Society and Materials: how it all started, a few million years ago

IF Steelman, 5 chemin du Gâte-Chaux, 57280 Semécourt, France

^a Corresponding author: jean-pierre.birat@ifsteelman.eu

Received: 14 December 2016
Accepted: 4 April 2017

Abstract

Materials have been closely related with History and Prehistory. Thus, Prehistory is divided into periods that are called by the name of the major material used at the time, such as the Ages of Stone and of Metals. Although materials are not considered any more as the major drivers that induced the changes from one age to another, they have been deeply entangled with the evolution of man-homo, of its ethnic groups and of the societies in which he lived. This article reviews the present knowledge about industries, cultures and ages as build by Prehistory as well as concepts of Paleoanthropology, in as far as they are needed to understand the main topic about materials. The analysis is based, initially, on the classic books of Leroi Gourhan, a French Prehistorian, Anthropologist and Philosopher, who helped Prehistory grow into its present scientific status: l’homme et la matière (Man and Matter), Milieu et technique (Context and Technology), Le geste et la parole (Technique et langage & la mémoire et les rythmes) (Gesture and speech).