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Ancient and modern people are very different – it’s not just about appearance, but also about lifestyle. Our distant ancestors had a flattened face with a massive lower jaw, were taller than us and had long arms. They could not live alone, because they could be easily killed by predatory animals – life in a group was preferable. They also did not have speech, and they communicated with gestures and various sounds, much like animals. Modern people are tens or even hundreds of times cooler than the ancients, it would be stupid to think differently: we are no longer afraid of predators, we live longer, we develop amazing technologies, and so on. But, at the same time, ancient people had some advantages, which we will talk about now.
Ancient people were not afraid of the sun
The sun for a modern person is a source of good mood and vitamin D. But, at the same time, sunlight makes us languish from the heat, and sometimes leads to burns. If you stay in the sun for a long time without using a protective cream, it can generally cause deadly skin diseases. Of course, do not forget about the need to wear hats – without them, you can easily suffer from sunstroke.
People love the sun, but its light can be very damaging to health.
But how did ancient people survive under the sun when they did not have protective creams and hats? Scientists believe that they were protected by high levels of eumelanin, a pigment that gives the skin a brown or black color. It has the property of absorbing most of the visible light and harmful ultraviolet radiation. But as people got roofed houses and good clothes, the protection of the skin from the sun began to weaken.
Ancient people had good protection from the sun
Ancient people were stronger than modern
In 2014, scientists conducted a study and concluded that ancient people were stronger than modern athletes. Think for yourself: our ancestors had to walk for many kilometers, climb trees, hunt animals with spears, and so on – a daily workout that modern people could not even dream of! Thanks to constant physical activity, our ancestors could really give odds to even the strongest representatives of the current generation.
Ancient people had huge muscles
Compared to ordinary people, our ancestors would have seemed strong men in general – it would have cost them nothing to knock out anyone they met. Unfortunately, along with the development of technology, modern people began to move less. Some people go to the gym regularly, but most people spend a lot of time on the computer and eat junk food. Hence the majority of illnesses and weakness.
Ancient people were less likely to die from cancer
According to WHO, today cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In 2020, this group of diseases claimed the lives of 10 million people. Ancient people were less likely to get cancer, but there were still such cases – once scientists found the remains of a 12-year-old Australopithecus, who died of this terrible disease 2 million years ago.
Ancient people led a healthier lifestyle than we do
Scientists believe that ancient people were less likely to suffer from cancer because they led a more active and healthy lifestyle. Modern people live in cities with dirty air, eat fast food and move little – all this greatly increases the likelihood of developing a dangerous disease. However, this may also be due to the fact that ancient people died earlier, and cancer simply did not have time to develop. Which version do you believe more? Write in the comments.
How did ancient people live?
Perhaps these are all the advantages of ancient people over modern ones – we could not find others. In general, the life of our ancestors was very harsh: they could easily become victims of predators, suffer from parasites contained in raw meat, get very cold in the cold, and so on. But, over time, life became easier, because people learned how to make fire, build warm dwellings, make durable tools, and so on.
We can’t even imagine how difficult the life of ancient people was.
