We explain what is called primitive community, in what prehistoric time it existed and what were its main characteristics.
What was the primitive community?
When we speak of the primitive community of the human being, we refer to the oldest stage of socio-economic organization that is recorded in the history of our species. That is, it was the first mode of organization of the groups primitive humans.
With the beginning of human civilization, societies were formed prior to the so-called Neolithic Revolution (about 9,000 years ago) and the discovery and massification of the farming.
This term is also synonymous, in slang Marxist of economic theory, of primitive communism, which is the mode of tribal, community and socio-economic organization prior to the invention of the private property that humanity I was practicing at that time.
According to the doctrine of Karl Marx, this initial organization was the most suitable for a community nomadic or semi-nomadic human, who lived by hunting, fishing and gathering. In it, the distinctions of class, social stratum or even of gender they were not yet necessary, nor relevant.
Primitive communities were modest in size and number of members, at least in comparison with those that emerged later. They exerted some form of cooperation simple between individuals, thus allowing the subsistence of the population as long as it does not grow too large and its needs exceed the available productive capacity.
In addition, since the accumulation of goods is impossible, other activities such as innovation or artistic expression were much more difficult. For all this, they are considered the starting point of human civilization.
Characteristics of the primitive community
Today it is thought that the primitive community was determined by the following characteristics:
- Nomadic or semi-nomadic society that lives by hunting, fishing and gathering.
- Total absence of private property and system of social classes.
- Absence of economic exchange, Commerce or barter.
- Division of labor according to age and sex, but always on the basis of physical ability of the individual.
- Extremely rudimentary work tools, of lithic origin, or of bone or wood.
- Matrilineal transmission, that is, from the mother as guarantor of the heritage, instead of the father, as it would be later.
- Absence of marriage, intimate relationships were organized on the basis of the polygamy (polygyny and / or polyandry) and the prohibition of incest.
- Very low production capacity (just for sustenance) and therefore very little capacity for innovation, accumulation or progress.
- Low individual survival rates.