Society in Prehistory: The Origins of Human Culture

Since the 1960s, spectacular advances have been made in the study of prehistory. It is now possible to reconstruct the behavior and social life of pre-human ancestors as much as two million years ago. These findings have forced us to revise dramatically our view of human evolution, the study of which is only complete through an integrated perspective that emphasizes biological and social factors. Archaeology, primate studies, genetics, palaeontology, hunter-gatherer studies, and anthropology have all contributed to significant breakthroughs in our understanding of human origins, necessitating an approach to prehistory that is not tied to a particularly disciplinary approach. Stressing the importance of culture as a formative agent in the evolutionary emergence of modern humans, Society in Prehistory provides an impressive, interdisciplinary, and deeply informed survey of prehistory. Individual chapters focus on culture and evolution; biology and culture; primate societies; the first hominids; tools and culture; the economics of foraging; modern humans and human behavior; sex and the division of labor; and sexuality and social life. The book reveals that, while social behavior is biologically grounded, it is not biologically determined.