For those who participated in lecture one in the World History series and are interested in learning more about pre-historical humans…
This fall PBS released a new Nova program called Dawn of Humanity. It explores a recent discovery in a deep cave in South Africa that might cause some rethinking about human development. This is a good example that the science of pre-historical humans is still very much unsettled.
- During the lecture I mentioned the obscure psychological theory, Bicameral Mind. Here is an article that explores it in the context of the HBO show Westward. If you just want a primer on Bicameralism, the Wikipedia page is a good enough place to start.
- Other things that were mentioned that you might want to explore more:
- Behavioral Modernity What caused the “Great Leap Forward”?
- Do we have neanderthal DNA?
- Denisovans a fairly recent discovery of a branch of humans. How much can you know from a pinky bone?
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. I’ve mentioned this book on numerous occasions.