DOCSLIB.ORG

Matters Arising

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Matters Arising 870 Nature Vol. 296 29 April 1982 . MATTERS ARISING bed by fluvial transpore. However, para­ rate of the clay. We share with Isaac the Early hominids and 1 fire at Chesowanja, Kenya graph 4 and Fig. 2 of the article make it hope that future investigations of experi­ clear that all the finds, including the bur­ mental fires will assist in the interpretation IN addition to providing valuable new ned earth fragments, were recovered from of such data. information on the important palaeo­ material that was swept together in the Strength of association is an important anthropological evidence from bed of a small channel. The finds can thus point. Given the controversy surrounding 1 1 Chesowanja, Gowlett et a/. state that be regarded as provocative and sugges­ the contexts of all early sites , Isaac legiti­ "burnt clay found at one artefact locality tive, but no more. mately raises the possibility that the baked dated to greater than 1.42 ± 0.07 Myr is The question of the antiquity of human clay and artefacts may have been swept the earliest known evidence of fire associ­ control over fire is of more than curiosity together. The evidence does not, ated with a hominid occupation site" and value in our understanding of prehistory however, support this view. On the that "the new find, along with the more and human evolution. Besides the indica­ contrary, we have good reason to believe tentative evidence from other sites, tion provided of an advance in mental that a reverse process has operated, and greatly strengthens the hypothesis that by capacity, fire may well have had important that the clay lumps, starting together, 1.4 Myr hominids were using and con­ effects on feeding strategies and diet have crept apart. The presence of several trolling fire". breadth. Control over fire also would have large lumps together (square 82-83 There are various reasons why the allowed humans to raise the frequency of E/111-112 S), including three weighing evidence reported should be treated as a bush fires and thereby to have a marked 262, 217 and 17 5 g respectively and which good deal less definite than the article effect on vegetation patterns. retain sharp edges and protuberances, implies. The article by Gowlett et al., and others argues very strongly against any Traces of bush fires of presumably that they cite, serve the useful purpose of significant water transport, as indeed does natural origin are not uncommon in early emphasizing that we still do not know the whole context of fine-grained sedi­ and middle Pleistocene deposits of the whether humans controlled fire before ments. These finds occur close to a East African Rift Valley. For example, -0.5 Myr and if so, how long before. I modern erosion gully, which prevents fur­ the fluviatile facies of the Upper Member suspect that development of suitable dis­ ther exploration to the north and west, so at Koobi Fora contains numerous red­ criminants between traces of bush fires that the scatter of smaller clay lumps to dened, hardened patches that are closely and controlled fire will require collabor­ the opposite corner of the excavation is analogous to places where smouldering ation of physicists and archaeologists in actually a vital bonus to interpretation, as logs and stumps from modern bush fires the field during excavations. it rules out any possibility of the burnt have burned down against or into contem­ GLYNN ISAAC material deriving fi·om recent superficial porary soils. I have seen and photo­ Department of Anthropology, disturbance. graphed several recent examples of bur­ University of California, We welcome Isaac's contribution, for it ned patches in East Africa, and at least Berkeley, California 94720, USA is important that the cases for and against one rather analogous set of circumstances early human control of fire, at 2 has been reported in Australia • Where I. Gowlett, J. A. J., Harris, J. W. K., Walton, D. & Wood, Chesowanja or elsewhere, should be fully B. A. Nature 294, 125-129 (1981). these reddened patches, ancient or 2. Chapman, V. Mankind 11,480--483 (1977). aired. We also agree that progress in this modern, erode, a scattering of hard red 3. Laloy, J. Cahiers du Centre de Recherches Prehistoriques field of research will be much facilitated fragments results. Clasts of this natural (Universite