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THEUNSTOPPABLEHUMANSPECIES In TheUnstoppableHumanSpecies,JohnJ.Sheaexplainshowtheearliesthumans achievedmasteryoverallbutthemostsevere,biosphere-level,extinctionthreats. Heexploreshowandwhywehumansoweoursurvivalskillstoourglobal geographicrange,adiasporathatwasachievedduringprehistorictimes.By developingandintegratingasuiteofancestralsurvivalskills,humansovercame survivalchallengesbetterthanotherhominins,andsettledinpreviously unoccupiedhabitats.Buthowdidtheydoit?Howdidearlyhumansendurelong enoughtobecomeourancestors?Sheaplaces “howdidtheysurvive?” questions frontandcenterinprehistory.Usinganexplicitlyscientific,comparative,and hypothesis-testingapproach, TheUnstoppableHumanSpecies criticallyexamines much “archaeologicalmythology” aboutprehistorichumans.Writteninclear andengaginglanguage,Shea’svolumeoffersanoriginalandthought-provoking perspectiveonhumanevolution.Movingbeyondunproductivearchaeological debatesaboutprehistoricpopulationmovements, TheUnstoppableHumanSpecies generatesnewandinterestingquestionsabouthumanevolution.
JohnJ.SheaisProfessorofAnthropologyatStonyBrookUniversity,NewYork. Heistheauthorof StoneToolsinthePaleolithicandNeolithicNearEast:AGuide (CambridgeUniversityPress, ), StoneToolsinHumanEvolution:Behavioral DifferencesamongTechnologicalPrimates (CambridgeUniversityPress, ),and PrehistoricStoneToolsofEasternAfrica:AGuide (CambridgeUniversityPress, ). Apaleoanthropologist,archaeologist,andexperiencedpractitionerofancestral survivalskills,Shea’sdemonstrationsofstoneworkinghaveappearedinnumerous televisiondocumentariesandattheUnitedStatesNationalMuseumofNatural HistoryinWashington,DC.
THEUNSTOPPABLEHUMAN SPECIES TheEmergenceof HomoSapiens inPrehistory StonyBrookUniversity
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ForOferBar-Yosef(
CONTENTS ListofFigures page x
ListofTables xii
ListofBoxes xiii
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xviii
Introduction ...............................
AnUnstoppableSpecies?
PopulationMovements
QuestionsaboutHumanEvolution:Who,How,andWhy
ExplainingthePast
HowThisBookIsOrganized
HardEvidence
Time:Geochronology
Fossils:PaleontologyandZooarchaeology
Artifacts:Archaeology
Genes:MolecularAnthropology
Summary
WhoAreThesePeople?
HumansasPrimates
HowDoHumansDifferfromOtherAnimals?
HowDoHumansDifferfromOneAnother?
Summary
HowDidTheyGetHere?
ArrowsonMaps
SurvivalArchaeology
TheBigSixSurvivalChallenges
AncestralSurvivalSkills
AnIntegrativeAncestralSurvivalSkillsHypothesis
ReasonableAssumptions?
AncientAfricans
Geography:The “FourAfricas”
ImportantAncientAfricanPaleoanthropologicalSites
AncientAfricanHomininFossils
AncientAfricanArchaeology
AncientAfricans’ SurvivalStrategies
InterpretiveIssuesaboutAncientAfricans
GoingEast:FirstAsians .......................
Geography:TheLevant,Arabia,andIndia
ImportantFirstAsianPaleoanthropologicalSites
FirstAsianHomininFossils
FirstAsianArchaeology
FirstAsians’ SurvivalStrategies
InterpretiveIssuesaboutFirstAsians
DownUnder:EarlySoutheastAsiansandSahulians
Geography:Sunda,Sahul,andWallacea
ImportantSoutheastAsianandSahulianPaleoanthropologicalSites
SoutheastAsianandSahulianHomininFossils
PleistoceneArchaeologyofSoutheastAsiaandSahul
SoutheastAsians’ andSahulians’ SurvivalStrategies
InterpretiveIssuesaboutSoutheastAsiansandSahulians
Summary
NeanderthalCountry
Geography:NorthwesternEurasiabefore Ka
ImportantNeanderthalPaleoanthropologicalSites
NeanderthalFossils
NeanderthalArchaeology
Neanderthals’ SurvivalStrategies
InterpretiveIssuesaboutNeanderthals
Summary
GoingNorth:EarlyEurasians ....................
Geography:NorthernEurasiaafter Ka
ImportantEarlyEurasianPaleoanthropologicalSites
EarlyEurasianFossils
EarlyEurasianArchaeology
EarlyEurasians’ SurvivalStrategies
InterpretiveIssuesaboutEarlyEurasians
Summary
ABraveNewWorld:PleistoceneAmericans
Geography:PleistoceneBeringiaandtheAmericas
ImportantPleistoceneAmericanSites
PleistoceneAmericanFossils
PleistoceneAmericanArchaeology
PleistoceneAmericans’ SurvivalStrategies
InterpretiveIssuesaboutPleistoceneAmericans
Summary
MovableFeasts:FoodProducersandMigrations
FoodProduction
ASurvivalArchaeologyPerspectiveonFoodProduction
DetectingFoodProduction
MigrationsbyFoodProducers
DetectingMigrationsbyFoodProducers
MigrationsbyHunter-Gatherers
Summary
DistantHorizonsandStarsBeckon:OceanicIslands andBeyond
OceanicMigrations
PacificOceanMigrations:TheRoadoftheWinds
PacificOceanMigrations:ASurvivalArchaeologyPerspective
FutureHumanMigrations:TheRoadoftheStars
Summary
.Unstoppable?HumanExtinction
UnlikelyExtinctionThreats
LikelyExtinctionThreats
Pseudo-Extinction?
