fluctuate sharply, there were still many challenges that had to be faced by living things that inhabited the earth during the Pleistocene. These challenges include displacement of the earth's crust, volcanic eruptions, the formation of rivers, the emergence of new lakes, and so on.

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Human Life in the Prehistoric Age

In experiencing these challenges, humans are better than other living things. Because humans have ideas, they experience these challenges with their minds, while other living things with their instincts. Along with the passage of time, there was an evolution in humans, both in body shape and intelligence of ideas.

Evolution, for example, the contents of the brain continues to grow, the shape of the skull changes, walking upright, and so on. Not only that, humans also get the nickname Homo faber, namely creatures that make tools to make it easier to reach their goals. The equipment that they provided also experienced growth, namely initially from stone, then from copper, bronze, and ultimately from iron.

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Relics of the Prehistoric Age

This prehistoric era is also known as the prehistoric era because the era of ancient human history began right after the end of the prehistoric era. The era of praksara is estimated to have started its way in 3 years. 000. 000 to 10. 000 years ago until humans understood writing (historical period). At that time humans lived in an ancient way where they only used natural objects near them to survive. This can be proven by the presence of several prehistoric era assets found by archaeologists.

Even though at that time humans did not understand the existence of writing, humans were able to use their minds to make the equipment or tools they need in life every day. Equipment or tools like that became asset objects in the prehistoric era. Not only that, there are several other assets that refer to art, culture and beliefs held by humans who lived in that era.

Before discussing further about prehistoric era assets, it's good for us to know that if the prehistoric era is divided into 3, namely the Paleothic, Neolithic and Megalithic eras. In the three eras that are summarized as the pre-literate era, there are several assets that can be clarified, namely:

• Hand Axe

 The handheld ax in the prehistoric era, which was made of stone or clay and had no stem, was discovered by a man named Ralph von Koenigswald in 1935 in Punung, Pacitan Regency. This handheld ax was used by prehistoric humans in the Paleolithic era as a cutting tool or equipment used for splitting wood, digging tubers, cutting meat, game, and various purposes another.

This handheld ax has something in common with the impact ax that was also found in the prehistoric era. It's just that the ax has a larger dimension when compared to the hand ax. According to one source, this powerful ax was made by pithecanthropus humans and can be found in Indonesia, especially Pacitan district. There are also properties that are not much different from a hand-held ax, which is to cut animal flesh, etc.

• Sumatran axe

This Sumatran ax is also known as the pebble. As the name implies, this type of ax is often found in Sumatra, especially along the East Coast of Sumatra Island, between Langsa (Aceh) and Medan. Just like a hand ax, this Sumatran ax is also made of stone.

It's just that the Sumatran or pebble ax is made of broken river stone, has a round shape and has a smoother surface. This ax is predicted to be the result of the culture of the Mesolithic era, where humans at that time had begun to live sedentary lives, but sometimes they were still nomadic or semi-nomadic.

• Short Axe

short ax Another type that is uniform with a hand ax, is a short ax. This short ax is in the form of half a circle and has a sharp side that makes it easier to cut meat or other things.

Similar to the Sumatran axe, this short ax can be found in areas as far as the East Coast of Sumatra Island. The researchers then looked for the distribution of pebbles and short axes to the place of origin of the Papua melanosoide race in Tonkin Bay, Vietnam. In conclusion found pebble centers and short axes from Hoabinhian and Bacsonian, North Vietnam.

• Swept

Pipisan are the Grinding stones and their anvils. When compared to the current era, maybe this pedestal is similar to a pestle because it is used to crush grains. It's just that the shape of this pipisan is flat and smooth.

This sheet is not only used for grinding food, but also for smoothing red paint made of red soil which is a form of activity related to ritual ceremonies and beliefs. This equipment is found in kjokkenmoddinger as far as Northeast Sumatra, between Langsa (Aceh) and Medan (North Sumatra).

• Square Axe

square axIt seems that in the prehistoric era, there were various kinds of axes encountered, one of which was a square axe. This square ax itself comes from von Heine Geldern. This tool has an elongated shape with a square cross-section of Alang and the base is unusual like a braided stalk.

As the name implies, this square ax is made of stone in the form of a square. This ax is used to work wood, work the land, and perform ceremonies. Within Indonesia itself, square axes can be found in Java, South Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Nusa Tenggara.

