The Hunters or the Hunted by C.K. Brian
What were our earliest human ancestors like? It has been argued that the first men were killers, not only of the most formidable animals of the time, but also of one another. In this work of fundamental significance for the study of human evolution, C. K. Brain of the Transvaal Museum presents an alternative analysis of the extensive fossil sites in South Africa, one that shows conclusively that the early hominids were hunted by powerful predators—the great cats—and that it was only in early Pleistocene times that human intelligence and developing technology tipped the balance of power in their favor. Brain devoted twelve years to the analysis and interpretation of nearly 20,000 hominid and animal fossils from the classic cave sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkraans, and Kromdraas Brain asked, “Who were the hunters and who the hunted? How did these bones enter the caves?” To answer these questions, Brain was led into taphonomy, a new field for which there were virtually no guidelines at that time. Before the data could be interpreted, wide-ranging background studies—all reported here—dealing with many aspects of contemporary bone accumulation and preservation, by carnivores and humans, were undertaken in a variety of open-air and cave contexts.
University of Chicago Press 1981
ISBN: 0 226 07089 1
Condition: Very Good, dustcover worn and water-damaged at back. Book cover pristine.
MB
What were our earliest human ancestors like? It has been argued that the first men were killers, not only of the most formidable animals of the time, but also of one another. In this work of fundamental significance for the study of human evolution, C. K. Brain of the Transvaal Museum presents an alternative analysis of the extensive fossil sites in South Africa, one that shows conclusively that the early hominids were hunted by powerful predators—the great cats—and that it was only in early Pleistocene times that human intelligence and developing technology tipped the balance of power in their favor. Brain devoted twelve years to the analysis and interpretation of nearly 20,000 hominid and animal fossils from the classic cave sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkraans, and Kromdraas Brain asked, “Who were the hunters and who the hunted? How did these bones enter the caves?” To answer these questions, Brain was led into taphonomy, a new field for which there were virtually no guidelines at that time. Before the data could be interpreted, wide-ranging background studies—all reported here—dealing with many aspects of contemporary bone accumulation and preservation, by carnivores and humans, were undertaken in a variety of open-air and cave contexts.
University of Chicago Press 1981
ISBN: 0 226 07089 1
Condition: Very Good, dustcover worn and water-damaged at back. Book cover pristine.
MB
What were our earliest human ancestors like? It has been argued that the first men were killers, not only of the most formidable animals of the time, but also of one another. In this work of fundamental significance for the study of human evolution, C. K. Brain of the Transvaal Museum presents an alternative analysis of the extensive fossil sites in South Africa, one that shows conclusively that the early hominids were hunted by powerful predators—the great cats—and that it was only in early Pleistocene times that human intelligence and developing technology tipped the balance of power in their favor. Brain devoted twelve years to the analysis and interpretation of nearly 20,000 hominid and animal fossils from the classic cave sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkraans, and Kromdraas Brain asked, “Who were the hunters and who the hunted? How did these bones enter the caves?” To answer these questions, Brain was led into taphonomy, a new field for which there were virtually no guidelines at that time. Before the data could be interpreted, wide-ranging background studies—all reported here—dealing with many aspects of contemporary bone accumulation and preservation, by carnivores and humans, were undertaken in a variety of open-air and cave contexts.
University of Chicago Press 1981
ISBN: 0 226 07089 1
Condition: Very Good, dustcover worn and water-damaged at back. Book cover pristine.
MB