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Stone Tools and the Linguistic Capabilities of Earlier Hominids

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 October 2009

James Steele ,
Angus Quinlan  and
Francis Wenban-Smith
James Steele
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ
Angus Quinlan
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ
Francis Wenban-Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ
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Abstract

The evolution of human manipulative abilities may be clearly linked to the evolution of speech motor control Both creativity and complexity in vocal and manipulative gestures may be closely linked to a single dimension of brain evolution — the evolution of absolute brain size. Inferring the linguistic capabilities of earlier hominids from their lithic artefacts, however, required us to take account of domain-specific constraints on manipulative skill In this article we report on a pilot flint-knapping experiment designed to identify such constraints ‘in action’.

Type
Articles
Information
Cambridge Archaeological Journal , Volume 5 , Issue 2 , October 1995 , pp. 245 - 256
Copyright
Copyright © The McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research 1995

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