.Conclusion
HowDidTheyDoIt?
DifferencesbetweenEarlyHumansandLivingHumans
WhyUs?
WhatMustWeDo?
AppendixA:TraditionalArchaeologicalAge-Stages
AppendixB:SurvivalArchaeologyRecommendedReadings
AppendixC:FurtherReading
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
FIGURES Whereapeslive page
. Humanpopulationmovements
. Marineoxygen-isotoperecordoftemperaturevariation since , yearsago
Basicstonetoolcategories
Majorstoneartifact-typesdiscussedinthetext
. Majorstoneartifact-typesdiscussedinthetext(continued)
. Ceramicplates,bowls,jars,andjugs
The “fourAfricas”
MapofAfricashowingsitesdiscussedinthetext
Homoheidelbergensis versus H.sapiens skullscompared
. Artifactsassociatedwith Homoheidelbergensis
. ArtifactsassociatedwithAncientAfricans
MapofSouthernAsiashowingsitesdiscussedinthetext
ArtifactsassociatedwithFirstAsians
Nubiancoresandmicroliths
. MapofSunda,Wallacea,andSahulshowinglocationsof importantsites
ArtifactsassociatedwithearlySahulians
MapshowingimportantNeanderthalsites
. NeanderthalandEarlyEurasianhumanskullscompared
. Neanderthalstonetools
MapofEuropeshowingEarlyEurasiansites
MapofNorthernEurasiashowingEarlyEurasiansites
EarlyEurasianandrecenthumanskulls
. EarlyEurasianstonetoolsandotherartifacts
. EarlyEurasian “Venus” figurines
ImportantBeringianandPleistoceneAmericanfossilsites
ImportantPre-Clovisand “Clovis” PleistoceneAmericansites
. LaterPleistoceneandearlyHoloceneAmericanartifacts
. Hotspotsfortheoriginsoffoodproduction
MapshowingdistributionofBantulanguages
Urëwepottery
. MapshowinghypotheticalBantuexpansionroutesin sub-SaharanAfrica
Mapshowingmajorhumanpopulationmovements toPacificOceanislands
Lapitaceramicvessels
. InnovationsassociatedwithPacificOceanicislandvoyaging
TraditionalMarshallIslandernavigationchart
Humanpopulationgrowthmodels
Atmosphericandlithosphericextinctionthreats
TABLES Dispersals,migrations,andtranshumance
. Anthropogenicnarrativesandhero’sjourneynarratives
. Radiometricdatingtechniquescompared
. Geologicaltimeperiods
Majordiaspora-relatedeventsduringMarineIsotopic Stages(MIS) –
. Firstappearancedatesforimportantlithicartifact-types
. Strengthsandweaknessesamongsourcesofhypotheses forsurvivalarchaeology
Firstappearancedatesforancestralsurvivalskills
ImportantAfricanpaleoanthropologicalsites
. ImportantSouthernAsianpaleoanthropologicalsites
. CulturalstratigraphyoftheValleyoftheCaves
ImportantSoutheastAsianandAustralasian paleoanthropologicalsites
ImportantNeanderthalpaleoanthropologicalsites
. BehavioraldifferencesbetweenNeanderthalsandearlyhumans
ImportantEarlyEurasianpaleoanthropologicalsites
ImportantPleistoceneAmericansites
PleistoceneAmericanversusSahulianlargeterrestrialcarnivores arrangedbygreatestadultmass
. Domesticatedplantsandanimalsfromfoodproductionhotspots
FirstappearancedatesforhumanactivityonPacificOceanislands
Massextinctionsandextraterrestrialimpacts
Differencesbetweenearlyandliving Homosapiens
A. Archaeologicalage-stages(basedonEurasianandAfricanevidence)
BOXES Humanmorphologicalandbehavioralmodernity: Theirdiscontents page
. Teleoliths,Child’splay
. What’sinaname?Homininalphataxonomy
Prehistory’ s “Atlantisproblem”
Boats,bows,andbeads
. TheriseandfallofMountCarmelMan
. Ghostmarriages:Fossilsandstonetoolindustries
ImaginingNeanderthals
ThemysteryofMediterraneanEurope
Theneedforspeed:Howfastandfarcanpeoplemigrate?
