In the early days of human history, people survived by hunting wild animals, or gathering wild grains and plants for food.

VOA: special.2010.01.31

In early human history, the dagger was a more common weapon, but about 5, 000 years ago, people learned to produce longer copper and bronze blades, and the sword became more common.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Gold did in fact replace commodities as money early on in human history.

FORBES: Private Currency Competition Is The Monetary Answer

Remember also, the population of the time was growing at a rate never before seen in human history so fast that early economists like Malthus wrung their hands over whether such growth could be sustainable.

FORBES: Capitalism In No Way Created Poverty, It Inherited It