• Shoulder Axe

The shoulder ax is a kind of square ax with a neck attached to the hilt to form a square bottle. This shoulder ax was found in the Neolithic era. The cultural area of ​​this shoulder ax extends from Japan, Formosa, the Philippines all the way west to the Ganges river. But strangely the southern boundary is the central part of West Malaysia. In other words, to the south of this boundary there is no shoulder ax, so Indonesian neolithic people do not recognize it, although there are also some fruits found, namely in Minahasa.

• Oval Axe

oval ax This oval ax is made of river stone and has a blackish pattern. As the name suggests, this oval ax has an oval shape, the sharp end is where the handle is, while the other end is sharpened until it is sharp. The dimension that belongs to a large oblong ax is commonly called Walzenbeil and the small one is called Kleinbeil, On the other hand, the use of an oblong ax is the same as a square ax, namely for working the land, as well as various other needs other.

• Jewellery

Not only tools, there are also other findings which are prehistoric human assets, namely jewelry. Jewelry seems to have been known since the prehistoric era and was used by several types of early humans in Indonesia. This can be proven by the findings of several types of prehistoric era assets in the form of jewelry. Jewelry in the form of bracelets and necklaces in this prehistoric era itself was made from beautiful stones such as agate, chalcedon and jaspis. Jewelry can be found in West Java, East Java, Bali and Sumatra.

• Nekara

Nekara is a bronze drum in the form of a kind of drum with a waist in the middle with a metal or bronze sound membrane. In his time, nekara was considered a sacred item that served as a ceremonial item, dowry, etc. These goods can be found in Bali, Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, Selayar, and Irian.

• Sarcophagus

Another form of prehistoric asset is the tomb. One of them is known as the sarcophagus. This sarcophagus is a coffin made of intact stone and given a cover on top. One of the places where the sarcophagus was found is Bali, and several others were also found in Bondowoso, East Java.

• Menhirs

Menhirs are pre-eminent assets related to the beliefs held by humans at that time. This menhir is in the form of a pillar or monument made of stone that stands upright on the ground. Menhirs were erected as a means of worshiping the spirits of the ancestors. Menhirs are often found in the great plains of Pasemah, namely the mountains between Palembang and Bengkulu, Ngada (Flores), Gunung Kidul, Rembang (Central Java), Talang Koto River and other areas.

• Dolmen

As with menhirs, dolmens are also a means of worshiping ancestral spirits in pre-historic times. Dolmens that have the shape of a table made of several stones can be found in the Besuki area of ​​East Java. The area is generally named Pandhusa.

• Waruga

Waruga or stone graves are coffins made of stone. Its four sides are walled with stone planks as well as the base and top of the stone planks. Waruga can be found in Central Sulawesi and North Sulawesi.

• Statue or Deity

The statue is a statue made of solid stone. There are various forms, there are those that match humans, human heads, and also animals. Statues can be found in South Sumatra, Lampung, Central Java and Central Java. This statue is also one of the worship facilities in pre-literate times.

• Stepped pyramid

Perhaps one form of pre-eminent asset that is quite often heard in the ear is the terraced bank. Well, this terraced punden itself is a megalithic relic which consists of layers of terraced stones and functions as a place of worship for the ancestors. Punden terraces can be found in Lebak Sibedug, South Banten, Leles (Garut) and Kuningan.

• Flakes

Back to the pre-eminent asset objects in the form of equipment or tools, there are also known as flakes. These flakes are tools made from small stone fragments. He acts as a skewer, butcher and knife. Flakes are commonly found in the Sangiran Region, Sragen, Central Java. Include Ngandong culture.

• Tools from Bones and Horns

Not only from stone, the tools used in the pre-historic period were also made from animal bones and horns. These bone and horn tools served as awls, pryers and spearheads. This equipment can be found in the Ngandong Region, near Ngawi, East Java.

• Kjokkenmoddinger

Kjokkenmoddinger is kitchen waste consisting of shells and snails during the period Mesolithicum which was piled up for thousands of years to form a small hill in part m in height. Kjokkenmoddinger is mostly found along the East Coast of Sumatra Island.

• Abris Sous Roche

Abris sous roche are rock caves or niches that were used as ancient human dwellings. He acts like a residence.

• Painting in the Cave Chamber

One form of prehistoric asset that is quite phenomenal is the painting in the cave. This painting depicts game animals and a red handprint. This matter became one of the facts that pre-literate humans were aware of the existence of art. Paintings in cave chambers are found in Leang Leang, South Sulawesi, in Raha Cave, Muna Island, Southeast Sulawesi, and in Sentani Lake, Papua.

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