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The Ādam Paradox Hypothesis 133
Texier and colleagues argue:
“The engravings correspond to a system of symbolic communication that was used to mediate
interactions and transactions between groups.
” (Texier et al., 2010, p. 6180)
This is the archaeology of numbers: not just tools for survival, but symbols for
scaling cooperation.
Dolní Věstonice: Hearths, Figurines, and Settlements
By ~30,000 years ago, in central Europe, the archaeological record explodes
with evidence of semi-permanent settlements. The site of Dolní Věstonice in
the Czech Republic reveals clusters of hearths, dwellings built from mammoth
bones and hides, and an astonishing collection of fired-clay figurines.
These figurines — stylized representations of animals and humans, including
the famous “Venus” figurines — are among the earliest known examples of
ceramic art. The hearths, meanwhile, suggest communal cooking and ritual.
Together, they represent not the temporary camps of nomads but organized
community life.
Such sites imply large groups coordinating over seasons, sharing food,
constructing shelters, and conducting rituals. They also imply inheritance of
tradition: the figurines were not ad hoc but mass-produced, suggesting
collective symbolic systems. Here, demography and cognition fuse into visible
archaeology.
Synthesis: Archaeology as Demographic Proxy
Across these four sites — Blombos, Katanda, Diepkloof, and Dolní Věstonice
— we see a progressive pattern:
Beads mark identity and belonging.
Harpoons feed larger groups with surplus.
Engraved shells symbolize exchange and contracts.
Settlements and figurines anchor communities and rituals.
Together, these are not isolated curiosities. They are the material
signatures of numbers scaling upward.