Cavemen: what did they do in their spare time?

[Coito ergo sum]

O.k., so we're cavemen -- err... cavepersons to all you Atheism+ers out there....

I imagine that we'd wake up in the cave as light started to creep in through the entranceway, or when were notified by a designated watchperson who probably would be assigned to wait for the dawn to be sure no predators came a-callin'.

First things first -- tend to to the fire, and begin the daily grind of going out looking for food the men would go hunting. The women and children would stay around the cave, clean out the shit, go get water from the stream, manufacture skin water holders and clothing, and all sorts of daily tasks. Some men would work on fashioning weapons and whatnot. Children would probably have time to play (run around, play tag, play war and that sort of thing, I suppose)

But, things would have to die down in the evening, because other than torchlight, there was no light. The dark must've been very dark indeed.

So, as the night blankets the encampment, there must have been gatherings around the fire. I imagine storytelling. A lot of storytelling, with "elders" recounting days of old and heroes of the past. Myths growing out of generations of fireside storytelling, and all that. And, I bet there was a lot of carving of images and statuary out of wood and rock, as well as painting with home made paints on the walls and such.

The sexual mores must've been interesting too. Like, they lived in basically one group in one room without much privacy, huddling together for warmth and for protection. So, did like, a couple cavepeople just start, like, having sex right there in the cave with other people around? Was there a lot of swapping of partners or was there power-enforced exclusivity, like where the Chief fucked who he wanted because he could kick everyone's ass?

So, what was the daily life, and night life, of your average caveman like?

[SteveB]

Yah, probably a lot of fucking.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

There wasn't much time to do anything, they died before 35 on average.

[Animavore]

Probably spent plotting how to slaughter a nearby tribe.

[SteveB]

There wasn't much time to do anything, they died before 35 on average.

Doesn't that mortality statistic account for infant mortality too? I think if you survived past childhood you'd probably live for longer.

[Atheist-Lite]

They were stoners and probably couldn't keep up with the love the making idea, spent the whole day chipping.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

There wasn't much time to do anything, they died before 35 on average.

Doesn't that mortality statistic account for infant mortality too? I think if you survived past childhood you'd probably live for longer.

That allows for survival up until the time you go out to challenge a deer with a seven foot wide rack of antlers for supper, or begin to have babies before the concept of midwife was developed.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

I would imagine that a lot of wanking was probably involved since their descendants certainly inherited the gene for it!

[Rum]

Telling stories to find explanations and inventing religion in the process. Bastards.

[Pensioner]

Fooking beautiful art.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Telling stories to find explanations and inventing religion in the process. Bastards.

Don't you call my great2,359 grandmother names like that - she's dead, you know!

[SteveB]

Telling stories to find explanations and inventing religion in the process. Bastards.

Don't you call my great2,359 grandmother names like that - she's dead, you know!

Your grandma was a cunt tho.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Telling stories to find explanations and inventing religion in the process. Bastards.

Don't you call my great2,359 grandmother names like that - she's dead, you know!

Your grandma was a cunt tho.

They both had one.

[Audley Strange]

Wake up. Eat. Hunt. Eat. Fuck. Sleep.

[Atheist-Lite]

What I never understood about cave art is the practice required to get both scale and anatomy just right. This isn't something that just happens. So where are all the mistakes that lead to correct pictorial representation? The most spooky thing is that only paper style practice can lead to the accuracy above....