Professor Hale is a great narrator, speaks clearly and knows his history. He covers a large swath of geology -- yoThis was a fun, illuminating course.
Professor Hale is a great narrator, speaks clearly and knows his history. He covers a large swath of geology -- you'll travel from ancient Sumeria, China, and Peru, just to name a few -- and learn about a myriad of religious ceremonies, texts, and architecture. Stone Hedge, the giant heads of Easter Island, the great pyramids -- it's all here.
Humankind has been fascinated by death since time immemorial, and the awareness of our mortality begat religion (to the chagrin of many, I'm sure!) I am a nonbeliever myself but find religion and the search for its roots a fascinating subject. Personally, I find it to be a philosophical treat to ruminate on such subjects. Being able to contemplate the profound question of what happens after death is the very essence of being human.
This will be a new favorite of mine among the Great Courses. Highly recommended!...more
“Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?”
These are the words that adorn French artist Paul Gaugin’s famous painting, and these are que“Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?”
These are the words that adorn French artist Paul Gaugin’s famous painting, and these are questions I’m sure we all have pondered at some time. Where did we originate from? Did other species of humans exist, and if so, when and where?
Thanks to sheer luck, fossilized remains of our ancestors have survived that offer a hazy glimpse into our past. We have a plethora of bones – skulls, finger bones, femurs, rib cages, pelvises – that reveal bipedal species once existed. Archeologists have also uncovered ancient tools, like sharpened animal bones and flint stone used for hunting or carving up meat. Red ocher has been discovered, perhaps used as body paint or for artistic reasons. There are drawings on cave walls that have been found in Spain and France. Seashells with string holes have been found too, possibly ancient jewelry. Neanderthals may also have buried their dead, used ocher and jewelry, and this shows that they were not as stupid and brutish as paleoanthropologists once believed.
The date for the African exodus is also obscure. We don’t have an exact timeframe when modern humans began to migrate and settle Europe and Asia. How about homo heidelbergensis or the Denisovans, other species whose remains have been found. Did homo sapiens live among them, or the Neanderthals? Did we wipe them out through war, or were we better at hunting and gathering resources? As you can see, there are still many unanswered questions.
I found the section on forensic archeology fascinating. Trying to figure out how someone died thousands of years ago is quite the challenge, damn near impossible really. Was the broken rib from a fall or was it a violent attack with a spear? Perhaps that gaping hole on the top of a skull came from a murderous blow.
Stringer’s writing could be dry and technical at times, although this isn’t too common and most of the work is easily readable. This is the first book I’ve read that focuses on early human history, so I can’t compare it with other works, but this was great if you’re interested in the history of early hominins....more
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