from Part III - Non-symbolic Behaviours
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 April 2020
Chapter 10 appraises the hunting inference about Neanderthal language. Starting from data about Neanderthals’ ambush hunting, this inference comprises in outline three inferential steps: Neanderthals’ ambush hunting had the features F1, F2, F3 and F4 → This hunting required cooperation → This cooperation required communication → This communication required language. [F1 = The hunting was confrontational; F2 = The prey comprised large animals; F3 = Heavy carcasses had to be transported; F4 = Bands of hunters were divided into a tracking/driving and an ambushing group.] The first inferential step is underpinned by the assumption that hunters had to cooperate in planning ambushes, killing dangerous prey etc.; the second step by the assumption that such planning required communication about effective hunting strategies, coordinated action etc.; the third step by the assumption that such communication required ‘labels’ or ‘words’ for referring to features of the landscape, routes, hunting sites etc. These assumptions are reasonable. But it is unwarranted to infer that (a) to be successful, such communication required complex grammar; and (b) that any such communication was not gestural.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.