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The Ādam Paradox Hypothesis
Strand One: Pigments and Early Symbolism
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Pinnacle Point (~164 ka): The Color of Identity
At Pinnacle Point, South Africa, excavations revealed evidence of ochre use
dating to ~164,000 years ago. Pigments were collected, ground, and possibly
mixed with binders. Curtis Marean, who led the study, concluded:
“The
systematic collection and heating of ochre at Pinnacle Point suggests symbolic
behavior and social signaling far earlier than expected” (Marean et al., 2007, p.
905).
Red ochre has no utilitarian function in toolmaking. Its grinding and use are
best explained as body paint, group identity markers, or ritual symbolism.
Kapthurin (~285 ka): The Earliest Ochre?
In Kenya’s Kapthurin Formation, pieces of ochre date to nearly 285,000 years
ago (Barham, 2002). If confirmed, this would push symbolic pigment use to the
dawn of Homo sapiens. Yet the evidence is sparse—just a few fragments, with
no continuity across layers.
Sibudu Cave (~58–49 ka): Pigment in Daily Life
At Sibudu, ochre was ground, mixed, and used with complex adhesives for
hafting tools. Lyn Wadley argues that ochre there was “deliberately selected and
processed for symbolic and practical functions, likely including body
painting”(Wadley, 2014, p. 3).
Sibudu is later than Pinnacle Point, but it illustrates a wider theme: ochre use is
widespread but episodic.
Figure 3.1 — Ochre Timeline
Ochre sparks recur across time — hinting at symbolic potential — but fail to accumulate into
continuous tradition.