{Prehistoric Circles (1)}[26th September 1990]

[Redbook7:334-337][19900926:1230]{Prehistoric Circles (1)}[26th September 1990]

19900926.1230c

*

**

‘Early living sites.*** The pattern of bone and artifact [sic] refuse at other localities indicates that hominids returned several times to the same place. It has been suggested that these “living sites” may have functioned as a home base for the activities of small groups of early hominids. At one site in Olduvai Gorge**** are the remains of a stone circle**** that may have formed the base of a shelter. Many researchers link the beginning of a rich archaeological record#* with the appearance in the fossil record of more advanced gracile#** hominid remains, which have been attributed to Homo habilis.’#***

‘Thus, both Chou-k’ou-tien and Vértesszőllős #***[remains of Home Erectus]#*** have shown signs that Middle Pleistocene Man## had a controlled mastery of fire.’

It is suggested that this enabled cave dwelling and inhabitation of colder (eg European) regions.##**

#***‘[Humans]#*** are par excellence the creature that lives with an eye for the main chance. H. erectus was probably one of the very earliest of the great opportunists; and it is likely that this very opportunism endowed the species with evolutionary flexibility, with adaptability, and with a very plastic survival kit.’##** There is, however, no ‘evidence of ritual among these extinct people’, H. erectus.##***

Some scholars do not consider H. erectus to be an ancestor of H. Sapiens.##****

*[[Redbook7:330-331][19900924:1315b]{4096-year Cycles (2) [continued]}[24th September 1990],] 331 →

[This reference appears before the text of the last previous entry in the ms; but since none of the journal entries potentially referred to by it appear to lead on to the last previous entry, it is presumably a reference misplaced from this journal entry, whose fn=#*** refers onward to this entry]

**(ref [] 307)( → DP.c)

[Unclear to what any part of this ref refers]

***(Their italics)

****(Probably about 1,750,000 years old)

[Underlining added in ms]

#{cf [[Redbook7:342][19900927:1822]{Prehistoric Circles (2)}[27th September 1990],] 342}

(My emphasis. {But see [[Redbook7:345][19900930:2135c]{Hunter-gatherers and Agriculturalists [Extract]}[30th September 1990],] 345})

#*eg a range of stone tools.#*1

#*1(but tools only c600[,000]-700,000 y[ea]rs) ago per E[ncyclopaedia] B[ritannica] 26:43)<900927>

#**=slender (C[oncise] O[xford] D[ictionary])

#***E[ncyclopaedia] B[ritannica] 18:951

#****[Square brackets in the text here are from the ms]

##(ie c350,000 years old)

##*E[ncyclopaedia] B[ritannica] 18:954; 961

##**E[ncyclopaedia] B[ritannica] 18:955

##***ibid

##****See E[ncyclopaedia] B[ritannica] 18:955

[continued]

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