de Paris I, 1980). by closer practical collaboration between 'terracotta' can commonly be observed in physicists and archaeologists. Nonethe­ the grits and gravels formed on ancient less, we stand firmly by the view that the land surfaces. I have frequently observed GOWLETT, HARRIS AND WOOD evidence at Chesowanja greatly these clasts in excavations both at Koobi REPLY-Isaac provides us with an oppor­ strengthens the hypothesis that fire was Fora and at Olorgesailie and imagine tunity to explain further why we consider associated with hominid activities more them to be a widespread phenomenon. that the context of the burnt clay at site than 1 Myr ago. We shall present addi­ This means that before a new record GnJi 1/6E deserves serious consideration tional evidence in due course. for a high antiquity of human control over as evidence linking fire with hominid We hope that this exchange will help fire can fairly be claimed, there must exist activity. to stimulate research on a wider scale, for some objective means of distinguishing a Isaac describes a series of circumstances although the evolutionary importance of hearth controlled by hominids from the which would provide the least ambiguous controlled fire has been appreciated for 2 baking effects of a bush fire. Gowlett et evidence of controlled fire on a single over a century , new technical means for a/. seem to claim that this distinction is open site, and few would dispute his gen­ exploring its history now provide increas­ made possible by the contrast between a eral criteria. We agree, too, that circum­ ingly better chances of adding to the facts. determination of a 400 oc baking tem­ stances where baking is not proved, or perature for the burned material from site where evidence of hominid activity is 1. A. J. GOWLETT GnJi 1/6E compared with over 600 °C tenuous, provide inadequate testimony. Research Laboratory for Archaeology for "baking around a recently burned tree Where we clearly disagree with Isaac is and the History of Art, stump". I am sceptical that a difference over the idea that a site with much Oxford University, Oxford OX1 301, UK between two isolated determinations can stronger evidence should have no effect J. W. K. HARRIS be relied on as a general criterion, and I on what can be admitted as a working Department of Anthropology, would predict that if a series of bushfire hypothesis. University of Wisconsin, baked samples is measured, the range of We emphasize again that the evidence Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201, USA temperatures will be found to overlap of fire at Chesowanja is quite definite: the with campfire temperatures. clay was burned, and its association with B. A. WOOD The most convincing evidence for the artefacts is direct and physical. Isaac Department of Anatomy, human control over fire in an open site rightly points out that the apparently low The Middlesex Hospital Medical School, would come from evidence of a localized, baking temperature of the clay is incon­ London W1P 6DP, UK burned patch that was not a burned clusive evidence of the nature of the fire. 1. Binford, L. R. Bones: Ancient Men and Modern Myths stump, inside the confines of artefactual This we clearly acknowledged, and it is (Academic, New York, 1981). refuse which had not been unduly distur- why we advocated studies of the cooling 2. Darwin, C. The Descent of Man (Murray, London, 1871). 0028-0836/82/170870-01$01.00 © 1982 Macmillan Journals Ltd .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Papers in Honor of Glynn Isaac and His
    This article was downloaded by: [Michigan State University] On: 06 February 2015, At: 13:37 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/raza20 Casting the net wide: Papers in honor of Glynn Isaac and his approach to human origins research Thomas Wynn a a University of Colorado , Colorado Springs , United States of America Published online: 03 May 2013. To cite this article: Thomas Wynn (2013) Casting the net wide: Papers in honor of Glynn Isaac and his approach to human origins research, Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa, 48:2, 326-328, DOI: 10.1080/0067270X.2013.788868 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0067270X.2013.788868 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content.
    [Show full text]
  • 'Favoured Places' and What Do They Tell Us About Hominin Behaviour..?