. PeoplingtheArctic
PREFACE ThisbookbeganwithacollegecourseItaughtthatat firstIenjoyed,grewto despise,and finallylearnedtoloveagain.Thatcourse, “TheArchaeologyof HumanDispersal,” reconstructedhumanity’swanderingsover “deep-time” prehistorybypullingtogetherfossil,archaeological,andgeneticevidence. Teachingaboutfossilsandarchaeologyposedfewdifficulties,forIknowboth subjectswell.Also,frankly,the “hardevidence” doesnotreallychangeallthat muchfromyeartoyear.Asfortunewouldhaveit,though,Ibeganoffering thisclassjustasadvancesinstudiesofbothmodernandancientDNAexploded ontothepaleoanthropologicalscene.Thiscreatedaproblem.
Onewelcomesnewevidencethatcansettlelong-standingdebatesabout humanevolution,asgeneticevidencemanifestlycan,butitproveddifficultto accommodatethisevidence.Claimsof “game-changing” geneticstudiesoverturningallpreviousknowledgeseemedtoappeareveryweek.Competing claimscontradictedoneanotheroverlaboratoryproceduresorinterpretive issues,mattersallbutimpenetrabletonon-geneticists.MyInternet-savvy studentsarrivedinclassarmedwiththelatestclaimsfrom “press-release science.” Itriedtoassimilatethese findingsandtoanswerstudents’ questions aboutthem,butbysemester’sendmylecturenoteswerefullofcross-outs, updates,andupdatesonupdatesabout,wellfrankly,whohadsexualintercoursewithwhomduringtheIceAge.Theclasshadchangedfromone IlovedtooneIloathed.
Still,Ididnotwanttostopteachingthecourse.Prehistoricpopulation movementsshowhumanityatitsbest:settingforth,survivingbyourwits,and never,everquitting.Ourprehistoricpastoffersupanoptimisticvisionforour future,oneIthinkthewiderpublicandespeciallyyoungerpeopleneedto understand.Reflecting,IrealizedIhadspenttoomuchtimeon “who questions” andnotenoughtimeon “howquestions.”“Whoquestions” ask aboutidentity:Whowerethesepeople?Whomovedfromthisplacetothat place?Whointerbredwithwhom?Archaeologistsstrugglewith “whoquestions,” buttheyaremolecularanthropologists’ breadandbutter.Yourgenes
haveancestors,butfossilsdonotnecessarilyhavedescendants. “Howquestions” askaboutactivities.Howdidpeoplegetfromoneplacetoanother? Howdidtheyovercomethatchallenge?Howdidtheysurvivelongenoughto becomeourancestors?Geneticsbringslittletothetableabout “howquestions.” Therearenogenesforkindling fire,for findingormakingpotable water,orformakingclothingandconstructingshelter.Weendurebecauseour ancestorsdidthesethings.Ourgenesarebutpassengers,notpilots.
Alifelonginterestinbushcraftand “primitive"(ancestral)technologypositionedmewelltoanswersuch “howquestions.” LongbeforeIthoughtto becomeapaleoanthropologist,Inurturedaninterestinprimitivetechnology. GrowingupinruralNewEnglandinwhatseemedendlesstractsofwoodsand fieldsencouragedanearlyinterestinbushcraft(“NativeAmericanlore,” asthe BoyScoutsputit).Idiscoveredstoneworkingandexpandedmyexpertiseto otherancestralskills,suchasmaking fire,cordage,andmastics(glues). Teachingcollegeclasses,Irecountedbushcraftexperiencestoenlivenmy lecturesabouthumanevolutionandprehistoricarchaeology.Mystudents enjoyedthesedigressions,fortheyhadapracticalsidetothem.When Italkedabouthowprehistorichumansavoidedhypothermia(freezingto death)orotherhazards,theyaskedmewhatgeartheyshouldkeepintheir carsduringlongwintercommutes.WhenIlecturedabout “curatedpersonal gear, ” wecomparedthethingscommutersversusresidentialstudentscarried daily.(Wefoundthatcommuterscarriedmoreandheavierthingstoclassthan theirdorm-dwellingclassmates.)
Inoverhauling “TheArchaeologyofHumanDispersal,” Icutallbutthe minimumnecessarydiscussionabout “whoquestions,” replacingitwithdiscussionsabout “howquestions.” Ialsoexcisedmuchofwhatarchaeologists hadwritteninserviceofanswering “whoquestions,” suchasnamedprehistoricculturesandstonetoolindustries.Doingthisconservedclasstimeforthe thingswhichthestudentsactuallywantedtolearnaboutandthingswhich Iwantedtoteachthem.Howmanydifferentkindsof “Mousterian” industries occurredinsouthernFrance?Nobodycares.Howtonotfreezeorstarveto death?Everybodycares.
