I'm not sure if this goes here, anyway.

My question is what we know about the first societies formed by homo sapiens. I read somewhere that those first societies were matriarchical and I wanted to verify it. Also, what role exactly would matriarchy/patriarchy play in such a primitive society (maybe as small as a family)? If there was a change in type, how and why did it happen?

Interesting, I am looking into it.

No idea, but to fuel your fire, bonobos are matriarchal, while chimps are patriarchal, and some human societies, such as the Picts, were thought to have been matriarchal. Iirc, there are still some matriarchal societies.

 

Mokele

I would guess that if there were a switch from matriarchal to patriarchal it would have to do with tribal warfare resulting from the increasing human population and the competition for resources.

I would guess that if there were a switch from matriarchal to patriarchal it would have to do with tribal warfare resulting from the increasing human population and the competition for resources.

 

Yes, this makes a lot of sense. Power would have passed to the males when their superior physical abilities became important.

I remember reading about this carving, which seems to portray an "earth mother". Certainly women had a very important place in this very early civilization - whether the society was matriarchal, I don't know.

http://www.angelfire.com/realm2/amethystbt/willendorfthewomenof.html