Essay: Hunting Methods from all over the World

Samples / Social Issues March 25, 2011

Sample Essay

Words 2,320

Hunting was the primary occupation of humanity till the discovery of agriculture 10 to 12 thousand years ago and it continues to be an important occupation for a large portion of mankind. In this essay we shall hunting methods from all over the world.

Hunting Methods of the People of Europe

Prehistoric Europeans

Early Humans in Europe as in the rest of the world were hunter-gatherers. Their survival depended upon hunting and trapping wild animals and gathering fruits, nuts and berries from wildly growing trees for food. Ancient cave drawings found in caves in France depict the hunting of Aurochs, a now extinct species of large sized wild bulls. The pictures depict hunters in the act s of tracking, surrounding and spearing the bulls (Leroi-Gourhan).

Agriculture was developed in present day Iraq and reached Europe about 7000 years ago. The rise of agriculture produced food surpluses that gradually freed humans from having to hunt for the sake of survival. However, the instinct and the techniques of hunting were still retained in human societies, even though its practice was considerably reduced (Noble).

Hunting Methods of the Ancient Greeks

To the ancient Greeks, the hunt was symbolic for the conquest of the chaos and wilderness by forces of order and civilization. The hunt was also considered a symbol of war and an essential element in training a person for warfare. To them hunting was a tool by which the mankind conquered the wild forces of nature and maintained civilization (Roberts).

Ancient Greek writer Xenophon writes:

“Game and hounds are blessings from the gods from Apollo and Artemis … So I advise our youths not to disdain hunting or any other element of their education. For it is through these pursuits that men become experts in war and other matters, from which necessarily evolves proficiency in thought, speech and action …