WhenIresumedteachingthecourse,renamed “TheUnstoppableSpecies,” discussionsbecamelivelier,andenrollmentsincreased.(Ideeplyregrettedthat Ihadnotmadethesechangesearlier.)Anygoodundergraduatecoursecanalso beturnedintoagoodbook.Thisworkcoversthebasics,thefundamental assumptionspaleoanthropologistsmakeinreconstructingthepast.Onedoes notneedpriorknowledgeofanthropologyorarchaeologytoread,understand,and,onehopes,enjoy TheUnstoppableSpecies
Finally,anoteaboutcitations.Whenthebooklists “importantpaleoanthropologicalsites,” itdoesnotcitereferencesforindividualsites.Instead,it directsreaderstopaleoanthropologicalandarchaeologicalsynthesesinbooks orscientificjournals.Ihavedonethisforseveralreasons.First,fewofthese
“importantsites” enjoymonographicpublication,thatis,asinglebook,special issueofajournal,oralongstand-alonepapersynthesizingresearchers’ findings. Second,manyremainthesubjectsofactiveresearchprojectswhose findings appearinmultiplejournalpapersspreadoutovermanyyears.Third, “authorshipbloat” (listingasso-calledauthorstechniciansandotherswhohavenot writtenaword)takesupspacebetterdevotedtoargumentsabouttheevidence.Citingevenafractionofthesereferenceswouldunnecessarilylengthen thebook’sbibliographyattheexpenseofthemaintext,andthe “snapshot” of researchinearly wouldacceleratethisbook’sinevitableslidetoward beingoutdated.Nearlyeveryimportantpaleoanthropologicalsitelistedinthis book(andmanymorenotlisted)boastsafrequentlyupdatedInternetwebpage devotedtoitlistingrelevantpublications.Interestedreaderscan findthese webpagesandthemostup-to-dateinformationaboutthesesiteswithacouple ofkeystrokesandmouseclicks.Onerecognizesthiscitationstrategyas unusual,butitispractical.You’rewelcome.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Ithankmywife,PatriciaL.Crawford,forherforbearanceduringthelong hoursIspentwritingthisbookinthe “professorialman-caves” inStony Brook,NewYork,andinSantaFe,NewMexico.IthankCodyLundin, MarkDorsten,andthestaffoftheAboriginalLivingSkillsSchoolinPrescott, Arizona,forinsightsgainedfromtheirclasses.IthankBeatriceRehlof CambridgeUniversityPressforencouragingmetodevelop “The UnstoppableSpecies” courseintothisbook.Iamgratefultotheanonymous reviewersofthebookproposalandofthebook’ s finalversion.Ithank StephanieSaksonforherskilledcopyediting.Forgenerouslyallowingmeto useartworkfromtheirpublishedworks,IthankDanielLiebermanand ChristopheSande.IdraftedFigures , , , , ,and using templatesfromFreeVectorMaps(http://freevectormaps.com).Aboveall, Ithankmy “Unstoppables,” StonyBrookUniversitystudentswhoattended mycourseANT , “TheUnstoppableSpecies,” between and Alwaysworkashardasyoucanandneverquit.
INTRODUCTION ANUNSTOPPABLESPECIES? WeareEarth’sunstoppablespecies.Todayhumansliveinaglobaldiaspora withinwhichwemoveaboutwithease.Atjustover billionindividuals,we outnumberallotherprimatescombined.Ifsomedisasterdepopulatedanentire continent,enoughhumanswouldsurviveelsewheretoeventuallyrepopulate that “lostcontinent.” Aslongasthebiospherepersists,sodowe.Ourglobal diasporaconfersonusan “extinctionimmunity” withoutevolutionaryprecedentamongcreatureslargerthanmicroorganisms.Ourextinctionimmunity contrastsstarklywiththatofotherprimates,pastandpresent.TheAfricanapes (gorillas,chimpanzees,andbonobos),ournearestprimaterelatives,inhabita narrowrangeoftropicalhabitats(Figure ).Surroundedbyskyrocketing humanpopulations,extinctionstalksapesastheirownshadowsdo.Humans (Homosapiens)aretheoppositeofendangered.Forapesandcountlessother species,wearethedanger.
Whyus?Mighttrilobites,cephalopods,andothercreatureswhoseremains crowdsedimentsfromEarth’searliestageshavethoughtthemselvesunstoppable?Wewillneverknow.We,alone,amongalllifeinEarth’shistory,can actuallyanswerthechallengewithwhichCarolusLinnaeus(–) defined Homosapiens: “Homo,nosceteipsum” (Latinfor “Man,knowyourself”). Whyhumans,ratherthananyotheranimal,becametheunstoppablespeciesis anthropology’sultimateandmostconsequential “bigquestion,” forhowwe choosetoansweritandwhatwedowiththatanswerwillaffecthumanity’ s long-termsurvival.
WhatIsThisBookAbout?
Assertingthatourunstoppabilityresultsfromourdiaspora,thisbookexplains howweachievedthatdiaspora. TheUnstoppableHumanSpecies describes Homo sapiens’ originandglobaldispersalafter , yearsago.Itchronicleshow
Orangutans Chimpanzees Bonobos, Gorillas Figure . Whereapeslive.©JohnJ.Shea.
mobilehunter-gatherers(“bows,boats,andbeads” people)becamesedentary foodproducers(“houses,herds,andhoes” people).Alongtheway, The UnstoppableHumanSpecies overturnsseverallong-standingconventionsin archaeologicalresearchaboutprehistory.
