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Using Ethnography to Reconstruct the Culture of Early Modern Humans

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Using Ethnography to Reconstruct the Culture of Early Modern Humans Roger Blench: Reconstructing early modern human culture USING ETHNOGRAPHY TO RECONSTRUCT THE CULTURE OF EARLY MODERN HUMANS Presentation at SAFA, Bergen 2004. Unpublished Roger Blench Kay Williamson Educational Foundation 8, Guest Road Cambridge CB1 2AL United Kingdom Voice/ Ans 0044-(0)1223-560687 Mobile worldwide (00-44)-(0)7847-495590 E-mail [email protected] http://www.rogerblench.info/RBOP.htm Cambridge, 2 September, 2012 Roger Blench: Reconstructing early modern human culture TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS..............................................................................................................................1 FIGURES.......................................................................................................................................................2 TABLES.........................................................................................................................................................2 ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................................................3 1. Introduction...............................................................................................................................................1 2. Rationale....................................................................................................................................................2 3. Evidence for diffusion versus independent invention............................................................................3 3.1. Mathematical and logical models.........................................................................................................3 3.2 The use of negative evidence................................................................................................................3 3.2 Bottlenecks, cultural and genetic ..........................................................................................................4 4. What elements left Africa?.......................................................................................................................5 4.1 General principles .................................................................................................................................5 4.2 Body alteration......................................................................................................................................5 4.2.1 Cranial deformation .......................................................................................................................5 4.2.2 Trepanning .....................................................................................................................................7 4.2.3 Dental evulsion ..............................................................................................................................7 4.2.4 Dental mutilation ...........................................................................................................................7 4.3 Social organisation................................................................................................................................7 4.3.1 Clans, lineages etc..........................................................................................................................8 4.3.2 Male initiation................................................................................................................................8 4.3.3 Menstruation taboo ........................................................................................................................8 4.3.4 Cannibalism ...................................................................................................................................8 4.4 Technology ...........................................................................................................................................9 4.4.1 Throwing Spear..............................................................................................................................9 4.4.2 Other hunting technologies............................................................................................................9 Plunge-basket ....................................................................................................................................................9 Sling 9 Bird-liming........................................................................................................................................................9 4.5 Artistic and aesthetic...........................................................................................................................10 4.5.1 Iconographic ................................................................................................................................10 Painting and symbolism ..................................................................................................................................10 Fadenkreuz (Wound thread squares) ..............................................................................................................11 4.5.2 Personal adornment......................................................................................................................11 4.5.3 Musical instruments and sound-producers...................................................................................11 Notch-flute ......................................................................................................................................................12 Struck long pole or plank ................................................................................................................................12 Stamping tube, Stosstrommel, Stampfrohr......................................................................................................12 Gourd rattle .....................................................................................................................................................13 Bullroarer ........................................................................................................................................................13 Childrens’ noise-makers..................................................................................................................................14 Whizzing disc, Schwirrscheibe, diable ...........................................................................................................14 ‘aeroplane’, ‘windmill’, tourniquet.................................................................................................................14 4.5.4 Games and puzzles.......................................................................................................................14 String and slat puzzle ......................................................................................................................................14 Ring puzzle......................................................................................................................................................15 String figures...................................................................................................................................................15 4.6 Linguistic capabilities .........................................................................................................................15 4.6.1 General.........................................................................................................................................15 4.6.2 Structural features ........................................................................................................................16 i Roger Blench: Reconstructing early modern human culture Sound-symbolism ........................................................................................................................................... 16 Gender-marking.............................................................................................................................................. 17 4.6.3 Tabooing names of dead and of those in certain relationships to the speaker .............................17 5. What is worldwide except Africa?.........................................................................................................17 5.1 General................................................................................................................................................17 5.2 Shamanism..........................................................................................................................................17 5.3 Duct-flutes ..........................................................................................................................................17 5.4 Spear-thrower, atlatl ...........................................................................................................................18 5.5 Bow-string puzzle...............................................................................................................................18 6. Summary and conclusions......................................................................................................................18 6.1 Summary table ....................................................................................................................................18 6.2 Conclusions.........................................................................................................................................19
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