    What are Oldowan 'favoured places' and what do they tell us about hominin behaviour..? Table of Contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 2 2. The Oldowan........................................................................................................................... 2 Africa, the cradle of mankind ................................................................................................... 2 What is 'Oldowan' ................................................................................................................... 2 Olduvai Gorge.......................................................................................................................... 3 Taxa ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Climate and Environment......................................................................................................... 3 3. Favoured-Place ....................................................................................................................... 4 4. Hominin Behaviours................................................................................................................ 5 Oldowan Culture ...................................................................................................................... 5 Bipedalism ....................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Later Stone Age Toolstone Acquisition in the Central Rift Valley of Kenya
    Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 18 (2018) 475–486 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jasrep Later Stone Age toolstone acquisition in the Central Rift Valley of Kenya: T Portable XRF of Eburran obsidian artifacts from Leakey's excavations at Gamble's Cave II ⁎ ⁎⁎ Ellery Frahma,b, , Christian A. Tryonb, a Yale Initiative for the Study of Ancient Pyrotechnology, Council on Archaeological Studies, Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States b Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Cambridge, MA, United States ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: The complexities of Later Stone Age environmental and behavioral variability in East Africa remain poorly Obsidian sourcing defined, and toolstone sourcing is essential to understand the scale of the social and natural landscapes en- Raw material transfer countered by earlier human populations. The Naivasha-Nakuru Basin in Kenya's Rift Valley is a region that is not Naivasha-Nakuru Basin only highly sensitive to climatic changes but also one of the world's most obsidian-rich landscapes. We used African Humid Period portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analyses of obsidian artifacts and geological specimens to understand pat- Hunter-gatherer mobility terns of toolstone acquisition and consumption reflected in the early/middle Holocene strata (Phases 3–4 of the Human-environment interactions Eburran industry) at Gamble's Cave II. Our analyses represent the first geochemical source identifications of obsidian artifacts from the Eburran industry and indicate the persistent selection over time for high-quality obsidian from Mt. Eburru, ~20 km distant, despite changes in site occupation intensity that apparently correlate with changes in the local environment.
    [Show full text]
  • KATHY DIANE SCHICK Contact Information
    CURRICULUM VITAE Name: KATHY DIANE SCHICK Contact Information: Telephone: (812) 876-0080, ext. 202 (office) (812) 855-0086 (FAX) Email : [email protected] Address : Stone Age Institute 1392 W. Dittemore Road Gosport, IN 47433 Website : www.stoneageinstitute.org Present Positions: Professor, Department of Anthropology and Cognitive Science Program, Indiana University Co-Director, Stone Age Institute, Gosport, Indiana Co-Director, CRAFT (Center for Research into the Anthropological Foundations of Technology), Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana Adjunct Professor of Biology, Indiana University Secretary/Treasurer, Friends of CRAFT, Inc. (research and education non-profit) Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science Contact Information: Telephone: (812) 876-0080, ext. 202 (office); (812) 855-0086 (FAX) Email : [email protected] Address : Stone Age Institute 1392 W. Dittemore Road Gosport, IN 47433 Website : www.stoneageinstitute.org Education: Ph.D. (1984). University of California, Berkeley. Anthropology: Old World Prehistory program. M.A. (1979). University of California, Berkeley. Anthropology. Kent State University (1974-6). Masters Program, Anthropology. B.A. (1974), Kent State University. Anthropology Case-Western Reserve University (1967-8), Cleveland,Ohio, College of Arts and Sciences Areas of Special Interest: Old World prehistory, palaeoanthropology, evolution of technology, human adaptation, primate studies, archaeological site formation, geoarchaeology, taphonomy, zooarchaeology, hunter-gatherers, ethnoarchaeology, lithic technology, experimental archaeology, invention and technology, history of archaeology; Areas: Africa, Europe, Asia. 1 Academic Positions: 2000- present. Professor, Anthropology Department, Indiana University. 1994-2000 Associate Professor, Anthropology Department, Indiana University. 1989-1993 Assistant Professor, Anthropology Department, Indiana University. 1986-1989 Visiting Professor, Anthropology Department, Indiana University, Bloomington. 1986 Visiting Professor, Anthropology Department, U.C. Berkeley.