First,thisworkchallengesarchaeology’suseofmigrationasanexplanation forpasthumanpopulationmovements.Formorethanacentury,archaeologistshavesoughtandfailedto findevidenceformigrationsin “deep-time prehistory” (before , yearsago)(Clark ).Migrationenjoysarecent renaissance,asarchaeologistsincreasinglyseektocorrelatetheir findingswith thosefromhistoricalgeneticsandmolecularanthropology(Lewis-Kraus ). Onethinksthisinterdisciplinary flirtationmisguided.Migrationsrequirestorableandtransportablefoodsurplusesofthesortthatplantandanimalhusbandry(agricultureandpastoralism)ortheirfunctionalequivalentscreate. Mostifnotallevidenceforsuch “foodproduction” datestolessthan , yearsago,longafterhumanssettledmostoftheworldexceptAntarcticaand themostremoteoceanicislands.
Second, TheUnstoppableHumanSpecies challengesarchaeologists’ longstandingobsessionwithquestionsaboutprehistorichumans’ socialidentities –withwhomovedwhereandwhenandwithwhomatedwithwhom.
Molecularanthropologistsreservespecialenthusiasmforsuchquestions becausetheycanprovideconclusiveanswersinwaysthattraditional archaeologicalapproachescannot(Higham ).Thisworkviewsthese so-calledhypothesesaboutsuchidentitieslinkinggenestofossilsandfossils toarchaeologicalremainsastheunfalsifiableargumentstheyreallyare.We cannotcallthemhypotheses,becausewecannotprovethemwrongusing evidence.MuchlikeMedievaltheologians’ debatesabouthowmanyangels couldstandontheheadofpin,theydistractusfromactualhypotheses, argumentsthatevidencecanprovewrong.Thisworkfocusesonquestions aboutprehistorichumanbehavior,onwhatourancestorsdid.Wearenotthe unstoppablespeciesbecauseofwhoourancestorswere.Wearetheunstoppablespeciesbecausetheysolvedsurvivalchallengesdifferentlyfromother hominins(bipedalprimates)thatarenowextinct.
Third,thisworkfocuseson Homosapiens andtoalesserdegreeonour immediateancestor, Homoheidelbergensis,andontheNeanderthals(Homo neanderthalensis)withwhomearlyhumanswereroughcontemporaries. Whiletherearecertainlymeritstoplacing Homosapiens’ originsanddiaspora inthelargernarrativeofprimateandhomininevolution(Stringer ; Gamble ;Hoffecker ),doingsorequiresonetosacrificedetailsabout post-Pleistocenehumanmigrations,migrationsthatshapedourworldtoday,as wellastocurtaildiscussionsaboutextinctionthreatsandwhatprehistorycan tellusabouthumanity’sfuture – theverythingsstudentsandotherssooften askpaleoanthropologistsabout!Whyelsestudytheremotepastthaninsearch oflessonsforourremotefuture?
Finally, TheUnstoppableHumanSpecies challengesarchaeologists’ conviction thatweoweourevolutionarysuccesstosomespecificqualitythatevolvedsince Homosapiens fossils firstappearinthefossilrecordaround ,–, yearsago.Manyrecentworksonthissubjectemphasizeevolutionarychanges incognition,overlookingthedifficultiesinmeasuringcognitivedifferences amonglivinghumans,muchlessamongextinctones.Othersattributeour successto “modernity,” ametaphorpullingtogetherawiderangeofactivities onlytangentiallyconnectedtooneanother. TheUnstoppableHumanSpecies arguesthatweoweourevolvedunstoppabilitytoanintegratedsuiteof “ancestralsurvivalskills.” Theseskillsincludepowerfulprecisiongrasping, endurancebipedalism,predictivehallucination,spokenlanguage,andhyperprosociality.Otherhomininspossessedtheseancestralsurvivalskills,too,but ourancestorsusedthemdifferentlyandbetterthanotherhomininsdid.
WhyIsThisSubjectImportant?
TheEarthisbynomeansfull,butwecannolongermoveawayfromour problems,asancestralhumansdid.Nowadays,whenrisingwaters floodcoastal
communitiesanddrowntownslocatedon floodplains,when firesburnrural communitiestoashes,andwhenwarsandearthquakesreducecitiestorubble, peoplerebuildinthesameplaces.Strategiesforasustainablefuture?One thinksnot.Calling Homosapiens “unstoppable” expressesnotafactbuta “hopepothesis” (ahypothesisonehopesistruebutonecannotprovewrong). Futureenvironmentalandplanetarycatastropheswillputusintheircrosshairs, too.Theoverwhelmingmajorityofclimatesciencesuggestsourcurrentglobal heatingtrendwillcontinueintothenearfuture,afflictinguswithincreasingly severestorms,droughts,wildfires,cropfailures,massextinctions,epidemics, andpandemics(BostrumandCirkovic ).Howwillweovercomesuch challenges?Learninghowearlyhumansovercamepastdifficultieswill enlighten,inspire,andguideusandourdescendantsabouthowtoanticipate andovercomewhateverdifficultiesthefuturethrowsatus,fordifficultiesit willassuredlythrow.Likethoseancestors,wemustnever,everquit.As AntarcticexplorerSirErnestShackleton(–),putit, “Difficultiesare justthingstoovercome,afterall.”
ForWhomIsThisBookIntended?
