From tools to symbols : from early hominids to modern humans ; in honour of Professor Phillip V. Tobias

A number of researchers have tried to characterise the anatomy and behavioural systems of early hominid and early modern human populations in an attempt to understand how we became what we are. Can archaeology, palaeo-anthropology and genetics tell us how and when human cultures developed the traits that make our societies different from those of our closest living relatives? In which cases are these differences substantial, and when do they simply reflect our definitions of culture, species, the image we have of their evolution or of ourselves? From Tools to Symbols, a collection of twenty-seven selected papers from a South African-French conference organised in honour of the well-known palaeo-anthropologist Phillip Tobias, provides a multidisciplinary overview of this field of study. It is based on collaborative research conducted in sub-Saharan Africa by South African, French, American and German scholars in the last twenty years, and represents an excellent synthesis of the palaeontological and archaeological evidence of the last five million years of human evolution. [book Title] Represents An Excellent Synthesis Of Recent Research On The Origins Of Humankind, The Evolution Of The Human Brain And The Emergence Of Modern Human Cultures From A Number Of Disciplines Such As Palaeoanthropology, Genetics, Primatology, And Archaeology--back Cover. Searching For Common Ground In Palaeoanthropology, Archaeology And Genetics / Francesco D'errico And Lucinda R. Backwell -- The History Of A Special Relationship: Prehistoric Terminology And Lithic Technology Between The French And South African Research Traditions / Nathan Schlanger -- Essential Attributes Of Any Technologically Competent Animal / Charles K. Brain -- Significant Tools And Signifying Monkeys: The Question Of Body Techniques And Elementary Actions On Matter Among Apes And Early Hominids / Frederic Joulian -- Tools And Brains: Which Came First? / Phillip V. Tobias -- Environmental Changes And Hominid Evolution: What The Vegetation Tells Us / Marion K. Bamford -- Implications Of The Presence Of African Ape-like Teeth In The Miocene Of Kenya / Martin Pickford And Brigitte Senut -- Dawn Of Hominids: Understanding The Ape-hominid Dichotomy / Brigitte Senut -- The Impact Of New Excavations From The Cradle Of Humankind On Our Understanding Of The Evolution Of Hominins And Their Cultures / Lee R. Berger -- Stone Age Signatures In Northernmost South Africa: Early Archaeology In The Mapungubwe National Park Vicinity / Kathleen Kuman -- Vertebral Column, Bipedalism And Freedom Of The Hands / Dominque Gommery -- Characterising Early Homo: Cladistic, Morphological And Metrical Analyses Of The Original Plio-pleistocene Specimen / Sandrine Prat -- Early Homo, 'robust' Australopithecines And Stone Tools At Kromdraai, South Africa / Francis Thackeray And Jose Braga. The Origin Of Bone Tool Technology And The Identification Of Early Hominid Cultural Traditions / Lucinda Backwell And Francesco D'errico -- Contribution Of Genetics To The Study Of Human Origins / Himla Soodyall And Trefor Jenkins -- An Overview Of The Patterns Of Behavioural Change In Africa And Eurasia During The Middle And Late Pleistocene / Nichals J. Conard -- From The Tropics To The Colder Climates: Contrasting Faunal Exploitation Adaptations Of Modern Humans And Neanderthals / Curtis W. Marean -- New Neighbours: Interaction And Image-making During The West European Middle To Upper Palaeolithic Transition / David Lewis-williams -- Late Mousterian Lithic Technology: Its Implications For The Pace Of The Emergence Of Behavioural Modernity And The Relationship Between Behavioural Modernity And Biological Modernity / Marie Soressi -- Exploring And Quantifying Technological Differences Between The Msa I, Msa Ii And Howieson's Poort At Klasies River / Sarah Wurz -- Stratigraphic Integrity Of The Middle Stone Age Levels At Blombos Cave / Christopher Henshilwood -- Testing And Demonstrating The Stratigraphic Integrity Of Artefacts Of Msa Deposits At Blomobs Cave, South Africa / Zenobia Jacobs -- From Tool To Symbol: The Behavioural Context Of Intentionally Marked Ostrich Eggshell From Diepkloof, Western Cape / John Parkington -- Chronology Of The Howieson's Poort And Still Bay Techno-complexes: Assessment And New Data From Luminescence / Chantal Tribolo, Norbert Mercier And Helen Vallada -- Subsistence Strategies In The Middle Stone Age At Sibudu Cave: The Microscopic Evidence From Stone Tool Residues / Bonny S. Williamson -- Speaking With Beads: The Evolutionary Significance Of Personal Ornaments / Marian Vanhaeren. Edited By Francesco D'errico And Lucinda Backwell ; In Honour Of Professor Phillip V. Tobias. This Book Is The Outcome Of A Conference, Held At The University Of The Witwatersrand, 16-18 March 2003. