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What is cultural modernity? An assessment from Africa
Wadley, Lyn (2001)
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mla
clipboard		 Wadley L. "What is cultural modernity? An assessment from Africa.", timms video, Universität Tübingen (2001): https://timms.uni-tuebingen.de:443/tp/UT_20010410_001_evolution_0003. Accessed 26 Apr 2025.
apa
clipboard		 Wadley, L. (2001). What is cultural modernity? An assessment from Africa. timms video: Universität Tübingen. Retrieved April 26, 2025 from the World Wide Web https://timms.uni-tuebingen.de:443/tp/UT_20010410_001_evolution_0003
harvard
clipboard		 Wadley, L. (2001). What is cultural modernity? An assessment from Africa [Online video]. 10 April. Available at: https://timms.uni-tuebingen.de:443/tp/UT_20010410_001_evolution_0003 (Accessed: 26 April 2025).
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title: What is cultural modernity? An assessment from Africa
alt. title: Advances in the Study of Human Evolution and Dispersal
creator: Wadley, Lyn (author)
subjects: Palaeolithic archaeology, Geoarchaeology, Palaeoanthropology, Africa, Modern behaviour, Cultural modernity, Social organization, Symbolism, Middle Stone Age, Art, Ornamentation, Lyn Wadley
description: International symposium at the University of Tübingen, Germany, 8th-12th April 2001. This symposium explores the relationship between environmental change and the key events in the evolution and dispersal of the human clade, from its origin around 5-8 Myr to the expansion of Homo sapiens across the globe between 100 Kyr and 15 Kyr.
abstract: More controversial than the ongoing debate over anatomical modernity is that over the origin of behavioural modernity in Africa. The issue is examined in the light of current archaeological paradigms because most of the polemic arises from disagreement about the archaeologically recognisable attributes of culturally modern humans. The issue of when and where cultural modernity arises becomes greatly confused by the use of a "shopping list" of items of material culture that are supposed to mark modernity. I argue that symbolically organised behaviour marks modern culture and that the fundamental difference between modern and ancient behaviour is social. There is no a priori reason for linking new techniques to symbolism. Artefacts are not automatically embued with symbolism; this only happens when they are used to define or mediate social relationships. It is not the invention per se of lithic spearheads or bone points that proclaims symbolism and modern behaviour, but rather the subsequent use of these tools for purposes such as the definition of individual or group identity. Modern behaviour is, then, about social organization and relationships that are expressed, negotiated, legitimized, maintained and transmitted through symbolism. Such behaviour may be recognised archaeologically through the symbolic manipulation of material culture. Donald proposes that symbolic storage external to the brain is the final stage of symbolic evolution and I embrace this definition of cultural modernity. Using this definition, the archaeological evidence for modernity in Africa will be reviewed.
publisher: ZDV Universität Tübingen
contributors: Zentrum für Datenverarbeitung Universität Tübingen (producer), Conard, Nicholas John (organizer), Collard, Mark (organizer)
creation date: 2001-04-10
dc type: image
localtype: video
identifier: UT_20010410_001_evolution_0003
language: eng
rights: Url: https://timmsstatic.uni-tuebingen.de/jtimms/TimmsDisclaimer.html?638812583761164243