The evolutionary spark that allowed humans to invent symbols
In short: How did our ancestors develop the unique ability to represent the world through symbols? This video explores the archaeological evidence of a 'creative explosion' in human culture, tracing the mental evolution from prehistoric tools to complex cave art.
Archaeologist Christopher Henshilwood is investigating the origins of human symbolic thought, which reached a peak in Ice Age Europe between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago. This era saw a massive expansion in cultural output, including elaborate graves, innovative tools, and cave paintings.
The research looks back even further to Blombos Cave in South Africa. Finds dating to 72,000 years ago provide critical evidence of early human mental powers, helping to illuminate a previously dark period of our species' cultural history.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Science Bulletins: Thinking in Symbols
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