Chapter 1: 1st Farmers

The development of the human race has been in effect for thousands of years now. We may question, how do we know how our species has developed to what it is today since the first humans could not write. Well we know about our past because our very distant relatives left us many clues about how they lived. They drew on cave walls to tell their story of what they have been doing since their existence. They made very simple tools, first made of stone&other common natural resources. Later on the discovered how to make tools and weapons out of metal. They were at first nomadic people, moving around with the season; following their food. The first humans did not all stay together when they traveled. They lived in small groups of 25-50 people. They traveled to different parts of the world and began to adapt to their surroundings. They were gather&hunters. 

Later on the discovered how to domesticate animals and plants. This made it easier for humans to live. It allowed them to finally settle in one place instep of moving around with the seasons. They did not learn to cultivate and domesticate animals and plants over night, but over many years. Once they figure out how to domesticate some plants and animals, humans only continued learning how to better their ways of domestication. Later on they learned new uses for domesticated animals, such as milking cows and using the animals hides for various things (ie: clothing, rugs, beds tents/shelter etc). 

I think that Nisa's account as what the Paleolithic peoples might have been reflects some aspects of the Paleolithic times. As for "Life in the Bush", she describes how she owns nothing, but she is happy. Her father hunted for food for her family and how "receiving food made my heart happy". She believes that if she were to give something to someone she should expect them to give her something back. In regards to marriage, it seems to me at first she did not want to get married, however after some people told her, "A man is not something that kills you; he is someone who marries you, who becomes like your father or your older brother. He kills animals and gives you things to eat" it seems to me she got some sense in her. She later is happy with the marriage and comes to like him. She lived happily with him and when he died, she was miserable. She is living through a loss like anyone else would today. She cared for her husband and he was gone. After her husband died, she remarried and on her fourth husband she began to not like his ways. I don't blame her because he would have sex with her every night and she did not like it and his ways. I do appreciate she did find someone who she could consider as a lover and that her husband understood because he had lovers as well. In "healing ritual" I can see how life in a paleolithic time was more equal than today's society. Men and women both learned to use medicine. Overall I think that Nisa's account of what Paleolithic peoples lives could have been like is mostly accurate. There are some parts where it doesn't seem like she was living in that era, but overall I do think her accounts were valid.