The development of human communities and the emergence of social technologies

In the course of human history, increasing sedentary nature, i.e. the conversion from nomadic life to permanent residence, has brought about profound changes in the community structures and in the coexistence of people. Over time, the communities not only grew in number, but also became more and more complex in their organization and social structures. in spite ofThis development, people were able to retain certain qualities and abilities from the time of their hunter and collector ancestors who helped them to find their way around these larger groups and to cooperate with each other. One of these basic qualities is the so-called social ability, a skill that anthropologists also call social skills, and theenables you to establish relationships, maintain social ties and work together efficiently in large communities. Research into this phenomenon led British anthropologist Robin Dunbar to investigate why the brains of different primate species occur in different sizes. He asked the central question of whether the size of the social group in which a primacylives, related to the size of his brain. His studies found that this was exactly the case: The so-called neocortex, the part of our brain, responsible for complex thinking, conclusions and social interactions, grows in primates in relation to the number of conspecifics with which they probably live together in a social group. This realization suggeststhat the development of our human brain is closely adapted to the requirements that result from the social contacts that we make and maintain in the course of our lives. This means that the human brain structure is designed to facilitate the ability to cope with the social challenges associated with the size of the communities.

The development of the human brain in relation to social contacts

People who, in their early history, lived mainly in small, nomadic groups, who focused primarily on food searching and survival in nature, possess brains specifically aimed at overcoming the challenges of small communities. These brains are designed to help you socialize within a manageableMaintain group and facilitate collaboration on hunting, gathering food, and other survival strategies. But with the advent of agriculture and the permanent sedentary nature, which allowed people to live in permanent places and grow food, the social organization changed fundamentally. Within a few thousand years, a rapidGrowth of communities that have now become much larger, which meant people had to organize themselves in new ways to function in these larger social structures. This evolutionary leap required the development of new tools and technologies that made it possible to cope with increasing social complexity. Often under the term “technology”First understood physical tools, such as hammer, axes or vehicles. But there are also social technologies that improve the cohesion, organization and efficiency of communities. These include, for example, language, legal systems and religious practices, all of which helped to structure and regulate living together in ever larger groups. This socialTools emerged parallel to the urbanization of large communities and cities, and they developed together to align people’s collective energy towards common goals. Clear rules, norms and principles were defined that regulated living together and created stability. also the money that we today as the central currencyKnowing our economic system is a social technology invented by humans to facilitate the handling of the growing complexity and organizational challenges of large communities. It served as a unified exchange and valuation system, which represents a standardized unit of measurement and greatly simplified economic transactions.

Challenges and solutions in large communities

For the early hunters and collectors, the challenges arising from the natural environment, mainly in terms of securing food and shelter, were limited to small groups. These challenges were manageable and could be solved within a manageable community, since the resources and environmental conditions were comparatively simple.It was primarily natural events, predators and scarce resources that determined everyday life and were mastered in small units. With the domestication of animals and plants and the development of agriculture, however, the situation changed fundamentally. These innovations enabled continuous food security and greater population density, but broughtat the same time new organizational challenges. It was now about the efficient distribution of resources, the organization of work, protection from foreigners, health care and dealing with conflicts in ever larger communities. These problems required the development of complex social structures and institutions. In the first civilizations thatThe grain played a central role along fertile river valleys and suitable growing areas. It is no coincidence that the first high cultures were created exactly in the latitudes that were optimally suitable for cereal cultivation, for example in the fertile crescent in the Middle East, in the Central Chinese Plains or in Mesoamerica. During the last five millenniaBefore our time, the world population grew considerably, from an estimated five million to over a hundred million people. In the places where this population increase was the strongest, new social technologies inevitably emerged to overcome the challenges associated with it. In these places, the first proof of the use of money, the developmentof the writing and organization of religious practices. These innovations were necessary to stabilize the complex social structures and to enable a regulated exchange between people.

Grain and the basics of economic organization

Grain played a crucial role in changing human societies, as it could provide a large amount of energy that could be stored, distributed and used. It was possible to grow, harvest and store grain on a large scale, resulting in a surplus of energy that could be used in the long term. That meant that not everyoneHumans had to be constantly employed in the search for food, but surpluses made it possible to expand the communities and to develop specialized professions. This surplus led to a fundamental change in the value system based on a simple unit of measure. A certain amount of cereals could, for example, correspond to a certain value, which in turn withwas connected to the work of a person, such as a day’s work. This resulted in a relation between the value of food and other goods, which made it easier for exchange and economic organization. In the early civilizations, grain was also used as a basis for the development of money. In the city of Sumer, in what is now southern Central Iraq, for example, aShekels of a certain amount of barley, which made counting, trading and evaluating easier. The granary, a crucial institution in every ancient city, regulated the supply of grain and thus also the money supply, similar to a modern central bank. The more grains were, the better the harvest, and the more money was circulated. This monetary basis thatA commodity like grain was bound, thereby gaining intrinsic value that facilitated the valuation of assets, debt and financial transactions. The economic use of the grain led to surpluses that could be taxed by the state and thus financed the rulers and their bureaucracy. With increasing grain surplus, agricultural productionMore productive, which in turn refined the social structure of society. A society that produces more than just guarantees its immediate food security is developing towards a more demanding and multi-layered community. It can feed and employ priests, soldiers, traders, scribes, nobles and other social groups. that onGrain-based money led mankind from the world of natural technologies ruled by fire into a world increasingly driven by human-made technologies, such as money. This evolutionary process did not take place overnight, but was characterized by a series of small steps, the goal of which was already visible in advance. It was oneDevelopment that paved the way for the complex civilizations we know today and that significantly urges human progress.