Some theoretical tidbits that I’ve come across while researching for my talk in September:
- Domesticating fire put us on the path to becoming distinctively social animals because fire led to us sitting in circles facing one another. It was the first real commodity outside of food, shelter, and water.
- Hunting and eating meat allowed us to develop bigger brains because of the higher amount of fat that comes from meat protein. Very important because the modern human brain consumes one quarter of the energy generated by the body to simply maintain regular brain function.
This is only a couple of amazing things that I’ve gleaned from Stephen Mithen’s The Prehistory of the Mind. It’s an incredible read for those who are interested in creativity, history, and evolution.
Brad Fortier 