Signaling Theory and Technologies of Communication in the Paleolithic

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62 Scopus citations

Abstract

Between 300,000 and 250,000 years ago early humans in Africa and Eurasia began to use durable material substances and objects as media for signaling. Initially material signals were confined to ochre and other pigments, but over time objects such as beads were also added as technologies for sending messages. Changes in the types of materials used, their durability and costs, and the contexts of their disposal indicate a series of transitions in how early humans employed signaling media. Signaling theory from biology suggests that shifts in technologies over the course of the Pleistocene reflect problems in coordinating action and resolving conflicts within increasingly large and internally differentiated societies.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)42-50
Number of pages9
JournalBiological Theory
Volume9
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2014

Keywords

  • Costly signals
  • Middle Stone Age
  • Personal ornaments
  • Signaling theory
  • Upper Paleolithic

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • History and Philosophy of Science

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