Roger Blench: Reconstructing early modern human culture USING ETHNOGRAPHY TO RECONSTRUCT THE CULTURE OF EARLY MODERN HUMANS Roger Blench Mallam Dendo 8, Guest Road Cambridge CB1 2AL United Kingdom Voice/ Fax. 0044-(0)1223-560687 Mobile worldwide (00-44)-(0)7967-696804 E-mail [email protected] http://homepage.ntlworld.com/roger_blench/RBOP.htm Cambridge, 11 December, 2007 Roger Blench: Reconstructing early modern human culture TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS..............................................................................................................................1 FIGURES.......................................................................................................................................................2 TABLES.........................................................................................................................................................3 ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................................................4 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 ...........................................................................................................................................8 4.3 Social organisation ..............................................................................................................................8 4.3.1 Clans, lineages etc..........................................................................................................................................8 4.3.2 Male initiation................................................................................................................................................8 4.3.3 Menstruation taboo ........................................................................................................................................9 4.3.4 Cannibalism ...................................................................................................................................................9 4.4 Technology...........................................................................................................................................9 4.4.1 Throwing Spear .............................................................................................................................................9 4.4.2 Other hunting technologies............................................................................................................................9 Plunge-basket..........................................................................................................................................................9 Sling......................................................................................................................................................................10 Bird-liming ...........................................................................................................................................................10 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 .....................................................................................................................................12 4.5.3 Musical instruments and sound-producers...................................................................................................12 Notch-flute............................................................................................................................................................12 Struck long pole or plank......................................................................................................................................13 Stamping tube, Stosstrommel, Stampfrohr............................................................................................................13 Gourd rattle...........................................................................................................................................................14 Bullroarer..............................................................................................................................................................14 Childrens’ noise-makers .......................................................................................................................................14 Whizzing disc, Schwirrscheibe, diable.................................................................................................................15 ‘aeroplane’, ‘windmill’, tourniquet ......................................................................................................................15 4.5.4 Games and puzzles.......................................................................................................................................15 String and slat puzzle............................................................................................................................................15 Ring puzzle ...........................................................................................................................................................16 i Roger Blench: Reconstructing early modern human culture String figures........................................................................................................................................................ 16 4.6 Linguistic capabilities.......................................................................................................................17 4.6.1 General ........................................................................................................................................................ 17 4.6.2 Structural features ....................................................................................................................................... 18 Sound-symbolism................................................................................................................................................. 18 Gender-marking ................................................................................................................................................... 18 4.6.3 Tabooing names of dead and of those in certain relationships to the speaker............................................. 18 5. What is worldwide except Africa?.........................................................................................................18 5.1 General...............................................................................................................................................18 5.2 Shamanism ........................................................................................................................................19 5.3 Duct-flutes..........................................................................................................................................19 5.4 Spear-thrower, atlatl.........................................................................................................................19 5.5 Bow-string puzzle..............................................................................................................................20