The archaeology of the mind
The archaeology of the mind How ancient DNA is shedding new light on prehistory and history Peter Frost Impressions of a cityscape , Louis-George Legrand (1801-1883) We adapt not only to natural habitats but also to culture. As the latter became more important, human evolution speeded up to cope with new demands on cognitive ability. Genetic evolution accelerated some 10,000 years ago in our species. Back then, humans already occupied the full range of natural environments from the tropics to the arctic. They were now adapting to new cultural environments. First, there was farming and life in villages, towns, and cities. Then came other changes: specialization of labor, formation of states, development of reading and writing, codification of social norms into law, and so on. We used to think that cultural evolution simply replaced genetic evolution. In reality, the two have pushed each other forward, even into the time of recorded history. Humans create culture, and culture recre...