The hunting and gathering peoples of the world represent the most ancient and also the most successful human adaptation. Until around 12,000 years ago, primarily all human beings lived as hunters and gatherers. Over 99 percent of human history is characterized by hunting and gathering mode of subsistence which reflects its resilience. Lee and Devore (1968) have pointed out that the hunting and gathering mode of life is more stable and persistent adaptation to the environment in view of the apparently uncertain future of agricultural and industrial societies threatened by ecological crisis and war effected massive destruction.
Anthropologists have long been interested in studying hunter-gatherer communities, even though hunter and gathering communities are fast transforming and the existence of a pure hunting-gathering people is no longer a reality.
There are several reasons for this persistent interest:
- a) Hunter-gatherers stand at the opposite pole in contrast with urban life;
- b) They may provide insights or answer to some crucial questions about human life, social life, politics, gender, diet, technology, world view etc;
- c) They lived and are living without an organized political system yet have managed their affairs themselves;
- d) They lived for hundreds and thousands of years without destroying environment even though they lived in a wide range of environments, some rich in resources and others with precarious resources;
- e) With relatively simple technology, they were able to meet their material needs with minimum energy expenditure;
- f) According to Sahlins (1972), the hunter-gatherer societies were the “original affluent” societies which is a tempting proposition to anthropologists to understand them more critically.
- g) Hunter-Gatherers studies facilitate testing general anthropological and archaeological theories.
- h) Beyond the academic interests, hunting gathering people face urgent social, economic and legal issues which need to be addressed.
More intrinsically, the hunter-gatherer life would provide insights not only about past ways of life but also about long-term human future.