    [Show full text]
  • Book Reviews
    GEA(Wiley) RIGHT INTERACTIVE Book Reviews Environmental Research in Support of Archaeological Investigations in the Yemen Arab Republic, 1982±1987. Maurice J. Grolier, Robert Brinkmann, and Jeffrey A. Blakely, 1996, The Wadi Al-Jubah Archaeological Project Volume 5, pub- lished by the American Foundation for the Study of Man, Washington, D.C., xxxviii ϩ 469 pp., $85.00 (hardbound) From 1982 through 1987, the American Foundation for the Study of Man (AFSU) conducted archae- ological investigations on or near the ancient biblical spice routes in the Wadi al-Jubah area in east- central Yemen. Most of this volume is devoted to pedological and geomorphological research under- taken during the 1987 ®eld season. The primary objective was to demonstrate how pre-Islamic and recent land use, especially ¯ood (seil) irrigation farming, modi®ed the environment of the study area. The volume is organized in six parts, with each part containing one or more ªarticles.º A gazetter, glossary, and introduction precede Part I. The ®rst article (Part I) is a brief summary of an interview with a sheik of the Baltarith tribe who provides a ®rst-hand account of agricultural practices in the study area since the early 1900's. Part II consists of six articles, three of which concentrate on landforms and soils resulting from seil irrigation. Maurice J. Grolier provides a detailed geomorphic inquiry into seil processes and seil irriga- tion farming in the al-Jadidah basin of Wadi al-Jubah. He notes that the archaeological evidence suggests a 1700-year gap between pre-Islamic seil irrigation and modern resettlement of the basin in the 19th century.
    [Show full text]
  • Transitions in Prehistory Essays in Honor of Ofer Bar-Yosef
    Transitions in Prehistory Essays in Honor of Ofer Bar-Yosef Oxbow Books Oxford and Oakville AMERICAN SCHOOL OF PREHISTORIC RESEARCH MONOGRAPH SERIES Series Editors C. C. LAMBERG-KARLOVSKY, Harvard University DAVID PILBEAM, Harvard University OFER BAR-YOSEF, Harvard University Editorial Board STEVEN L. KUHN, University of Arizona, Tucson DANIEL E. LIEBERMAN, Harvard University RICHARD H. MEADOW, Harvard University MARY M. VOIGT, The College of William and Mary HENRY T. WRIGHT, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Publications Coordinator WREN FOURNIER, Harvard University The American School of Prehistoric Research (ASPR) Monographs in Archaeology and Paleoanthropology present a series of documents covering a variety of subjects in the archaeology of the Old World (Eurasia, Africa, Australia, and Oceania). This series encompasses a broad range of subjects – from the early prehistory to the Neolithic Revolution in the Old World, and beyond including: hunter- gatherers to complex societies; the rise of agriculture; the emergence of urban societies; human physi- cal morphology, evolution and adaptation, as well as; various technologies such as metallurgy, pottery production, tool making, and shelter construction. Additionally, the subjects of symbolism, religion, and art will be presented within the context of archaeological studies including mortuary practices and rock art. Volumes may be authored by one investigator, a team of investigators, or may be an edited collec- tion of shorter articles by a number of different specialists working on related topics. American School of Prehistoric Research, Peabody Museum, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA Transitions in Prehistory Essays in Honor of Ofer Bar-Yosef Edited by John J. Shea and Daniel E.
    [Show full text]
  • The Paleoanthropology and Archaeology of Big-Game Hunting INTERDISCIPLINARY CONTRIBUTIONS to ARCHAEOLOGY
    The Paleoanthropology and Archaeology of Big-Game Hunting INTERDISCIPLINARY CONTRIBUTIONS TO ARCHAEOLOGY Series Editor: Jelmer Eerkens, University of California, Davis, CA, USA Founding Editor: Roy S. Dickens, Jr. Late of University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA For more information about this series, please visit the Series Homepage at: www.springer.com/series/6090 John D. Speth The Paleoanthropology and Archaeology of Big-Game Hunting Protein, Fat, or Politics? John D. Speth Museum of Anthropology University of Michigan 4013 Museums Building Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1079 USA [email protected] ISSN 1568-2722 ISBN 978-1-4419-6732-9 (hardcover) ISBN 978-1-4419-6733-6 (eBook) ISBN 978-1-4614-2674-5 (softcover) DOI 10.1007/978-1-4419-6733-6 Springer New York Heidelberg Dordrecht London Library of Congress Control Number: 2010929855 © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2010, First softcover printing 2012 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. Exempted from this legal reservation are brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis or material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the Copyright Law of the Publisher’s location, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer.