Iwrote TheUnstoppableHumanSpecies mainlyforcollegestudentsandothers interestedinhumanevolution.Thisworkseeksalargeraudienceandbringsto thetabledifferentperspectivesonprehistorythanone findsinrecentworks professionalanthropologistshavewrittenforotherprofessionalanthropologists (e.g.,Bellwood ;Gamble ;Hoffecker ).Ihopemycolleagues andgraduatestudentswillenjoy TheUnstoppableHumanSpecies and findit thought-provoking.Toaidnonprofessionalreaders,thebookreviewsbasic termsandconceptsinpaleoanthropology(scientificresearchabouthuman originsandevolution)andincludesa Glossary atthebackofthebook. Professionalpaleoanthropologistsmay findthesereviewsunnecessary,even tedious,butonewouldratherinflicttediumonthemthanleavethegreater numberofotherreadersbehind.
Onealsohopescolleaguesinmolecularanthropologywillreadthisbook. Alltoooften,hypothesesabouthumanevolutionbasedongeneticssimplyuse thearchaeologicalrecordas “windowdressing.” Thatis,theyassertevolutionaryrelationshipsamongextincthumansandthenrummageaboutforarchaeologicalevidencethatsupportstheirclaimsaboutthoserelationships. Confirmationbiasisapowerfulthing:itencouragesonetoacceptfactsthat agreewithone’spreviouslyheldbeliefsandtoignorefactsthatdonot. Archaeologists’ viewsaboutprehistorichumanpopulationrelationshipsvary sowidelythat,properlymotivated,anymolecularanthropologistcan findan archaeologistorpaleontologistwhosepreviouslypublishedviewsonanyissue supporttheirs.
HowDoesThisBookDifferfromOthers? Onerarelyseesthewords “practical” and “archaeology” inthesamesentence, butthisisaworkofpracticalarchaeology.Otherrecentworksaboutprehistorichumanpopulationmovementsconcernthemselveswithprehistory,with whomovedwhereandwhen.Thisworktacksdifferently.Itfocusesonhow ourancestorssurvivedlongenoughtobecomeourancestors.Todothis,it delvesintosourcesofhypothesesthatotherworkslargelyneglect,namelythe literatureofbushcraftandwildernesssurvival.Thesetwosourcesintersectin complexways,buttheyshareacoreconcern:howtonotdiebeforeone’stime inthegreatoutdoors.Weknowlittleforcertainaboutwhatearlyhumansand otherhomininsdid,butwecanbeconfidentthatthosewhobecameour ancestorsdidnotdothethingsbushcraftandwildernesssurvivalworkswarn againstdoing.
POPULATIONMOVEMENTS Historically,humanscopewithrapidclimatechangeorotheradversecircumstanceseitherbyintensification(workinghardertoremaininplace)orby residentialmovement(“votingwithyourfeet”).Politicaldebatesabout modern-daypopulationmovements,aswellasmanyscholarlyworks,often conflatemigration,transhumance,anddispersal(Bellwood ;Shah ). Migrations,transhumance,anddispersalsdifferfromoneanother(Figure . and Table ).
Dispersal Inadispersal,individualsorsmallnumbersofpeoplemoveovershortdistances.Smallnumbersallowthemtofeedastheygoandtoassimilateasthey wishtoorasnecessaryintheirdestinations.Asaresult,dispersinghumanscan rapidlychangetheirculture,theirsocialrelations,andtheirarchaeological “footprint” attheirdestinations.Forexample,theauthor’sfather’sancestors relocatedfromIrelandtoMassachusetts,individually,decadesapart,andfrom differentpartsofIreland.Onarrival,andasswiftlyastheycould,allbecame Americancitizens.Theyweredispersing.Noneoftheirdescendantsspeaks Gaelicorself-identifiesasIrishAmerican,muchlessasIrish.
Migration Inamigration,largenumbersofpeople(hundredsormore)movetogether overlongdistances(hundredsofkilometers).Becausetheycarryfoodstoredin bulkwiththem,theyneednotassimilateintoothergroupsthroughwhose
Migration Transhumance Winter Summer Dispersal Figure . Humanpopulationmovements:Migration,transhumance,dispersal. ©JohnJ.Shea.
Dispersals,migrations,andtranshumance
Dispersals
Whomoves?Individualsorsmallgroups (lowdozensorfewer)
Migrations
Largegroups(hundreds ormore)
Transhumance
Variable
Howfar?TensofkilometersHundredsofkilometersTensofkilometers
Foodsources?Feedasyougo Storedinbulkand transported Gatheredinbulk atsourceand destination
Socialrelations?Recon figuredin destinations
Archaeological signature?
Difficulttorecognizedue torapidchangesover timeanddistance
Remainintact Remainintact
Recognizablythesameor similarforlongperiods andovergreatdistances
Variesdepending onactivities
territoriestheypass.Foratime,migratinggroupsretaintheircultureandsocial relationsattheirdestinations.Migrationsleaveadetectablearchaeological “signature,” ofartifacts,foodwaste,andotherthingsthatremainrecognizably thesameoratleastsimilarovervastdistancesandlongtimeperiods.For example,duringthe thcenturytheauthor’smaternalancestorsmoveden massefromBrittanyinnorthwesternFrance,towhatisnowNovaScotiain Canada.Theymigrated.Tothisday,theirdescendantsinnorthernmostMaine stillspeakFrenchandself-identifyas “Acadian” todistinguishthemselvesfrom theirFrench-speakingQuébécoisneighborsinCanadaandEnglish-speaking Americanneighbors.
