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The Ādam Paradox Hypothesis 226
Part VII — Objections and Alternatives
Chapter 24
Multiple Origins, No Single Threshold
Regional sparks exist but never form global stability.
A third objection to APH denies thresholds altogether. It argues that symbolic
behavior had multiple origins, with regional groups inventing ornaments, rituals,
and marks independently. In this view, there was no Adamic ignition, only
scattered sparks. What we call a “revolution”
was merely the patchwork
accumulation of regional innovations over time.
Why the Sparks Model Persuades
Scattered evidence of symbols.
Neanderthal sites in Iberia show use of pigments and cave markings,
possibly symbolic (Zilhão et al., 2010).
At Trinil (Indonesia,
~500kya), shells engraved with zigzag patterns suggest
early abstraction, perhaps by Homo erectus (Joordens et al., 2015).
Such finds appear long before the 70kya “ignition.
”
Local innovation under stress.
Environmental challenges can trigger creative responses. Groups under
pressure might independently invent rituals or symbolic tokens as survival
strategies.
Diversity of traditions.
Archaeological records show regional variability. Different populations
decorated with beads, ochre, or engravings — a mosaic rather than a single
spark.
These arguments make the sparks model attractive: it respects the diversity of
human groups and avoids invoking a global leap.