    [Show full text]
  • Thames a Hudson
    COLIN RENFREW PAU L BAH N t/ Thames a Hudson ----_ I writing, the distinction between hìstor.y and prchlstory is a convenient dividing line that sirnply recognizes the If, then, archaeology deals with the past, in what way does it importance of thc written word in the modern world, bnt diffel from historyì In the br-oadest sense, just as alchaeol- in no way denigrates the nscful inforrnation containcd in ogy is an aspect ofanthropology, so too is it a part ofhistoly oral histories. - where we rnean the whole history of hurnankind lrom As will becorle abunclantly clear- in this book, archae- its beginnings over- 3 rnillion years ago. Indeed for more ology can also contribnte a great cleal to the understanding than 99 pe1'ccnt of that hr-rge span of time archaeology - even of thosc pcriods and places wher-e docnments, insc ìp- the study of past matelial culture - is the or.rly slgnificant tions, and other literaly evidence do exist. Quite often, it sonrce of information, if one sets aside physical anthropol- is the archaeologìst who unearths such evidence in the ogy, which focuses on our biological rather lhan cultnral fiLst place. Archaeology is partly the discovery ofthe tleasur.es of'the culture" has a specific and sornewhat different rreanìng, progress. Conventional histolical sou-r-ces begin only with past, pafily the rneticnlons worl< olt the scientific analyst, as explained in Chapter 3.) Anthropology is thus a broad the introcluction of written records alound Jooo BC in parlly the exercise ofthe clcative irnagination. It is toiling discipline - so broad that it is generally broken down into \^,cstern Asia, and much later in most other- par-ts of'the in the sun on an excavation in the cleselts of Centlal Asia, three srnaller disciplines: biological anthropology, cultural world (not rtntil ¡ro 1788 in Australia, for example).
    [Show full text]
  • As Acting Editor of This Number While David Lubell Is Away, I Wish to Apologize to the Readers of Nyame Akuma for the Delay in the Publication of This Issue
    As acting editor of this number while David Lubell is away, I wish to apologize to the readers of Nyame Akuma for the delay in the publication of this issue. As David indicated in the last number (No. 26 - June 1985), we had hoped to get the present issue out to you by the end of 1985. However, toward the deadline date of October, I realized that we had not yet received enough material to warrant a full issue. Pam Willoughby and I decided to send a request for information to a number of people who have contributed in the past and who we hoped needed merely a bit of prodding to respond favourably and quickly. Several individuals did come through and this issue is the result. Before I continue with the more mandane aspects of this editorial, I must first advise readers who may still be unaware of some tragic news. It is with great sadness and a gaping sense of loss that we learned of the sudden and untimely death of Glynn Isaac in Japan in October of 1985. Pam Willoughby, a former student of Glynn at UCLA, has contributed a short obituray for him in this number. Few of us need to be reminded of the scholarly significance of Glynn's research over the past two decades and his commitment to African prehistory. On behalf of the readers sympathies to Barbara Isaac and his family. We would ask that she accept this number of Nyame Akuma as a small tribute to the memory of Glynn. Several aspects of publishing Nyame Akuma have taken on new meaning to me since serving as editor.
    [Show full text]
  • Oldowan: Rather More Than Smashing Stones Oldowan: Rather More Than Smashing Stones Oldowan
    TREBALLS D’ARQUEOLOGIA, 9 Centre d’Estudis del Patrimoni Arqueològic de la Prehistòria Oldowan: Rather more than smashing stones Oldowan: Rather more than smashing stones Oldowan: First Hominid Technology Workshop Bellaterra, December 2001 Treballs d'Arqueologia, 9 d'Arqueologia, Treballs Jorge Martínez Moreno Rafael Mora Torcal Ignacio de la Torre Sainz Editores portada 12/12/03 15:56 Página 1 Centre d’Estudis del Patrimoni Arqueològic de la Prehistòria TREBALLS D’ARQUEOLOGIA, 9 Oldowan: Rather more than smashing stones First Hominid Technology Workshop Bellaterra, December 2001 Jorge Martínez Moreno Rafael Mora Torcal Ignacio de la Torre Sainz Editores Bellaterra, desembre de 2003 portada 12/12/03 15:56 Página 2 Comitè organitzador Rafael Mora Torcal Paloma González Marcén Jorge Martínez Moreno Ignacio de la Torre Sainz Joel Casanovas Martí Jezabel Pizarro Barberà Comitè científic assessor Pablo Arias. Universidad de Cantabria Felipe Criado. CSIC Carlos Díez de Lomana. Universidad de Burgos Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo. Universidad Complutense de Madrid Diane Gifford-González. University of California, Santa Cruz Ramiro March. CNRS José Ramos. Universidad de Cádiz Narcís Soler. Universitat de Girona Valentín Villaverde. Universidad de Valencia Coordinació i edició Centre d’Estudis del Patrimoni Arqueològic de la Prehistòria Departament d’Antropologia Social i de Prehistòria Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Maquetació Cristina Masvidal Jorge Martínez Moreno Amb el suport de: Ministeri de Ciència i Tecnologia Ministeri d’Educació, Cultura i Esport Departament d’Universitats, Recerca i Societat de la Informació Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Intercanvi i subscripcions: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Secció d’Intercanvi de Publicacions Edifici A 08193 Bellaterra. Spain Impressió Servei de Publicacions de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona ISSN: 1134-9263 Dipòsit legal: B.
