Hominids to Humanity

The Unbinding of Isaac

The mythopoeic past

Our Humanity Emerges

The “precondition” of civilization- faith in the unseen “higher law”- value of human life- strength of love- exercise of free will

I. Internal and External Evolution

First step toward civilization

Homo sapiens ca. 200K BCE

↓

Civilization ca. 3500 BCE

Civilization is a by-product of human evolution…development of the human mind…response to environmental change

A. Paleolithic

1. 1 – 2.5 M Homo habilis and erectus

↓

↓

Homo sapiens (200K)

“thinking man”

2. Dispersal- Multiregional theory

multiple

- Out of Africa theoryone branch

3. Hoppin’ hominids

approx. time approx. #

200K BC – 1 M

70K BC – 10,000 (Toba Super-eruption)

1700 CE – 1 B2012 CE – 7 B

B. The Pleistocene Era: Ice, Ice, Baby 1.6M-10K BCE

1. Hidden uses of adversity- migration- “cold filter”

2. Fresh meat!- community- protein

C. The Paleolithic Revolution

1. Neanderthals- 500-30K (?)

Abstractions2. Cro-Magnon - sapiens sapiens

40-10K Lascaux

3. They are us (anatomically & intellectually “modern”)...

…but we’re moresophisticated

Myth & history

The Epic of Gilgamesh 2100 BCE

Gilgamesh

Enkidu

mythopoeic

II. Neolithic Revolution

A. End of an era1. Climate change

Pleistocene Overkill

2. Ice age tech

12,000-10,000 BCE

The Agricultural (neolithic)

Revolutionca. 9,000 – 5000 BCE

B. The Fertile Crescent

1. Nutritious plants- cereal grains

2. Cooperative animals- “big four”

C. I should have stayed on the farm

1. Domestication 10-8000 BCE

2. Horticulture 8000 BCE

3. Animal husbandry 7-5000BCE

D. Settlement: rewards & risks

1. Risks Gilgamesh- disease- malnutrition- loss of mobility- vulnerability- exploitation- gender inequities

Sex at Dawn (2010), Ryan & Jethá

2. Rewards- surpluses, material + intellect

- time = creativity → complexity CIVILIZATION

“Sticky” Egyptians, ca. 2000 BCE Edouard Manet, At the Bar of Folies Bergère 1882