A day in the life of a Hominid

It was about 500,000 years ago in what is now known as Kabwe South Africa, A creature ruled the earth, smarter than other animals and quickly learning how to survive in a new fluctuating rainy and harsh weather. Only his eyes could be seen, hiding behind a bush staring down at its pray waiting for the right moment to strike. Here, a day in the journey of Kabook an 18-year-old Homo Heidelbergensis male will be followed all the way to the moment of his death.

Taller than the modern human, Kabook was 7 feet high when stood up right, like the other males, he was taller than the females who were about a foot shorter then him. He was strong, big boned, broad facial features, long thick and strong legs, he had a short forehead and a double arched brow ridge, his teeth were large capable of tearing through the meat of a fresh catch and he had a short jaw. If Kabook was seen walking down the street of a modern city today people would definitely think that he was a hideous looking human in very much need of a bath and grooming but probably wouldn’t mistake him for an ape, although his behavior would probably give him away for a different type of hominid.

It was a rainy morning, Kabook opened up his eyes as he woke up, his breath could be seen in the middle of the fog. He was comfortable laying in the floor of his cave wrapped around the leather of a deer antler that was caught about a month ago with the cooperation of the others and the help of their new advanced stone tipped spears.

As he woke up he saw the females starting a fire to keep worm in the cold morning, he got up and walked straight to the bones of the creature caught a while ago. Kabook had his mind on completing a crafted hand axe made out of the left over bones, in the middle of struggling to survive nothing could be wasted. He signals to the bones making a gesture to the other Heidelbergensis in the cave at that moment and making a sound that was associated for grabbing the attention of the others.

Kabook had a primitive way of communication a very early form of language, only with a selected pool of sounds that would mimic what we call speech today. The other Hominid rapidly engaged into a cooperative mode with Kabook, using his right hand he quickly reaches the bones that were closer to him and hands them to him, he immediately understood Kabook’s motive and they both sat down together to figure out how to make the hand axe tool by using a special crossbow that was available at the cave to finish the project. They glanced at each other both making a gentle gesture with their head thanking each other for what they had just accomplished. Kabook hurries up because he is wanting to leave the cave now, all of the others are out and about but before he leaves he gives one of his old carvers, a stone tool made to butcher, as a symbol for his help.

This was an important day because the clan was running out of food supply and a new animal needed to be caught soon in order for survival otherwise they were going to begin dying of starvation. The other males were gathered outside signaling the others to follow as they began the ritual before hunting, rapid movements of excitement, vocal sounds, jumping up and down trying to show the rush running through their veins as they prepared to begin the hunt.

Making sure they had all the tools needed for the hunt, they began to walk away all together leaving the women behind as they watched for the young, sick and elder. The group of Homo Heidelbergensis males began to search for animals around the area. After walking for a long distance, they came about a pool of water where they saw different animals drinking at the shore and then they saw a bigger animal bathing close to the shore, it was what we call today a Hippopotamus. They became exited but tried to stay quiet, if this animal was successfully hunted they knew that their entire clan would survive, but to accomplish this huge task cooperation from everyone would be necessary and it would take the right move at the right time to bring this animal down.

Kabook hid behind a big bush by the pool of water, his eyes never leaving the big prize. He waited to see the others silently getting close to the Hippo, and hiding behind other bushes and rocks. They waited and when the moment was right the eldest male signals the others with a high hand gesture, at this point Kabook gets up throwing a long stone tipped spear large in size to fit his hands, his agile move strikes the Hippo, although it wasn’t enough to kill it, but good enough to disturb the animal’s attention allowing one of the hominids in his clan to make one last strike bringing the animal down. At this point the other ones move in and striking the animal in the head and in the torso, finally ending with its life.

The Hominids were making sounds of glory happy but unaware that they were making too much noise grabbing the attention of a nearby predator. In the middle of the celebration they hear a roar and a scream of pain, when they turn around they see Kabook being attacked by a large beast, bringing him down and killing him to a bite in the neck. The fear and sadness of the clan could be felt in that moment, upset by Kabook’s death they manage to spear the beast and bring it down. They collected Kabook’s body. They walk back to their cave, as they were returning they stopped by an opening in the ground, it seemed to be the opening of an underground cave. The Homo Heidelbergensis gathered around it, they wrapped the body of Kabook in leather, placed his newly carved hand axe in his hand to symbolize who he was, then they threw the body down the cave and stayed standing there for a few minutes as a sign of grief, then kept walking back to their home.

Kabook, was grieved for and remembered, this is a form of a primitive custom and culture amongst the Homo Heidelbergensis and the beginning of a developing journey in the Hominids evolution into the new world, one that would eventually lead to what we are now, the Homo sapiens, the modern humans.