The anthropology of deep-history

Clive Gamble

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25 Education

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REF2014 Sub-panels

What we call ourselvesGoogle NGRAM viewer

The Anthropological Review 1863

John Lubbock

Lubbock’s wordsPalaeolithic and Neolithic

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Lubbock and Tylor

• Sir John Lubbock 1834-1913– Pre-Historic times, as illustrated by ancient remains, and the manners and customs of modern

savages 1865

• E B Tylor 1832-1916– Researches into the early history of mankind and the development of civilization 1865

Bank Holiday Act

Anthropological InstituteThe Descent of man

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Darwin and LubbockMaster and Apprentice

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1882

Humans leaving Africa

000’s years

mtDNA haplogroups

Netskue and the Ephrussi family

The Akan Drum Object 86

Two stories of voyage and crossing

Afric

a

Amer

ica

Enslavement

Empowerment

Objectof curiosity“silent drum”

Instrument for control “dancing the slaves”

Object forResistance“call to arms”

Court ceremonies“to the drum beat”

Deep history

Smail and Shryock 2011

Pandora (2009) and Lilliput (1699)

Oldowan stone tools 2.5 Million years old

Seven million years of brain growth

<400cm3

>400cm3

>900cm3

>1200cm3

Ardipithecus ramidus Homo neanderthalensis

Geladas

Group and brain size

Dunbar’s number 150

Thresholds in brain size<400 cm3 >400 cm3 >900 cm3 >1200 cm3

Ardipithecus Australopithecus Homo erectus Neanderthals

CS 53 CS 60 CS 104 CS 120

4.5Ma 3.5 – 1.9Ma 1.8-0.6Ma 0.2Ma

afarensis

aethiopicus

CS = Community size

Encephalisation

Chimpanzee

<400cms3 1500cms3

Last common ancestor 6Million years ago

Large brains and small guts

Humans Primates

Expensive tissuesAiello and Wheeler 1995

John Gowlett

Brain-stuff disconnect

Large brained

Small brained

Map of the social brain

Gamble, Gowlett and Dunbar 2012

The Acheulean Gaze

John Lord

Intentions and emotions(S = social, P = primary M = mood)

Level of intentionality

Achieved by Examples Emotions

6 Only a few Complex symbolism M P S

5 Our ancestors with language as we know it

Myth and storytelling

4 Heidelbergensis and Neanderthal

Shared religious beliefs

3 All large brained hominins (>900 cms3)

You have a belief about her belief which is not my

belief2

Theory of mind

5 year olds, small brained hominins (400-900 cms3) and probably great apes

I have a belief about your belief

1 Monkeys and social animals such as elephants

Self-aware

Primary emotions

Fear

Anger

Turner 2000

Happiness

Sadness

Recognising another’s point of view: Theory of Mind

Social emotions

Shame and guilt

Map of the social brain

Geissenklosterle Cave 40,000 years ago

Hospitality to strangers and strange things

1795 Hoxne handaxes 1797-1800

Hxaro

Containers that wrap and move

Tetradic kinship N.Allen 2008

As we relate so we create

Acknowledgements

• British Academy Centenary Project: Robin Dunbar, John Gowlett, Garry Runciman, Wendy James, Ken Emond

• David Shankland, RAI• Janet Owen• Fiona Coward• Daniel Smail and Andrew Shryock• John Robb and Tim Pauketat

Hominin community size

AM

H

Neanderth

al

H. heidelberg

H. erectus

H. ergaster

H. habilis

H. flores

A. rudolphensis

A. robustus

A. boisei

A. garhi

A. aethiopicus

A. africanus

A. afarensis

Pan

Gro

up

Siz

e

200

150

100

50

0

Fig. 2

Large brained hominins>900cms3

Small brained hominins 400 - 900cms3