Migrationsconjureupdramaandconflictfarmoresothandispersal.Calling somethingamigrationversusaninvasion,afterall,isamatterofperspective. EuropeanAmericans’ migrationswereforNativeAmericansaninvasion. Unsurprisingly,migrationscommandmorepopularattentionthandispersals. Migrations figuremoreprominentlyinworkswrittenaboutprehistoryfor similarreasons(drama),butusingtheminprehistoryhasledtoanimbalancein thesortsofquestionspaleoanthropologistsaskaboutdeep-timeprehistory.
Transhumance Transhumancedescribescyclicalandtemporaryshiftsofhabitationsiteswithin alargergeographicrange,suchasbetweenwinterandsummercampsor highlandorlowlandresidences.Eithertheentirecommunitymovesorsome specificsubsetofthatlargergroupdoes.Pastoralistsoftenpracticetranshumancesothattheirlivestockcantakeadvantageofplantfoodsthatbecome availableindifferentplacesatdifferenttimes.Ethnographicandhistoric
hunter-gatherersoftendidthistotakeadvantageofmigrating fish,suchas salmon,orlargemammals,suchasreindeer.Iftheactivitiescarriedoutat seasonalsitesdifferedwidely,thenarchaeologistscouldhavetroubletelling whethertheywereseeingtheremainsofthesamegroupordifferentgroups (Thomson ).
MixedDispersalsandMigrations Dispersalsandmigrationsarenotmutuallyexclusiveofoneanother,butrather endpointsonacontinuum.Bothcanoccursimultaneously.The th-century EnglishPilgrimswhosettledPlymouth,Massachusetts(formerlyWampanoag Patuxet),includedbothmembersofadissidentProtestantreligioussectaswell asindividualnonmembers(“strangers”)travelingtotheNewWorldtoseek theirfortunesthere(BradfordandMorrison ()).Therefore,in thinkingaboutprehistorichumanpopulationmovements,thisworkdoes notarguewhetheraparticularprehistoricorhistoricpopulationmovement waseitherwhollyadispersaloramigration(acategoricaldistinction).Instead, itevaluateswhethertheevidenceforthemovementsinquestionmoreclosely matchesourexpectationsaboutmigrationsversusdispersals.
QUESTIONSABOUTHUMANEVOLUTION: WHO,HOW,ANDWHY Asinnovationsin th-to th-centurymaritimetechnologybrought Europeanexplorerstoevermoredistantlands,differentgroupsofpeople gazedatoneanotheracrossbeachesandriversasking, “Whoarethesepeople, andhowdidtheygethere?” AnthropologydevelopedoutofEuropean explorers’ andscholars’ effortsto findscientificanswerstothisquestion (Wolf ;Kuper ).Butthequestionactuallyaskstwoverydifferent things. “Whoquestions” askaboutprehistorichumans’ identities,theirrelationshipstooneanotherandtous. “Howquestions” askaboutprehistoric humans’ activitiesandhowtheysolvedproblems.
“WhoQuestions”
Scientistsrecognized “prehistory,” thetimebeforewrittenrecords,duringthe late thtoearly thcenturies(DanielandRenfrew ).Seekingscientific answerstohistoricallinguists’ andhistorians’ questionsabouttheoriginsof livinghumangroups, th-andearly th-centurypaleoanthropologists thoughtandwroteaboutprehistorichumanpopulationmovementsas migrations,andasaresult,theydevotedvastlymoreefforttoanswering “whoquestions” than “howquestions.” Fromthemid-thcenturyonward, archaeologistsandotherscholarspopulateddeep-timeprehistorywith
“cultures,”“ races, ” andstonetool “industries” andmorerecentprehistoric periodswithgroupsdefinedintermsofvariationamongceramicartifacts. Twentieth-centuryprehistorianstreatedthesecultures,races,andindustriesas theequivalentsofethnographic(livinghuman)culturesandraces,andthey wrotemanyjournalpapersandbooksspeculatingabouttheirorigins,migrations,mutualinfluences,andhistoricalrelationstolivinghumans(Sackett ).Historiansofarchaeologycallthisapproachtoprehistory “culture history.” Somearchaeologistsrecognizedsuch “prehistory” wasnotquite history,ashistoriansunderstoodtheir field,norquitescienceasscientists understoodtheirs,buttheseremainedminoritypositions(Taylor ; Binford ).
Signsoftroublewiththisculture-historyapproachappearedduringthe s. Bythatpoint,racewasonitswayoutasaseriousresearchfocusinevolutionary biology(WolpoffandCaspari ).Radiocarbonandothergeophysicaldating methodsdemonstratedthatmanyarchaeologicalindustriesandcultureslastedfar longerandexhibitedfarlessvariationthananyhistoricalhumanculture.
