Archaeological Evidence for the Emergence of Language, Symbolism, and Music—An Alternative Multidisciplinary Perspective

• Published in: Journal of world prehistory Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 1 - 70
• Main Authors: d'Errico, Francesco, Henshilwood, Christopher, Lawson, Graeme, Vanhaeren, Marian, Tillier, Anne-Marie, Soressi, Marie, Bresson, Frédérique, Maureille, Bruno, Nowell, April, Lakarra, Joseba, Backwell, Lucinda, Julien, Michèle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Plenum Publishing 01.03.2003; Springer; Springer Verlag
• Subjects: Africa; Archaeology; Biological anthropology; Bones; Cults, religions and funeral rites; Ethnology and art; Europe; Evolution; Flutes; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Language; Language acquisition; Methodology and general studies; Mortuary customs; Music; Musical instruments; Musical notation; Neanderthals; Paleoanthropology; Paleontology; Prehistory; Prehistory and protohistory; Stone tools; Symbolism; Technology; Neanderthal; Middle Palaeolithic; Europe; Africa; Origin; Behaviour; Technological knowledge; Symbolism; Lithic industry; Ethnology; Bone object; Acculturation; Language; Technology; Music; Apparition; Culture; language; music; Neandertals; symbolism; bone tools
• ISSN: 0892-7537; 1573-7802
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1023980201043

In recent years, there has been a tendency to correlate the origin of modern culture and language with that of anatomically modern humans. Here we discuss this correlation in the light of results provided by our first hand analysis of ancient and recently discovered relevant archaeological and paleontological material from Africa and Europe. We focus in particular on the evolutionary significance of lithic and bone technology, the emergence of symbolism, Neandertal behavioral patterns, the identification of early mortuary practices, the anatomical evidence for the acquisition of language, the development of conscious symbolic storage, the emergence of musical traditions, and the archaeological evidence for the diversification of languages during the Upper Paleolithic. This critical reappraisal contradicts the hypothesis of a symbolic revolution coinciding with the arrival of anatomically modern humans in Europe some 40,000 years ago, but also highlights inconsistencies in the anatomically—culturally modern equation and the potential contribution of anatomically "pre-modern" human populations to the emergence of these abilities. No firm evidence of conscious symbolic storage and musical traditions are found before the Upper Paleolithic. However, the oldest known European objects that testify to these practices already show a high degree of complexity and geographic variability suggestive of possible earlier, and still unrecorded, phases of development.