    [Show full text]
  • Anthro Notes
    2 ANTHRONOTLS MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY PUBLICATION FOR EDUCATORS VOLUME yi NO. 1 SPRING/SUMMER 1999 HUMAN ORIGINS: ONE MAN'S SEARCH FOR THE CAUSES IN TIME by Ruth Osterweis Selig "Alan Walker once said to me, It does not matter how much you can convince yourself; it only matters how much you can convince your skeptics'— that is science in a nutshell." Rick Potts, interview, 4/2/99. all the animal species on earth, only humans human evolution and paleoanthropology, but it also Ofask from whence they came. offers insight into one scientist's single-minded— passion Paleoanthropologists strive to answer the what, and the development of a new theory "variability the why and the how of that remarkable journey. In a selection"—to explain the why and the how ofhuman recent article, "Why Are We Human?," Rick Potts, origins. This article presents three intertwined stories: director ofthe Smithsonian's Human Origins Program, summarized the state of current knowledge: • the development of one paleoanthropologist's Due to the rapid pace of discovery, scientists career; now have fossils from more than 5,000 • the development of the human species through individuals as far back as 5 million years. That time; and record offers strong evidence that we evolved • the development of a new theory of human from apelike species in Africa, and genetic evolution: variability selection. evidence confirms that our closest biological cousins are the African chimpanzees. Scientists These three stories illuminate the inextricable nature from many different fields agree that humans of scientific advances, human knowledge, and the and chimpanzees evolved from a common individual scientist.
    [Show full text]
  • Oldowan: Rather More Than Smashing Stones
    portada 12/12/03 15:56 Página 1 Centre d’Estudis del Patrimoni Arqueològic de la Prehistòria TREBALLS D’ARQUEOLOGIA, 9 Oldowan: Rather more than smashing stones First Hominid Technology Workshop Bellaterra, December 2001 Jorge Martínez Moreno Rafael Mora Torcal Ignacio de la Torre Sainz Editores Bellaterra, desembre de 2003 Oldowan, rather more than smashing stones: An introduction to "The Technology of First Humans" workshop. Jorge Martínez-Moreno Rafael Mora Torcal Ignacio de la Torre "Even the simplest tool made out of a broken bough or a chipped stone is the fruit of long expe- rience- of trials and errors, impressions noticed, remembered, and compared. The skill to make it has been acquired by observation, by recolection, and by experiment. It may seem an exaggeration, but it is yet true to say that any tool is an embodi- ment of science" Vere Gordon Childe New questions for old stones The appearance of the earliest artefacts is a prominent area of study within the overall field of the exploration of Human Origins. For a variety of reasons, the systematic use of stone tools has been considered a key piece of evidence in understanding the evolutionary process of the human species. In recent years this affirmation has undergone revision. The application of actualistic studies in the reconstruction of these sce- narios has attempted to integrate the appearance of the earliest industries as one more element to be considered within this process of adaptation, yet with a less transcendental character than that traditionally conceded it (see for instance Oliver et al. (ed.) 1994).
    [Show full text]