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Cover Half-title Title Copyright Contents Acknowledgements Profile of Professor Tobias List of participants Foreword Address Keynote address Searching for common ground in palaeoanthropology, archaeology and genetics The history of a special relationship: prehistoric terminology and lithic technology between the French and South African research traditions Essential attributes of any technologically competent animal Significant tools and signifying monkeys: the question of body techniques and elementary actions on matter among apes and early hominids Tools and brains: which came first? Environmental changes and hominid evolution: what the vegetation tells us Implications of the presence of African ape-like teeth in the Miocene of Kenya Dawn of hominids: understanding the ape-hominid dichotomy The impact of new excavations from the Cradle of Humankind on our understanding of the evolution of hominins and their cultures Stone Age signatures in northernmost South Africa: early archaeology in the Mapungubwe National Park and vicinity Vertebral column, bipedalism and freedom of the hands Characterising early Homo: cladistic, morphological and metrical analyses of the original Plio Pleistocene specimens Early Homo, ‘robust’ australopithecines and stone tools at Kromdraai, South Africa The origin of bone tool technology and the identification of early hominid cultural traditions Contribution of genetics to the study of human origins An overview of the patterns of behavioural change in Africa and Eurasia during the Middle and Late Pleistocene From the tropics to the colder climates: contrasting faunal exploitation adaptations of modern humans and Neanderthals New neighbours: interaction and image-making during the West European Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition Late Mousterian lithic technology: its implications for the pace of the emergence of behavioural modernity and the relationship between behavioural modernity and biological modernity Exploring and quantifying technological differences between the MSA I, MSA II and Howieson’s Poort at Klasies River Stratigraphic integrity of the Middle Stone Age levels at Blombos Cave Testing and demonstrating the stratigraphic integrity of artefacts from MSA deposits at Blombos Cave, South Africa From tool to symbol: the behavioural context of intentionally marked ostrich eggshell from Diepkloof, Western Cape Chronology of the Howieson’s Poort and Still Bay techno-complexes: assessment and new data from luminescence Subsistence strategies in the Middle Stone Age at Sibudu Cave: the microscopic evidence from stone tool residues Speaking with beads: the evolutionary significance of personal ornaments Personal names index Subject index Papwa Sewgolum Acquired His First Golf: Club A Roughly Hewn Wooden Stick, When He Was Just Seven Years Old And Spent Hours Hitting An Old Golf Ball Into A Tin Can Buried In His Back Yard. From These Humble Beginnings The Impoverished And Illiterate Papwa Came To Dominate South African Non-white Golf In The 1950s And 1960s. The Governments Apartheid Policies Meant He Was Barred From Playing In White Tournaments And His Remarkable Talent Was Denied Recognition. Then Graham Wulff, Inventor Of Oil Of Olay Personally Flew Him To Europe Where Papwa Won The Prestigious Dutch Open In 1959 (and Again In 1960 And 1964). For A Short Period The South African Government Gave Permission For Him To Compete With Whites And Despite His Non-conforming Wrong Arm Grip He Won The Natal Open Twice On One Occasion Dramatically Beating The Great Gary Player. But Papwa Was Soon Banned From Playing In Tournaments With Whites, Forcibly Moved From His Home Under The Group Areas Act, And Unable To Sustain His Career Died Penniless As An Alcoholic.--book Jacket. Christopher Nicholson. As someone classified "non-white" under apartheid, Papwa Sewgolum was not permitted to compete in "white" tournaments. But then fate intervened and he was personally flown to Europe in a four-seater plane by a maverick benefactor, and promptly won the 1959 Dutch Open. Unable to ignore him any longer, the white golf establishment reluctantly allowed Papwa to compete in major whitesonly tournaments. He won the Natal Open twice, once beating the great Gary Player himself. He became a sporting icon. But he was soon banned from playing in tournaments with whites, forcefully moved from his home under the Group Areas Act and, unable to sustain his career, died penniless as an alcoholic. This book graphically brings to life Papwa's remarkable career, counterposing it to that of Gary Player, who went on to achieve fabulous fame and fortune. Papwa the Pariah captures both the richness of golf and the soul of a tortured country. From Tools to Symbols represents an excellent synthesis of recent research on the origins of humankind, the evolution of the human brain and the emergence of modern human cultures from a number of disciplines. It is based on collaborative research by South African, French, American and German scholars, and contains twenty-seven essays presented at a conference organized in 2003 in honor of the well-known palaeoanthropologist Phillip Tobias The impoverished and illiterate descendant of an indentured labourer, Papwa Sewgolum started playing golf at a young age and, with his non-conforming 'wrong arm' grip, he soon became a champion.