A “culture” thatlasts , yearsormoreessentiallyunchangedisthe opposite ofcultureasanthropologistsdefinetheterm(KroeberandKluckholn ). Second,archaeologistsfoundtracesofthesameculturesspreadoutoverentire continents(Bordes ),farmorewidelythananypreindustrialethnographic culture(ClarkandRiel-Salvatore ).Finally, th-centuryculturalanthropologistsshowedthatlivinghumansmaintaincomplexandmultilayeredsocial identitiesthatweeasilychangeastheneedtodosoarises(Boas ).
Archaeologists’ useofthecultureconceptdeniedthesecomplexsocialidentities toprehistoric Homosapiens andtootherhominins.
Today,thenotionthatonecanmeaningfullydivideprehistorichuman societiesintoanythinglikeactualhumanculturesseemsnomoreplausible thandividinglivinghumansintonamed,meaningfullydifferentgroupsbased onthekindsofpensandpencilsintheirtrashcans(Shea ).Culturehistoricalapproachesto “whoquestions” equatedtrivialdifferencesamong stonetoolsandotherevidencewithevolutionarilyimportantdifferences amongprehistoricpeople.
Archaeologists’ effortstosolvetheseproblemswithculture-historylargely breakuparchaeologicalculturesintocomponentparts.Onecurrentlypopular approachfocusesonreconstructing “operationalchains,” differentstrategies formakingpottery,houses,orstonetools(orfordoinganything,really),and archaeologists’ reconstructionsofthosestrategies.Patternedvariationinthe occurrencesofdifferentoperationalchainsinthearchaeologicalrecordthen guidearchaeologistsinidentifyingprehistoric “communitiesofpractice,” conjecturalgroupsofprehistoricpeoplewhodidthingsthesameway.The
proceduresforrecognizingcommunitiesofpracticedifferfromthoseearlier archaeologistsusedforidentifyingprehistoriccultures,buttheresultsare fundamentallythesame:namedgroupsofprehistorichumansdefinedinterms oftheartifacts.Oldwineinnewbottles.
Contemporary “genetichistory” perspectivesonprehistorypeoplethepast withnamed “haplogroups” (DNAsampleswithsimilaranddistinctivecombinationsofgenes).Somesuchworkstreathaplogroupsasspecifichuman populations(Sykes ;Oppenheimer ;Wells ).Andyetanalysesof ancientDNAprovidenosupportwhatsoeverforthenotionthatgenetically “ pure ” haplogroupseverexisted(Reich ).Therewereno “Haplogroup Mpeople,” merelyhumanpopulationsamongwhomsomehadHaplogroup M’sdistinctivegeneticsignature.
(Therecentadventof “personalgenetics” offersupabrand-newhorror showofanswersto “whoquestions.” Thesetestspromisetoidentifythe percentageofdifferentnamed “ethnicities” thatmakeupone’sgeneticheritage.Theethnicitiesinquestionrangefromentireregions(sub-Saharan Africa),nationsnomorethanafewcenturiesold(Germany),religiousgroups (AshkenaziJews),andsoon.Allthesetestsactuallydoisidentifywhereinthe worldpeoplelivewhoseDNAmostresemblesyours.DNA-basedclaimsof membershipinoneoranothernamedhumanethnicornationalgrouparenot thesamethingsas th-centuryethnology’ s “ pureraces, ” buttheydon’tdiffer fromthemallthatmucheither.)
Asecondsortoferroroccurswhen “molecular” answersto “whoquestions” equatetheinferreddatesofdivergencesamonghaplogroupswith momentouseventsinhumanevolution.Whatevereventsledtothe HaplogroupL-Msplit , yearsagocouldhavebeensomethingthat ancestralhumansdiscussedaroundtheircampfiresforcenturiesafterward. Alternatively,onepersonorfamilymighthavemovedacrossariverbecause somebodyelsesnoredtooloudlyorfailedtosharefoodadequately.When paleoanthropologistsequatehaplogroup/genehistorieswithpopulationhistories,theymakepreciselythesamemistakeculture-historicalarchaeologists made,namely,equatingpotentiallytrivialdifferencesamongtheirobservations withevolutionarilyimportantdifferencesamongprehistoricpeople.Scientists
Colleaguesandstudentshaveencouragedmetotakea “personalgenetics” testtolearnwhatif anypercentageofNeanderthalDNAlurksinmygenome.Ihavenotdonesoandneverwill. Afterall, findingsuchNeanderthalDNAwouldnot(andshouldnot)changewhatIthink aboutmyselfor(Ihope)whatmycolleaguesthinkaboutme.ADNAtestwouldalmost certainlytrace “geneticheritage” backtotheearlyhumanswholivedinAfrica.Wouldthat makemeAfrican?SupposesuchatestrevealedatraceofNativeAmericanancestry.Should Istartwearing “leathersandfeathers” toworkattheuniversity?Somemightdoso,but Iwouldnot.NofederallyrecognizedNativeAmericantribeornationacceptsDNAtestsas evidenceofmembership.Moreimportantly,IvaluetherespectthatmyactualNative Americanstudentsandcolleagueshaveforme.Tellingly,nopersonalgeneticstestcould revealmyactualAmericanethnicity.
