Are there stone-age societies surviving in the modern world?

Question

Could you please post names or links.

eg Jarawas

http://andamandt.nic.in/people.htm

Answer 1

Referring to people or groups of people as "stone-age" or "primitive" is a big taboo in Anthropology because it appears to indicate that one society is more highly evolved than another, which is impossible since we have all been around for the same amount of time. What I think you are looking for are groups who are still living in much the same way has they did during the Stone Age.

While there are no groups anywhere in the world which have not been effected in any way by the "modern" world (technology, contact with anthropologists, politics, etc) there are many groups who still live much as they have for thousands of years. There are several groups still existing as hunter/gatherers in Africa and many tribes (mostly near the equator) who use very little modern technology and, again, live very similarly to how they have for many thousands of years.

However, the idea that there are "primitive" or "stone age" societies in hidden pockets of the world which have no concept of the "real world" and are untouched by time is just a bunch of c**p to make you watch documentaries and buy magazines. The very act of entering a society to study it changes it profoundly by bringing in outside influences.

Check out a film called "Cannibal Tours". It documents tours through Pap New Guinea (supposedly to show tourists how the "primitives" live) but the natives are wearing Nike shirts!

Answer 2

Sorry lov, but i think you need to consider your definitions here. "Stone-Age" belong to the historical period. "Pre-Historical" anthropologically refers to pre-writing. So in some areas - like Out Back Australia - this was within living memory.

Many of the contemporary Hunter/Gather people now live on the fringes of both the environment & 'modern' society. Historical Hunter/Gather people lived in the areas where modern cities currently live in or use for Agriculture.

So there are fundamental problems comparing the contemporary people with a historical Hunter/Gather model

.

Answer 3

There is a tribe of Indians living in the Amazon rain forest.

I forgot the name of the tribe but they reportedly have lived

the same way for over a thousand years. We are not as far

out of the stone age as one might think. Some American

Indians still make arrow heads, spear points and axes out

of stone. A skill handed down by there Grandfathers. Now

they don't do it out of necessity anymore.

Hope that helps.

Answer 4

Depends on what you consider "stone age" ... but there are still pockets of tribes around the world in various places that stay true to their native ways and heritage, untouched by modernization ... and I bet they are happier than someone in a penthouse in Manhattan!

Answer 5

In New Guinea and some were discovered about 14 years ago in central Australia ~~

Answer 6

Well there are the Rastafarians in Jamacia..........

Oh, you said stone age, I thought you meant stoned.

Answer 7

Depends on the stone age itself. Probually yes, there are old cultures still existing today.

Answer 8

You have in Australia:

http://earthsci.org/aboriginal/Ngadjonji...

National Geographic also talk about the discovery of the Dogons tribe in Early 20th century. They live in Mali Africa, and you can find many interesting thing about them, even if they got contaminated by our society.

They are some tribes found in Amazonia that are still wild, others in Indonesia...