HUMAN ADAPTATION TO THE ENVIRONMENT

IN HOT REGIONS - THE BUSHMEN

      Their real name is known as the San, they are hunters and gatherers. At present they are found in Botswana, Namibia and Angola. The San population is estimated at about 50,000 (in 2001). They group into small bands of 30 to 100 and they camp or stay only a few weeks at one place and do hunting and gathering over an area of 600 sq.km.

     

      TERRITORY: - The Bushmen are mainly confined in the barren inhospitable environment of the Kalahari Desert and the adjacent sub-topical grasslands of Southwest Africa. The desert has 102-254 mm or 4-10 inches of rainfall in a year. Towards north of the desert region situated the famous Etosha National Park.

     

      The habitat of Bushmen, contain forests, grasslands and thorny bushes and are renowned or famous in numerous herbivorous and carnivorous animals.

     

      CLIMATE :-They live in a plateau, about 2000 meters above sea level. Climate is subtropical, gets rainfall in summer and rainfall is abundant in the eastern half of the great plateau. The abundance of rainfall has resulted into dense forests on the eastern mountains and coastlands, fading or receding westward into expenses of tall grass and thorny scrub and ultimately bare sandy and stony deserts.

     

      PEOPLE AND CULTURE :-In appearance, the Bushmen show many points of resemblance to the Negritoes. They are short statured (5 “4”), but they do not have the projecting mouth, thick averted lips and wide open eyes, characteristics of both Negroes and Negritoes.

     

      Each family produces its own food. The women collect the roots, berries, grubs, insects, tortoises, frogs, lizards as well as firewood and water. The men go out almost daily to hunt and mainly come back in the evening for the main evening meal.

     

      The clothing of a Bushmen is scanty. A man wears a triangular loin cloth, whose point is drawn backwards between the legs. A woman wears a squarish front apron hanging from a waist belt, while older wears an apron at back as well.

IN THE PLATEAU REGION: THE MASAIS

       

      They are a mixture of the Mediterranean and Negroid peoples. They are known as the best and most typical cattle herders, so they belong to the pastoral society. In appearance the Masais are tall and slender, many of them have fine-cut features, skin colour varies from light chocolate to very dark brown.

      TERRITORY: - They occupy the equatorial plateau to the east of Lake Victoria. This plateau is situated in the northern parts of East Africa comprising Kenya, northern Tanzania (Tanganyika) and eastern Uganda. Their territory extends from north to south for about 800 km and from west to east 550 km. This elongate highland is traversed from north to south by the Great Rift Valley which extends from Jordan (Dead Sea) to Nayasa Lake in the south. Due to deposition of lava by numerous volcanoes the peaks of Kilimanjaro, Meru and Kenya are quite pronounced.

            CLIMATE: - Though the habitat of the Masais lies in the equatorial region, but owing to altitudes the temperature reads around 14^Oc which varies little from month to month. The days are sunny and nights are cool. The rainfall rarely exceeds 100 cm which is convectional in character. The major rains of the year fall in April and May, when a strong monsoon blows inland from Indian Ocean. June to September is the period of severe drought. As a whole the area has tropical grassland climate.

      The areas having low rainfall (below 50 cm) are not favorable for cattle herders. Thorny trees and bushes are growing in this place. The areas receiving over 75 cm of rainfall are covered by tall Savanna grass studded with higher Babul (acacia). At higher altitudes, above 2000 meters, the drought is much shorter and mountain grass pastures are more perennial.

      PEOPLE AND CULTURE :-The Masai ascend the high altitude pastures during the period of drought (June-September) and descend in lower pastures in the rainy (April-May) season. Cattle are the basis of Masai economy. Cattle are the most important livestock, others include sheep, goats and donkeys. Cattle and sheep are used for their meat, milk and blood. Milking is done by women. Pastoralism among the Masais is more than an economic activity because they are used in religious rites and magical ceremonies. So keeping large number of cattle gives a man status and prestige before his own fellowmen. Second to pastoralism, the occupation of the Masais is warring. So, all the young men from 16 to 20 years of age have to undergo a special training as warriors. This is done to defend their cattle against cattle raids from their neighbors. The main weapons of the Masais are iron weapons as the long bladed spear, leaf shaped sword, and the arrow.

      The main food is obtained from the livestock. Milk, blood and meat are eaten. The clothes of the Masais are simple and mostly made of skin. But the young women and warriors wear elaborate ornaments, especially on ceremonial occasions. The daughter of a well to do family prides herself on the size and massiveness of the long, close coil of iron wire that is fitted on her lower arms, legs and neck. The Masais live in a hut which is 4 or 5 meters long and 4 meters wide. These are walled and roofed with layers of long grass and plastered with mud or cow dung. A number of these huts from about 20 to 50 constitute one Kraal. The particular plan of this Kraal is suited for defense. The Masais group together in a clan and the clans are patrilineal exogamous group.