▲The hunter-gatherer lifestyle was adopted by many hominids. Archaeologists are sure that homo erectus, homo heidelbegensis, Neanderthals, and early homo sapiens lived as hunter-gatherers.

▲In short, they were the original humans. When we first came onto the scene, we went around in groups and lived completely off the land. We did not settle in one place, but instead constantly moved around.

▲The fact that they moved so much meant that nature always had time to regrow. There are some that think humans should return to the hunter-gatherer lifestyle for this reason and more. However, this would be impossible with our current population.

▲You can tell a hunter-gatherer tribe from other types of civilizations because they used fire to cook things, used basic kinds of tools, and even preserved food so they could eat it in the future.

▲The first hunter-gatherers were primarily vegetarian. They did not yet have the tools to kill large animals, and so they scavenged from other predators.

▲Hominids could now walk for longer distances. Consequently, hunter-gatherer tribes moved further north into Europe and Asia, where the terrain was very different.

▲Unlike us with our present-day creature comforts, hunter-gatherers would sleep wherever it was safe. Usually, this was in rock formations, on strong ground, and in caves.

▲When you imagine our distant relatives, imagine them a lot shorter, with smaller teeth, thinner skulls, and much less of a chin.

▲Hunter-gatherers moved where the food was. This means that if there were predators or difficult natural circumstances, they would move to a new location.

▲Due to the nomadic nature of the groups, societies could not be too big, otherwise it was too difficult to mobilize everyone effectively. Academics say that the groups were usually up to 100 people.

▲Much like how we view animal packs now, humans were the same. We did not like to mingle with other hunter-gatherer tribes. However, there is evidence that suggests that by 130,000 years ago tribes started meeting up.

▲As time went on, hominids’ knowledge of nature advanced. They were able to eat a wide variety of plants, fish, and meat.

▲They have found evidence that dates back to two million years ago! The evidence was found in Africa. They assume that the first hunter-gatherer tribes came from Africa until they evolved to walk long distances.

▲Even though there has been a dramatic decline in hunter-gathering populations due to deforestation and general human intervention in nature, some still exist.

▲Eventually, homo sapiens created permanent dwellings around 12,000 years ago. The conditions were favorable for stationary farming, and they had domesticated animals that were later farmed.

▲Moving from one lifestyle to the other had some negatives. Humans now had a much less varied diet because they were only eating their own produce. It was also necessary for them to work a lot more rather than just hunt every few days.

▲

For example, the Hazda tribes in Tanzania still exist. They consist of around 1,300 members and rely primarily on bigcgame for food.

Sources: (History)

▲

Archaeologists have found remnants of tools and settlements that have told us about their lifestyle. Some hunter-gatherer communities still exist today, but things are obviously a bit different.

▲Do not get the idea that it was all one big happy family. Sickness was rife and if you were too weak to keep up with the group, you were left behind.

▲The biggest change came 500,000 years ago. Spearheads have been found that date back to then. The use of the spear meant that hominids could kill large game, which in turn would have changed their bodily growth and intelligence.

▲Some 100,000 years after the first hominids, homo erectus appeared. They notably had larger brains and a shorter digestive system. Both of these characteristics are said to have come from eating more meat.

▲

When hunting big game became the norm, there was a separation between the sexes because men would go and hunt while women would stay and watch the children.

▲In Iraq, they have even found a buried Neanderthal skeleton. This confirms the conjecture that Neanderthals could comprehend an afterlife. They have also found ornamental wooden pieces that are presumed to be for some kind of god.

▲

Life was pretty hard back then, so everyone had to pitch in. As a result, the societies were pretty equal when vegetarianism was the main diet.

▲

The early homo sapiens had life so sorted as hunter-gatherers that it became possible for them to stay in one place for longer due to efficient food storage and stronger shelters.

▲Interestingly, humans may have become more socially evolved because of fire. When they all sat around a fire, they had community time, which probably improved their social cohesion. Not to mention they could share delicious roasts.

▲Up until the Neanderthals, there are no findings that indicate spiritual worship. However similar to the pagan tradition, it seems likely that once hominids developed abstract thought, they forged a spiritual relationship with animals and the dead.

▲

The modern world is a far cry from the human race's original way of living. Hunting and gathering food was how we used to live. We would roam around the plains in small groups and forage off the land. It was a harsh world, but hominids psychologically and physically advanced in order to better adapt to their surroundings. Now, there are only a few groups who have maintained the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Most homo sapiens converted to stationary farming, our modern means of existence.

Still, our past as hunter-gatherers continues to intrigue us. Click through this gallery to learn about how we lived for hundreds of years.

▲

Faced with the colder climates of Europe, hominids evolved to withstand different climates. The homo heidelbergensis continued to live hunter-gatherer style, except they hunted even more meat.

▲

Neanderthals cracked the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. As they evolved, the period of childhood extended because adults could afford to spend more time with them.