World's Oldest Profession

[Adam]

What could be the worlds oldest profession?

My idea: prostitution is the oldest profession, started when women realized that they could make money by screwing men. Men rebounded, creating the second oldest profession, the law, where they could make money by screwing everyone.​

 

[Pompal 09.]

People joke that prostitution is the world’s oldest profession. Prostitution may be a candidate for one of the oldest professions but is not the oldest profession in the World. Several professions vie for that number.


Human beings share 95% -99% of their DNA sequences with chimpanzees. Zoologists and other researchers have observed chimpanzees using tools. Archeologists theorize that early hominids were using simple tools around 7 to 5 million yrs ago. Hominids are the ancestors of Homo sapiens. These would have been very simple unaltered tools sticks. There is evidence to suggest that hominids were using modified bones as tools and weapons up to 3.5 million years ago, it is also likely that they used tools made from wood.

The earliest flint tools were made and used by homo habillis. The Olduwan tools found at Gona, in Ethiopia, dated by new dating techniques as being 2.3 million years old ago. These were slightly modified flint flakes with sharp edges. Therefore, one of the world’s oldest professions was a toolmaker, or flint knapper. Homo habillis used these simple stone tools in various ways.
Some experts believe that homo habillis ate fish. Fossils of chewed fish bones were found indicating this to be true. Therefore, one of the earliest professions was that of a fisherman. Homo habillis lived a nomadic lifestyle and, whilst he did not hunt meat, he did scavenge from the kills of other animals. He would have had to have his wits about him and be ready to run or throw stones to defend himself and his family from animals that would eat him. Homo habillis gathered fruit and vegetable food. Homo habillis would need his or hands free in order to do all these things. Therefore, it is arguable that homo habillis made rush or reed baskets. One of the oldest professions in the world is that of a basket weaver.


Female hominids may have given sexual favour for food but early hominid males were much larger than females. In primates today, where males are bigger than females, females rarely have any choice in the matter of mating. It is arguable that early females had no choice either and that prostitution did not begin as early as some other professions.


Prostitution may be one of the world’s oldest professions but it is not the oldest profession. Experts, such as paleo-biologists, archeologists and other experts find more each day about our ancestors and their lives. It is likely that other professions will be added to the list of the World’s oldest professions.


M. Collins