From Tools to Symbols: From Early Hominids to Modern Humans

A number of researchers have tried to characterise the anatomy and behavioural systems of early hominid and early modern human populations in an attempt to understand how we became what we are. Can archaeology, palaeo-anthropology and genetics tell us how and when human cultures developed the traits that make our societies different from those of our closest living relatives? In which cases are these differences substantial, and when do they simply reflect our definitions of culture, species, the image we have of their evolution or of ourselves? From Tools to Symbols, a collection of twenty-seven selected papers from a South African-French conference organised in honour of the well-known palaeo-anthropologist Phillip Tobias, provides a multidisciplinary overview of this field of study. It is based on collaborative research conducted in sub-Saharan Africa by South African, French, American and German scholars in the last twenty years, and represents an excellent synthesis of the palaeontological and archaeological evidence of the last five million years of human evolution.

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From tool to symbol: the behavioural context of intentionally marked ostrich eggshell from Diepkloof, Western Cape
pp 475-492
- By John Parkington, Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch 7700, South Africa, Cedric Poggenpoel, UMR 5808 du CNRS, Institut de Préhistoire et de Géologie du Quaternaire, Avenue des Facultés, 33405, Talence, France, Jean-Philippe Rigaud, EP 2058 Préhistoire et Technologie, 250 rue Albert Einstein, Sophia-Antipolis, 06560 Valbonne, France, Pierre-Jean Texier
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Chronology of the Howieson's Poort and Still Bay techno-complexes: assessment and new data from luminescence
pp 493-511
- By Chantal Tribolo, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (UMR 1572), Avenue de la Terrasse, F-91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France, Norbert Mercier, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (UMR 1572), Avenue de la Terrasse, F-91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France, Hélène Valladas, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (UMR 1572), Avenue de la Terrasse, F-91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
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Subsistence strategies in the Middle Stone Age at Sibudu Cave: the microscopic evidence from stone tool residues
pp 512-524
- By Bonny S. Williamson, School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa
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Speaking with beads: the evolutionary significance of personal ornaments
pp 525-554
- By Marian Vanhaeren, CNRS UMR 7041 ArScAn, Ethnologie préhistorique, 21 allée de l'Université, F-92023 Nanterre, France.
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Personal names index
pp 555-562
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Subject index
pp 563-574
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From Tools to Symbols

From Early Hominids to Modern Humans

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Contents

From tool to symbol: the behavioural context of intentionally marked ostrich eggshell from Diepkloof, Western Cape
pp 475-492

Chronology of the Howieson's Poort and Still Bay techno-complexes: assessment and new data from luminescence
pp 493-511

Subsistence strategies in the Middle Stone Age at Sibudu Cave: the microscopic evidence from stone tool residues
pp 512-524

Speaking with beads: the evolutionary significance of personal ornaments
pp 525-554

Personal names index
pp 555-562

Subject index
pp 563-574

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From Tools to Symbols

From Early Hominids to Modern Humans

Book description

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Contents

From tool to symbol: the behavioural context of intentionally marked ostrich eggshell from Diepkloof, Western Cape pp 475-492

Chronology of the Howieson's Poort and Still Bay techno-complexes: assessment and new data from luminescence pp 493-511

Subsistence strategies in the Middle Stone Age at Sibudu Cave: the microscopic evidence from stone tool residues pp 512-524

Speaking with beads: the evolutionary significance of personal ornaments pp 525-554

Personal names index pp 555-562

Subject index pp 563-574

Metrics

Full text views

Book summary page views

Accessibility standard: Unknown

Why this information is here

Accessibility Information

From tool to symbol: the behavioural context of intentionally marked ostrich eggshell from Diepkloof, Western Cape
pp 475-492

Chronology of the Howieson's Poort and Still Bay techno-complexes: assessment and new data from luminescence
pp 493-511

Subsistence strategies in the Middle Stone Age at Sibudu Cave: the microscopic evidence from stone tool residues
pp 512-524

Speaking with beads: the evolutionary significance of personal ornaments
pp 525-554

Personal names index
pp 555-562

Subject index
pp 563-574