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The Ādam Paradox Hypothesis 79
Case studies / anchors.
Skill-intensive toolkits (pressure flaking, microlithic sets): reliable transmission
requires instruction/apprenticeship.
Ornament norms (bead standards, motif conventions): shared codes reduce
coordination costs and signal coalition.
Takeaway. Culture can drive genetic selection, creating a positive feedback
loop: better culture → stronger learners → even better culture.
The Visibility Problem
Finally, some argue that the apparent absence of symbols before 70kya may be
partly an illusion of preservation. Early humans may have expressed symbols
primarily in perishable forms — wood carvings, textiles, ritual dances, songs,
body painting — which left little trace. Only when they externalized symbols in
durable media, such as beads, bone carvings, or cave paintings, do traditions
become archaeologically continuous (Sterelny, 2012).
Claim. Early symbolism may have been expressed mostly in perishable media
that rarely fossilize (Sterelny, 2012). Only when people externalized symbols in
durable media does the record become continuous.
Case studies / anchors.
Blombos Cave (~100–75kya): deliberately engraved ochre — among the
earliest durable abstractions; likely sits atop a larger iceberg of perishable
activity.
Diepkloof (>55kya): repeated engraved ostrich eggshell motifs —
conventionalized designs that survive because the medium is durable.
Widespread ochre use across MSA: pigment processing and habitual
application suggest body marking traditions that rarely preserve.
Takeaway. The absence of early continuous symbolism in durable materials
need not mean the absence of symbolic life.