The Emergence of Modern Humans: An Archaeological Perspective

In this book, 24 leading international paleontologists and archaeologists summarize recent archaeological research in different regions of the world to present a wide-ranging survey of the archaeological evidence bearing on the last 40,000 years of human evolution. As a way of tracing evolutionary patterns, the research is focused on the technology of early hominids and their capacity to use symbols. The contributors offer detailed descriptions and analyses of stone and bone tools as well as ornaments and works of art at various European sites, including, for comparative purposes, studies of finds at non-European sites. Adding substantially to our knowledge of the relationship of Neanderthal to ancient and modern Homo sapiens, this book holds every promise of becoming a classic in paleoanthropological literature.